Treasure Out of Ruins

The Art Deco 1910-1939 exhibition at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts describes Napier as “one of the purest Art Deco cities in the world.” An IHT article gives a detailed tour of Napier’s architectural treasures, with special mention of their historical origin in the earthquake of 1931: “When the people of Napier rebuilt their broken city, they simply needed a new home. But what they created has instead become a monument to their experience, a moment of tragedy and renewal frozen in time.”