Box People and Places
Latest Issue 48 Summer 2025 
  • This Issue
    • Augustus Perren
    • Church Photos
    • Box Village Photos
    • Bath Photos
    • Pictor Photos
    • Celebration Photos
    • Perren Family Photos
    • Unknown Photos
    • Box People Photos
    • VE Day Full Story
    • Memories of VE Day 1945
    • VE Daty 2025 Anniversary
    • Oral History
  • Previous
    • Issue 46 - Box Hill
    • Issue 45 - Moleyns Lordship
    • Issue 44 - Viking Hazelbury
    • Issue 43 - Late Medieval
    • Issue 42 - Beautiful Box
    • Issue 41 - Becket Plays
    • Issue 40 - Selwyn Hall
    • Issues 30-39 >
      • Issue 39 - Modern Box
      • Issue 38 - Railway Workers
      • Issue 37 - Mill Lane Halt
      • Issue 36 - Box Rec
      • Issue 35 - Inter war
      • Issue 34 - Fogleigh House
      • Issue 33 - KIngsdown Post Office
      • Issue 32 - Chapel Lane
      • Issue 31 - Saxon Box
      • Issue 30 - Georgian Rudloe
    • Issues 20-29 >
      • Issue 29 - Darkest Hour
      • Issue 28 - VE Day
      • Issue 27 - Northey
      • Issue 26 - Heritage Trail
      • Issue 25 - Slave Owners
      • Issue 24 - Highwaymen
      • Issue 23 - Georgian
      • Issue 22 - War Memorial
      • Issue 21 - Childhood 1949-59
      • Issue 20 - Box Home Guard
    • Issues 10-19 >
      • Issue 19 - Outbreak WW2
      • Issue 18 - Building Bargates
      • Issue 17 - Railway Changes
      • Issue 16 - Quarries
      • Issue 15 - Rail & Quarry
      • Issue 14 - Civil War
      • Issue 13: Box Revels
      • Issue 12 - Where You Live
      • Issue 11 - Tudor & Stuart
      • Issue 10 - End of Era 1912
    • Issues 1-9 >
      • Issue 9 - Health & Leisure
      • Issue 8 - Farming & Rural
      • Issue 7 - Manufacturing
      • Issue 6 - Celebrations
      • Issue 5 - Victorian Centre
      • Issue 4 - Slump after WW1
      • Issue 3 - Great War 1914-18
      • Issue 2 - 1950s & 1960s
      • Issue 1 - 1920s
    • Index By Author
    • Partner Sites & Book Reviews
    • Currency Converter
  • People
  • Places
  • General
  • FULL Series
  • Contact
    • Blog
    • Q&A
Art Deco in Napier, New Zealand         Jane Townsend            August 2018
Picture
Jane Townsend wrote to us a while ago about her husband's family, Henry Townsend, who was born in Box and emigrated to New Zealand a hundred and fifty years ago. She has remained a loyal reader and sent us this update.
 
I was fascinated to read the article in your current issue about the Art Deco house in Box, Little Orchard. I live in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand and nearby is the city of Napier which is famous for its Art Deco architectural style. I have been an Art Deco volunteer guide for 14 years.
 
Our Art Deco style came about as the result of a huge earthquake in 1931 when our region’s two cities, Napier and Hastings, were largely destroyed. The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and lasted for 2½ minutes. In the Centre of Napier anything that wasn’t destroyed by the earthquake was destroyed by the fires that followed.

It was a very brave move on the part of the two government-appointed Commissioners and four local architects to make the decision to rebuild in this style, as well as the Spanish Mission and Stripped Classical styles. It was the middle of the Great Depression & therefore very little building was happening in New Zealand. The main focus of the Art Deco Trust is protecting, preserving and restoring our Art Deco heritage.

We have over 30,000 people on our guided walks every year, over 60 cruise ships visit in the summer season and we have a very successful Art Deco Festival every year in February. The festival has over 200 events and attracts 30,000 to 40,000 people - New Zealanders and overseas visitors. So Art Deco has put us on the map!
 
I can imagine how the Little Orchard house would have provoked controversy when it was built in the 1930s - a very brave move by its architect & owners.
Back to Issue 22
Original Art Deco Article