Department Store, Auckland City

Milne and Choyce Department store in Queen Street was refurbished during the early 1970s and the company installed Auckland’s most advanced silent escalators. They had spun-satin stainless sides that were both burnished and subtly reflective. Max Oettli has recognised what a dominant feature they were in connecting the four floors of the store. He has also seen how attractive these ultra-modern moving staircases were to children. In this photograph the young girl licks the rubber handrail as if it is liquorice. What results is a somewhat scary yet humorous image of a child’s delight in modern shopping technology.

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