To take the wonder of wool to the nation! That was Mary-Annette Burgess’s mission as the New Zealand Wool Board’s director of promotions.
Mary-Annette made inspired use of the Wool Board’s collection of post-war designer wool garments. She developed a unique form of wool promotion using the glamorous gowns and beautifully tailored daywear seen in this exhibition.
Starting with a fashion floor show at the Plunket Ball in Wellington in 1948, she went on to write, direct, and narrate a series of spectacular productions on the theme of wool – its history and particular qualities. The garments presented through dramatised stories dazzled audiences throughout the country and generated unprecedented publicity for wool and the work of the Wool Board.
In 1956, Mary-Annette left the Wool Board and the productions stopped, ending a fabulous era in our wool history.