From Standing Room Only 18 May 2014
A collective of writers, artists and philosophers formed a utopian community in Havelock North in the early 1900s, under the firm hand of English missionary Dr Robert Felkin. He even had a temple built under his house for worshippers. A new exhibition revisits the collective which was called the Forerunners.
The Whare Ra vault, created 1913-1916 painted by Harriot Felkin (b.1873, d.1959) and based on a replica of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz, photograph by David Frost.
Exterior of Whare Ra (the house of the sun), built 1913-1915 designed by James Chapman-Taylor (b.1878, d.1958) photograph by David Frost.
Dr Robert William Felkin, c1924 Hastings District Libraries Community Archives
HNPL 505 HNPL 3085a
Group in costume for the Shakespearean Pageant of November 1912 photograph by Leonard Charles Whitehead (b.1873, d.1960) collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, m2004/6/17.
The Karaka Tree, painted by an anonymous artist to accompany prose by Ruth Gardiner, published in The Forerunner, August 1908. Forerunner Press (established 1907, closed 1914). Gifted by Mrs von Dadelszen. Collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 63052
The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.
