Stewart Bell Maclennan was the first director (from 1946 to 1968) of New Zealand's National Art Gallery. In 1958 he travelled to America and Europe to visit and study leading galleries. His letters home from this trip are marked by great personal charm and are presented in our Book of the Week with sketches made while travelling (he was also an accomplished artist).  
Don't Forget to Feed the Cat was assembled by Maclennan's daughter, Mary Bell Thornton from the letters back and forth between Maclennan and his family in New Zealand. His notes of gallery visits are appended. The book is published by The Cuba Press. 
>> Please come to the launch of the book at VOLUME on Tuesday 14th May and 5:30. 
>> Stewart Bell Maclennan was also an accomplished artist. >See some of his prints here. > See some others of his works here. >>And some watercolours here. 
>> A biographical sketch of Stewart Bell Maclennan. 
>> 1957.
>> The National Art Gallery was housed in the Dominion Museum building in Wellington, and was absorbed into Te Papa in 1998. 
>>A poem by Mary Bell Thornton.
>>'Before the Act'.
>> Women in the Field, One and Two by Thomasin Sleigh features the National Art Gallery during Maclellan's stewardship. 
>> Click and collect.
>> An abbreviated artist biography: