Mirror ball, World War II
Mirror ball 1930s, Maker unknown, New Zealand. Purchased 2006. Te Papa
This mirror ball cast its sparkle over Wellington's Regent Ballroom during World War II. The ballroom was a popular spot for United States soldiers and marines to unwind.
But not all the images reflected in this mirror ball would have been happy ones. Many US servicemen were preparing for or recovering from combat in the South Pacific. Some were teenagers, and homesickness and fatigue took their toll.