Historic documents have many stories to tell
Overview
The three document tables let users explore the historic documents of He Whakaputanga, Te Tiriti, and the Women's Suffrage Petition as never before. A smooth multi-touch interface lets you zoom right into the highest-resolution scans ever made of these constitutional documents, including seeing recreated details that have been lost to time.
As you're exploring, insights from the wonderful Archives New Zealand archivists and experts are discoverable. Insights are organised into themed tours, or hikoi, to draw you into a journey through the wealth of content at your fingertips.
Each of the thousands of signatures can be tapped on for further biographical information. The combination of being able to see detail and hear from passionate experts makes for a engaging experience.
The document tables
Allowing visitors to explore the documents in incredible detail, an action nobody has been able to do before, is a remarkable experience. As they do, they trip over incidental stories which draw them further into the content. Clicking on a “red mark”, for example, reveals an audio story from an archivist about how this colour comes from the bodies of crushed up beetles. It’s a moment where young visitors suddenly become engaged, and from there, their exploration continues with enhanced interest.
To help create a personal connection with these documents, they can also search for ancestors who signed these documents. Finding a family member who stood up and signed for women’s right to vote, or who signed the Treaty, have proved to be strong emotional connection points for our visitors.
Viewing the documents in their jewel box-like space is a very special experience. The surrounding interactive and didactic materials help to bring the history and stories of these priceless documents to life.
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