Nestled in the heart of Foxton in Manawatu is the historic Coronation Hall, built in 1927 and home to the MAVTECH Museum of Audio Visual Technology.
Filled with retro radios, vintage televisions, cameras and projectors, these are the machines that made media before the digital age.
Board chair Maree Brannigan says at the time, some of the items were the very best that technology had to offer.
"One reason I really enjoy being the board chair is the ability to look back and use that to look forward," Brannigan says.
But the future of the museum staying in Foxton is at risk.
Coronation Hall needs earthquake strengthening, and the Horowhenua District Council is yet to decide how and when to do it.
"I can't make any guarantee, but certainly, we will make every effort that it does remain in Foxton," Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden says.
"It is a dilemma, and we need to try and find a solution."
Mavtech manager Jim Harper has worked at the museum for over a decade and knows the collection inside and out.
His highlights include a player piano from the 1920s and a sound effects box constructed in the 1940s and used in radio plays.
A favourite for board trustee Arjan van der Boon is a record-producing machine that made New Zealand's first hit single, Blue Smoke by Pixie Williams.
"We are a really special character museum with lots of special characters attached to the museum too, which is great fun," Brannigan says.
"The special thing is it's a deep dive into that space around communication heritage and popular culture and how those things come together."
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