Completely revised and updated. Chapters have been rewritten. Also added in a substantial new chapter on contemporary Maori and Pacific Island painting, as well as an acknowledgement of the coming wave of Asian artists.

"Reveals ... the exquisite work and extraordinary skill of a group of New Zealand artists, most of them women, working in a wide variety of art and craft forms ... This flowering of local talent ... originated in the British Arts and Crafts movement and is associated with the growth of art education in this country: its quiet but dedicated character also suggests much about the situation of women in the years before and after 1900"--Jacket.

'Unlike in Europe, North America, Australia and elsewhere, urban history has never been sustained as a distinct field of scholarship in New Zealand. This is surprising, considering that since the early twentieth century most New Zealanders have lived in towns and cities – 86 per cent were urban in 2014. Yet we know surprisingly little about these urban dwellers and the spaces in which they lived.' The pursuit of city life is one of the most important untold stories of New Zealand. The Big Smoke is the first comprehensive history to tell this story, presenting a dynamic and highly illustrated account of city life from 1840 to 1920. It explores such questions as: what did cities look like and how did they change; why were women especially drawn to live in cities; in what ways did Māori experience and shape cities; how far was the street a living room and stage for city life; and why did New Zealand so quickly become a nation of townspeople? At a time of national debate over housing and the growth of our cities, Ben Schrader’s superb new history reveals how our urban origins have shaped the people we are today. Available in paperback and ebook formats from booksellers and using the ‘Buy’ buttons on this page. For more information on these purchase options please visit our Sales FAQs page or contact us.

Who are the People of New Zealand in the 21st Century? This diverse bunch of characters is easily recognisable and hilariously familiar. Sam Moore's Instagram account and Facebook page Ugly Ink went viral when he started posting images of classic Kiwi stereotypes. They're characters that every New Zealander can relate to, including everyone's gran 'Helpful Beryl', dress code-breaker 'Wedding Kane', the forever helpful 'Office Jan', and rugged 'Hilux Surf Drew' among others. Sam's humour in these images gently and affectionately pokes fun at Kiwi culture, providing many snorts of recognition.

Mervyn Taylor -- wood engraver, painter, illustrator, sculptor and designer -- was one of the most celebrated New Zealand artists of the 1930s to 1960s. He was highly connected to modernism and nationalism as it was expressed in the New Zealand art and literature of the period. Between 1956 and 1964 he created twelve murals for major new government and civic buildings erected in that era of great economic prosperity, during which New Zealand first began to loosen its apron-string ties to England. Tragically, some have been destroyed and others presumed lost -- until now. This fascinating and beautiful book, bursting with archival material, details the detective hunt for the murals and tells the stories of their creation. They cement Taylor's place as one of New Zealand's most significant artists, and are a celebration of the art and culture of our modernist era.