Heritage Collections team shares this children's book from 1945 with a fascinating connection to Dunedin Public Libraries.

By Dunedin Public Libraries | Posted: Monday Jan 19, 2026

Three brown bears and the manpower man was written by Margaret (Peggy) Dunningham and Illustrated by Anne McCahon. Both women were brilliant creatives as well as being married to notable men.

Margaret Dunningham, wife of Archie Dunningham (former Dunedin City Librarian), is renowned for her mahi documenting Balinese art and customs. She immersed herself in this subject while accompanying her husband, who was helping to establish library policies and practices in Indonesia. Margaret subsequently wrote several books, which we also have in our collections.

You can find them on the catalogue here: https://tinyurl.com/nntrusd9

Anne McCahon, perhaps best known as the wife of Colin McCahon, was a talented and prolific artist in her own right. She showed art regularly in Otago Art Society exhibitions and for a time shared a studio with Doris Lusk. She also contributed illustrations to The School Journal for over 20 years.

Three brown bears and the manpower man is the only collaboration between the two women that we know of. Published in 1945, it is a children’s book about housing shortages, as well as manpower regulations during and just after World War two whereby workers could be directed to work in essential industries.