My intrepid colleagues Ola, Renee, and Brendan and I have just completed a special project at the Embassy. We’ve pulled down the faded posters, old citations, and miscellaneous art from the walls. In place of all that, we’ve installed 70 poster-size photos of meaningful events and special moments from the Mission’s past two years of activity.

As a general matter, I think it’s important to remind folks of the value and meaning of the work they do, and of how skilled they are at doing it. So, I plowed through my files and selected photos from many of the events in which the Embassy and Consulate General have been involved since I arrived, plus a couple of images from elsewhere to provide context. The slide show below contains all 70 photos in our new hallway exhibition:

After we got everything up on the walls, I asked my Embassy colleagues to vote for their favorite of the images on display. The “winner” was the photo below of our colleague Mike leaving Christchurch four days after the February 22nd earthquake.

In Christchurch for the US-NZ Partnership Forum when the quake struck, Mike and seven other staffers camped on the floor of the US Antarctic Program offices at night and forayed into the ruined city by day to search for injured Americans, provide relief services to American citizens, and facilitate the arrival and deployment of urban search and rescue teams from the United States.

It was difficult, emotional, and highly stressful work … with little sleep, limited water, no amenities or toiletries, more than a few unpleasant surprises, and only the clothes on their backs. Snapped by my colleague Josh with his Blackberry as he and the others finally boarded an evacuation flight after their work was done, the photo of Mike powerfully captures the mood of the week.

On an infinitely lighter note, in second place was a glorious photo of me with a few new friends during my trip to Antarctica last December. My colleague Ola and I ventured to the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf by helicopter, and Ola snapped this photo as a few scouts from a nearby Emperor penguin colony cautiously approached to say hello.

Without doubt, that week in Antarctica was one of the high points of my time on Earth (not only of my time as Ambassador). It’s almost impossible to explain why without gushing. If you haven’t already seen them, please take a look at the series of illustrated blog articles that I posted from McMurdo Station, Scott Base, and the South Pole while exploring the Ice.

The photo that received the third highest number of votes was this memorable image of  Kaumātua Rose White–Tahupārae greeting Secretary Clinton on the Parliament forecourt.

No single picture can capture the energy, excitement, and sense of forward movement that surrounded the visit, the first to Wellington by a US Secretary of State in more than 25 years.

This photo, though, certainly conveys a sense of the warmth, goodwill, and good cheer with which New Zealanders welcomed the Secretary.

To do the image justice, we’ve enlarged it to life size and mounted it in a position of honor in the Embassy’s main hallway. It continues to startle people who momentarily think that the Secretary has dropped in for an unexpected visit.

Other photos in the exhibition mark the Secretary’s signing of the Wellington Declaration, her meetings with Prime Minister Key, and her trip down to Christchurch.

It’s useful being reminded each day of how much was accomplished during the Secretary’s time in New Zealand, and of how expertly the Embassy and Consulate General managed her packed, complicated schedules in Wellington and Christchurch.

As I’ve mentioned previously a few times, next June will be the 70th anniversary of the arrival of American military forces in New Zealand after the outbreak of World War II.

The Embassy and Consulate General have been building toward the anniversary with a series of commemorative events, including arranging a Marine Band tour, collecting Marine Corps memorabilia, reaching out to veterans groups, and supporting the various projects of our good friends in Kapiti.

Placing fourth in our vote was this photo of the Embassy’s Marine Security Guard Gunny Sergeant with a Kiwi veteran at the opening of an exhibit sponsored by the Kapiti Marine Trust entitled A Friend in Need.

Housed at the historic Paekakariki train station, the exhibit comprises a large number of fascinating artifacts, mementos, and photographs related to the Marine presence in the Wellington area from 1942 to 1945.

Mayor Jenny Rowan and the curators walked me through the exhibit earlier this year and talked about the origin and objectives of the project. I thoroughly enjoyed the displays. If you have a chance to visit, please do. Both the exhibit and the nearby Whareroa Farm, site of one of the Marine encampments, are well worth the trip.

The fifth highest vote-getter in our Embassy exhibition was this photo of the Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band playing a concert in Old St. Paul’s in Wellington during the Rugby World Cup.

Old St. Paul’s was a beloved refuge for many of the thousands of Marines who passed through Wellington during the war, which is why we celebrate Memorial Day there each year.

Having a Marine unit back in the cathedral after so many decades made for a moving, uplifting evening of music and remembrance.

Snapped before the program as the musicians warmed up, the photo captures some of the special atmosphere of the event. By the time the concert began, the sun had gone down and the pews were packed.

We were delighted to have the Marine Band with us for a fortnight to participate in a wide variety of Rugby World Cup festivities. The concert at Old St. Paul’s was just one of a couple dozen memorable appearances in the Taranaki and Wellington regions which are well represented in our photo exhibition.

Although they didn’t quite make the top five in the vote, I’ll share a couple of my other favorite photos. They convey a sense of the energy and enthusiasm that keep me jumping out of bed each morning, raring to go:

When you next visit the Embassy for a lecture, video presentation, or other event, take a look around. The exhibition is a marvelous summary of the impressive work my colleagues have done over the past two years … with the extra bonus that many of the photos still provoke a broad smile no matter how many times you’ve seen them before.