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Documentation and Artefacts

Housed in Wellington, the Documentation Collection encompasses a wealth of printed and manuscript items relating to Aotearoa’s film and television production and reception history, including:

  • More than 17,000 stills and photographs
  • More than 2,000 posters
  • 30 cabinets of publicity files (on subjects such as actors, censorship, TV networks, cinema-going, funding, advertising, video art, and tourism)
  • 1,000 scripts
  • Private papers, scrapbooks and manuscripts
  • Animation cels
  • Ephemera
  • Paintings and graphic design
  • Glass slide cinema advertising
  • Magic lantern slides from the pre-cinema era
Production still of Filmcraft shooting in Rotorua, 1930s. Cyril Morton on camera.

The collection also contains artefacts, such as film and television props, costumes, television sets, cameras, microphones, radios, and projection technologies from across the ages.

As well as the film and television material, the archive also holds a set of photographs, memorabilia and documents relating to the history of radio in New Zealand. These items are housed with the Radio Collection in Christchurch. For information on radio documentation materials please contact us. 

Accessing the Documentation Collection

One of several Minis that featured in Goodbye Pork Pie (Geoff Murphy, 1981). It is now part of Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision's collection of film props.

Taonga in the Documentation Collection can be viewed in the Jonathan Dennis Library, in Wellington, by appointment.

If you are interested in using documentation items in your publication or production please refer to this information about re-using items from the Documentation Collection.

If you have any questions about the Documentation Collection, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our documentation archivists are happy to advise on research enquiries.

Bro’Town creators and characters (Firehorse Films, 2005). The Bro’Town animation cels and memorabilia are housed in the Documentation Collection.

Special Collections

Learn more about Special Collections within the Documentation and Artefacts Collection.