Ernest Mervyn Taylor (1906 - 1964) was a notable New Zealand engraver, commercial artist and publisher. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1906 but primarily lived and worked in Wellington, New Zealand until his sudden death at the age of 58.
Taylor completed a number of murals towards the end of his career. Information is varied on the current status of these works: some are known to be intact, some have been boarded over, some are in need of restoration work, and the fate of others is simply unknown. These works are currently the subject of a Massey University College of Creative Arts research project, the E. Mervyn Taylor mural search & recovery project.[1] [2] [3]
| Original Location | Architects | Mural title | Medium | Dimensions | Image | Artist | Date | Current Location | Notes | Heritage listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington New Zealand Meat Board Directors' Room, Massey House, 126-132 Lambton Quay | Plischke & Firth | Carved totara panel | E. Mervyn Taylor | c. 1957 | Unknown | ||||||
| Otaki War Memorial Hall, 69 Main St | Sandblasted glass windows | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1957 | In situ | |||||||
| Wellington Khandallah Presbyterian Church, 27 Ganges Rd, Khandallah | The Ascension | Sandblasted glass windows | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1959 | In situ | ||||||
| Masterton Post Office, 122 Queen St | Early Settlers | Ceramic tiles | 4400 x 4400 mm | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1960 | Hidden behind a wall | Masterton District Council | ||||
| New Plymouth War Memorial Hall, Museum & Library, 1 Ariki St | Edgar Collins | Sandblasted glass window | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1960 | In situ (site now known as Puke Ariki) | ||||||
| New Plymouth Post Office, Cnr Gill and Currie Sts | Edgar Collins | Sandblasted glass atrium ceiling | Estimated at up to 8000 x 8000 mm | E. Mervyn Taylor | c. 1960 | In situ, but partially covered and difficult to view (site now occupied by ANZ Banking Group) | |||||
| Masterton War Memorial Stadium Hall of Memories, 2 Dixon St, North Masterton | Lest We Forget | Ceramic tiles | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1960-61/1966 | In situ | ||||||
| Wairoa Centennial Library, 212 Marine Parade | Porter & Martin (A.A.) | Painted wall partition, using a PVA matt latex paint from Resene | E. Mervyn Taylor | c. 1961 | Unknown | ||||||
| Hutt Valley Entrance foyer, Soil Bureau, 182 Eastern Hutt Rd, Taita | Porter & Martin (A.A.) | First Kumera Planting | Painting directly on concrete wall, using a PVA matt latex paint from Resene | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1962 | Unknown. Site now occupied by The Learning Connexion art institution. | |||||
| Wellington Entrance foyer (assumed), National Mutual Life Assurance Building, 153 Featherston St | Gray, Young, Morton & Calder | Painting directly on wall | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1963 | Unknown. Site now occupied by the Ibis Hotel. | ||||||
| Auckland COMPAC building, 1 Akoranga Drive, Northcote | Te Ika-a-Māui | Ceramic tiles | Approx. 2625mm (height) x 3430mm (width) | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1962 | Removed from original location, undergoing restoration. Property of Spark NZ. | |||||
| Wellington Entrance foyer of Broadcasting House | Supervising architect: Gordon Wilson (Government Architect) | Time and Space | Wooden carved panel, carved from one plank of kauri | 1850 x 800 mm | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1963 | Radio NZ boardroom, Radio New Zealand House, 155 The Terrace | ||||
| Wellington Cable Price Downer House, 108 The Terrace (also referred to as 106–110) | Orchiston, Power & Associates | Industry | Ceramic tiles | E. Mervyn Taylor | 1964 | Unknown | Site now Berl House. |
One of his commissions was a mural at the Taitā headquarters of the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR)’s Soil Bureau depicting a cloaked figure using a kō (Māori digging stick).[4] In the short film "Pictorial Parade No. 128",[5] produced in 1962 by the National Film Unit, Taylor can be seen discussing the mural with Mr. Norman Taylor (Director of the Soil Bureau), and subsequently painting it.
The mural was commissioned by the New Zealand Government to mark the 1962 completion of the Tasman leg of the Commonwealth Pacific Cable (COMPAC) – a huge underwater telephone cable system that connected New Zealand to its Commonwealth allies in the aftermath of World War Two. The mural was originally housed in the COMPAC landing station in Auckland. In 2014 this mural was discovered by artist Bronwyn Holloway-Smith. The work was brought to public attention once again through her project Te Ika-a-Akoranga.[6]