Colonial textile culture in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

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dc.confidentialEmbargo : Noen_US
dc.contributor.advisorWatson, Geoff
dc.contributor.authorMcKergow, Fiona Mary
dc.date.accessioned2020-09-04T03:47:42Z
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-15T04:12:11Z
dc.date.available2020-09-04T03:47:42Z
dc.date.available2021-04-15T04:12:11Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionListed in 2020 Dean's List of Exceptional Thesesen
dc.description.abstractHistorians are increasingly paying attention to the intersections between objects, people and places as an aspect of the social and cultural histories of settler colonial societies. This thesis investigates selected textiles of British migrant and settler women in Aotearoa New Zealand as an element of what is defined here as ‘colonial textile culture’. It draws on the collections of mid-nineteenth century clothing and textiles held at two provincial museums in the lower North Island of New Zealand: Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History, in Palmerston North, and Whanganui Regional Museum, in Whanganui. Colonial textile culture is examined through six surviving objects associated with migrant women of English, Irish and Scottish ethnic origin. These are presented as part of a wider re-evaluation of textiles in colonial cultural history. A set of journals, a mourning sampler and a workbox allow insights into the more personal aspects of textile culture, while a silk wedding dress, a battle flag and a straw bonnet reflect its more public dimensions. Many of these are revealed to be highly emotional objects, in addition to their sensory dimensions, that were essential to the making of relationships, identities and experiences. The concept of colonial textile culture encapsulates the ways in which textiles in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand variously created and sustained family memories; contested and reinforced notions of social class; related to both feminine and masculine identities; and served as a site of interaction between British migrant and settler women and Māori communities. Colonial textile culture was also a source of commercial opportunity for some women. Finally, it was part of a wider circulation of commodities, ideas and practices throughout the British Empire that provided an underpinning to the extension of settler colonialism.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/16275
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectTextile fabricsen
dc.subjectMaterial cultureen
dc.subjectClothing and dressen
dc.subjectNew Zealanden
dc.subjectHistoryen
dc.subject19th centuryen
dc.subjectSocial life and customsen
dc.subjectSocial conditionsen
dc.subjectDean's List of Exceptional Thesesen
dc.subject.anzsrc430320 New Zealand historyen
dc.subject.anzsrc430206 Heritage collections and interpretationsen
dc.titleColonial textile culture in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorMcKergow, Fiona Maryen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineHistoryen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
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