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Story: Gambling

Art union ticket, 1910

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Art union ticket, 1910

'Art unions' began as a way for art lovers to win pieces of art, usually paintings, at a fraction of the true cost. They operated like raffles, with people buying tickets to go in the draw. This ticket was purchased by Wairarapa resident John McKenzie. It is unknown whether he won any of the 18 paintings offered as prizes.

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Wairarapa Archive

Reference: 98-118/54.R6B4S5

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How to cite this page

David Grant, Gambling – Lotteries and raffles, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/39438/art-union-ticket-1910 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by David Grant, published 3 December 2012.