How Napier became the Art Deco capital of the world
How Napier became the Art Deco capital of the world
Lecturer: Martin Lloyd
The commander of HMS Veronica little expected when he docked in the port of Napier, New Zealand, on 3rd February 1931 that two hours later his vessel would be aground, the port wrecked and the town consumed by fire. The earthquake struck at 10.47 and by the end of the day, Napier was in ruins. But from this catastrophe rose a phoenix, for Napier was rebuilt in record time and today Napier has the largest number of art deco buildings in the densest concentration of anywhere on the planet. This lecture introduces you to pre-earthquake Napier; taking you through the quake and the rescue operation. It then looks at the factors influencing the rebuilding.
Martin Lloyd has been lecturing to various groups, including U3A, the National Trust, historical societies, Gresham College and business groups since 2008. He previously worked for HM Immigration Service, and has broadcast on local and national television and radio.
Image: Tony Hisgate licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence