Brett Mason, Director, Museums Wellington
From ‘Camera in the Coral Islands’ to ‘Innocents Abroad’
Brett Mason
Author: Burton Brothers (Firm)
Title: The camera in the Coral Islands : a series of photographs illustrating the scenery and the mode of life in the Fijis, the Navigator Islands (Samoa), the Friendly Islands (Tonga) taken during the two trips to the South Seas of the Union S.S. Co.’s “Wairarapa”, in June and July, 1884 / by Burton Brothers.
Publisher: Dunedin, N.Z. : Printed at the Otago Daily Times Office, [1884]
Description: 20 p. ; 18 cm.
Notes: Cover title. Caption title: Catalogue. Impressions in diary form with a preliminary list of available photographs in numbered series.
Call Number: Fildes 1015
How a 19th century photography company’s catalogue became a touring exhibition. Brett Mason is the director of Museums Wellington, which includes the Museum of Wellington, Cable Car Museum and Colonial Cottage Museum.
Jeanne Mueller
Jeanne Mueller, Postgraduate researcher
Te Tohunga : the ancient legends and traditions of the Maoris / orally collected and pictured by W. Dittmer.
Publisher: London : Routledge; NY : Dutton, 1907.
Description: xviii, 119 p. : ill. ; 32 cm.
Notes: “A memorial to… Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon …1893-1906”
Call Numbers: Fildes 1504; GR375 D617 T and Seddon 276.
“’Wilhelm Dittmer’s illustrations of the Maori myths and legends are truly unique, his fusion of Maori art forms with art nouveau and symbolist art reveal many of the complexities of early twentieth century New Zealand social and art history. Horace Fildes’ notations throughout his copy of Te Tohunga provide interesting points of reference and insight to the variety of sources that Dittmer may have used as inspiration for his images’
Les Cleveland
Les Cleveland, Collector, photographer, researcher
‘Beer, Books and Coal Dust: A Work in Progress’
Burnett’s Face records; privately held records and photographs.
“This is probably an example of how not to do archival research.
In 1957 I was adding to my collection of documentary photographs in Westland and concentrating on the remaining wooden buildings as examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture. I visited Westport and drove up the road to Denniston and what was left of Burnett’s Face and its associated Gully Camp. This had been deserted since 1956. The Athenaeum library and the Crown Hotel were being demolished. I salvaged a list of popular works from the ruins of the Athenaeum and the bar cash book from what was left of the Crown Hotel. I am only now some 50 years later doing some research on the Crown Hotel’s clientele. I photographed a few of them, but most of them have since been taken into the care of Old Mr Grim.”