Description

HANRAD Gallery becomes a living time capsule. Authentic midcentury icons and objects will be projected throughout the space, perfectly synched to a soundtrack drawn from the vaults - old rock 'n' roll, folk, doo-wop and trad pop — immersing you in the sights and sounds of a defining decade. 

Presented by acclaimed New Zealand author, historian and boomer Stevan Eldred-Grigg, celebrated for his landmark novel Oracles and Miracles, the evening offers a vivid and provocative re-examination of 1950s Aotearoa. Drawing inspiration from J C Somers, not a boomer, and his thesis Midcentury Culture War in Aotearoa New Zealand, this stimulating perspective is sharp, witty, beautifully illustrated, and full of fresh insight, challenging what we think we know about the decade — with both Stevan and JC visiting from Wellington for the evening.

 
Remember the era of finned cars and moral panic. Duck-arse haircuts and greasy leather jackets. Streamlined fridges in polychrome high gloss. The six o’clock swill. Anti-commie conformity. Fretting farmers and disunited unionists. Rangatahi doing the stroll. Permed and tranquillised mothers of five in the new suburban avenues of “Nappy Valley.”
 

Pub With No Beer Award 2026 – Bring along the most authentic, yet not obvious, 1950s artefact that can fit inside a midcentury overnight bag and you could be the winner!

Once I Had a Secret Love Award 2026 – Come along wearing the most authentic 1950s outfit and you might just be the lucky winner!


This is more than nostalgia. It’s a cultural deep-dive. A reawakening. A conversation. Drinks, music, memory, discovery — and a little friendly competition.


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 5:30 to 7.30 pm.

Please RSVP info@hanrad.com
Feel free to invite your friends and family to join you!