The Charlotte Museum is this weekend holding its first event aimed at attracting the general public through its doors.
The Auckland venue opened its doors in 2008 and has been visited by many in the gay community, but this Sunday it will cast its net much wider.
It's holding an event, Women who love women & Local History, which it hopes will become the first in a series about local history. All Auckland-region local historical societies have been invited.
There will be two speakers and time for questions. Museum founder, Miriam Saphira, will describe how the museum was established and what was involved in setting it up, including venue requirements, museum standards, and conservation.
Museum coordinator Jenny Rankine will describe the differing attitudes to women who loved women in New Zealand since the early 1800s.
"For example, it is not commonly known that in the 1800s, openly loving relationships between women who lived together were accepted and sometimes widely praised," Rankine says.
"As well as being the only lesbian museum in Auckland, we believe the Charlotte Museum is the only lesbian museum in the world. There are lesbian/gay museums, and lesbian archives, but no other lesbian museums."
The museum is tucked away in a small business estate in suburban Mt Albert, at Unit 7a, 43a Linwood Avenue, off St Lukes Road. It is open to the public on Wednesdays from noon to 4pm, and Sundays from 1.30 to 4pm, and at other times by arrangement. It is run by the Charlotte Museum Trust and relies heavily on volunteer labour.
The event starts at 2pm. There will be plenty of time for discussion after both speakers, followed by nibbles and drinks. Entry is by koha.
The Charlotte Museum is currently asking for lesbian sporting memorabilia and records - if you have the minute books from a lesbian team or an old team uniform that you want to give to a safe place, the museum would love to hear from you. As well as sport, volunteers are also working on forthcoming exhibitions about lesbian music and lesbians at work. Previous exhibitions have surveyed lesbian life in New Zealand from the 1800s, as well as lesbian sexuality and lesbian theatre.
