New book celebrates golden era in our history

 

Philanthropist and author Christine Fernyhough documents her extraordinary collection of mid-century and modern New Zealand objects and the stories behind them.

The best-selling author of The Road to Castle Hill, Christine Fernyhough’s passion for interior decorating morphed into the obsession of a serious collector in 1994. 

Life’s tides had brought Christine and her family to a classic 1960s Kiwi bach at Mangawhai Heads. Steeped in history, it recalled a golden era in our history – mid-century New Zealand.

Calling their bach the Butterfly House, the family set about making it their own. Inspired by childhood memories, 1950s interior design magazines, and her passion for the crafted, the local and the handmade, Christine lovingly incorporated the classic design elements and Kiwiana kitsch of yesteryear into the humble rooms and spaces at Mangawhai.

Acquiring everyday objects and memorabilia for the Butterfly House at car boot sales, garage sales, op-shops and auctions became a family sport. Christine’s collection grew and now forms an extraordinary repository of memories. Today, the bach has been transformed into a beguiling mid-century fantasy that never fails to delight visitors.

Not for Christine the clinical online purchase; objects must be carefully researched, discovered and held, with serendipity often playing a part. 

“What started as kind of interior decorating developed as my interest and passion grew for ‘things’ – fine art as well as decorative and applied arts of mid-century New Zealand,” Christine says. “It became more about rescuing history, a wonderful history lesson spoken in objects.”

In Mid-Century Living: The Butterfly House Collection, Christine invites readers to join her on a fascinating journey through our design history in furniture, ceramics, tableware, utensils, lamps, naïve art, royal family memorabilia, hand-coloured scenic posters, Crown Lynn and much more.

Crisp, colour-drenched photographs by Mark Adams and Haru Sameshima of Studio La Gonda bring to life the bach and all its rooms and reveal individual objects in situ through rich close-ups, taking the reader into our quirky, crafty and often 'make do' past.

Opening the doors to the Butterfly House and moving through each of the rooms, and the exterior, Christine shares the history of each object, her journey to them and her contagious enthusiasm for collectables. She warmly welcomes readers into her life and weaves her own personal story into the narrative, with memories of sunburn and lipstick, beach cricket and dancing the Twist, table manners and cocktail hour.

In an age of instant gratification and digital living, Mid-Century Living: The Butterfly House Collection is unashamedly nostalgic. It immortalises the timeless elegance of objects from our past. Above all, it pays homage to the lives we once lived – lives that were often simpler and more splendid.
 

Meet the author, see the collection Christine Fernyhough launches her new Book Mid-Century Living: The Butterfly House Collection (Penguin Random House NZ, RRP $60) officially on October 1.  The Mangawhai Museum will host Christine on Tuesday October 8 from 4.30pm till 6.30pm with her new book on sale. All are welcome. Also coming up, on Saturday October 26 The Butterfly House on Findlay St will be open for viewing from 10am-12pm and from 2pm-4pm with tickets for $5 entry on sale at the museum. All ticket sales will go to the museum. Contact the museum on 431 4645 for more details.

“What started as kind of interior decorating developed as my interest and passion grew for ‘things’.”