Most of these identifications have been based on detective work using military personnel files, historical newspapers, and genealogical sources such as births, deaths, and marriages data. Lately we’ve been very grateful for the help received from Allan Dodson.
Burch 12/10, circa 1920, Wellington. Berry & Co. Purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
Allan has been trying to confirm the identity of the soldier (above and below) whose name is recorded as ‘Burch’ on two glass plate negatives. Our dilemma is that there were 12 men with the surname Burch who served in the NZEF:
Our two most likely contenders are James Burch, and George Robert Burch – with George Robert, a 37-year-old Master Plumber from Wellington, the more likely.
Burch 12 12/10, circa 1920, Wellington. Berry & Co. Purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
The criteria we have used to get to this shortlist of two are:
the collar and hat badge, which indicate service in the 34th Reinforcements onward but not with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, which had its own badge
the absence of any rank on the uniform, which indicates that at the time of the photo ‘Burch’ would have been a private
an indication that ‘Burch’ is a more mature man in his late twenties to early thirties
and an indication that he has light hair and possibly blue eyes
Te Papa would like to hear from anyone who can help us confirm that this is George Robert Burch’s portrait. Contact details are on Te Papa’s Collections Online database and on our ‘Kiwi Faces of World War I’ Flickr site. We’d also like to know if their are photographs of the other Burch men, as these will help us to definitely eliminate them from the running.
Bruce – deranged, 2004, Auckland. Sean Kerr. Purchased 2006. Te Papa
I have been thinking about digital and new media art again this week ahead of a panel I am part of tomorrow night (20th) discussing collecting media art (Adam Art Gallery, 6pm).
In 2008 I wrote an essay for the Aotearoa Digital Arts Reader, (btw, the essays from the book are now available in PDF form on the ADA website) in which I argued that media art pushes gallery professionals and artists to re-examine how they participate in the care, storage, interpretation and display of artworks – particularly art works that are ‘born’ digital because they are made using software.
Te Papa has a small number of new media art works in the collection including Sean Kerr’s Bruce – deranged (above), and Stella Brennan’s ZenDV; Bluescreen and Bars and Tone (below).
Four years on I’m curious – are regional galleries and museums collecting digital, or new media, art? It would be great to hear about what people are up to out here….
ZenDV; Bluescreen and Bars and Tone, 2002, Auckland. Stella Brennan. Purchased 2009. Te Papa
Two women, 1875 – 1880, New Zealand. William Henry Macey. Albumen carte-de-viste card. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
Last week, along with 15 other people from museums and galleries around New Zealand who work with photographic collections, I attended a course on the care and identification of photographic prints and negatives. The course was taken by Gawain Weaver, a photographic conservator from San Francisco and he also gave another course in Auckland two weeks earlier.
The course was a rare and unprecedented opportunity to undertake training like this in New Zealand and it also opened up this kind of learning to staff from organisations around the country that might not be able to afford to travel to the USA to complete the course. The course was organised by the committe running the 2013 ICCOM joint meeting in Wellington this month and the cost of the course was subsidised by National Services Te Paerangi and the National Preservation Office.
Gawain showing examples some of the many different processes to the class.
One of the issues with cataloguing large collections of photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries is the array of different processes the prints and negatives are made from. Learning to tell the difference is key to being able to catalogue and care for them properly. In the simplest terms, the course set out to find out why some photographs never seem to fade and others do.
One of the reasons I attended the course was to help me identify the different POP (or ‘printing out paper’) processes that were used for a short period between about 1895 and 1905. This might seem like a short time to be concerned about but this was a time of transition in commercial photography that saw the 19th century albumen processes phased out and eventually gelatin silver settling into its role of dominance for the 20th century. Until that finally happened other processes were developed that eventually lost out to gelatin silver.
Viewing print surface of a cabinet card under microscope.
One of the first questions to ask about a print is whether it is ‘POP’ (printing out paper) or ‘DOP’ (developing out paper). Prints developed via ‘printing out’ were made from sensitised paper that was exposed in sunlight while ‘developing out’ paper was generally later manufactured papers that are developed in solutions in dark rooms. Learning the difference can help you decide whether the ‘look’ of the print is due to the process or whether it is faded.
Albert Park, Auckland, 1915, Auckland. Robert Walrond. Autochrome. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
The course was a timely reminder of the complexity of the technology and chemistry of photography, especially in colour. From the early autochrome process and three colour separation processes to later ones like Kodachrome and Kodak Dye Transfer prints, the trick really was to make it look easy to encourage customers to take photographs even if processing them back at the factory was exceptionally complex.
Comparing different finishes on a group of prints made with the same image and printed on the same paper. Proving how hard it can be to identify different types of toning in prints so similar let alone of different subjects, papers and eras.
The colour in colour photographs is manufactured to look like what we see – it isn’t actually what we see. From the start the chemistry concerned with colour photography has struggled to gain good levels of saturation, stability and colour accuracy. This continues today with the printing of inkjet prints for domestic or fine art uses which highlights some of the issues with modern processes. Family records and fine art prints need to have longevity. This might not be so much of an issue for commercial uses which tend to be immediate (through for historical purposes it is good to be able to read old magazines and newspapers).
General view, Clyde, Otago, New Zealand, 1905, Otago. Muir & Moodie. Photomechanical postcard. Purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
When the Polaroid SX-70 arrived in 1972, the marketing described the camera as delivering colour prints in 60 seconds – developing while you watched – as if by magic. This recalls photography’s historical relationship to the production of what appeared to be ‘magic’ through the use of chemistry.
Silver halides turn to metal.
When we look at a photograph we tend to ignore the technical expertise and difficulty involved in using processes such as wet collodion negatives in the 19th century and early to mid 20th century colour prints. As Geoffrey Batchen has pointed out, one of the tricks of photography is that it hides behind itself – the image steals all our sight and we don’t see the physical realities of the photograph as a physical object. We forget we are looking at a photograph and only see and talk about what the image shows.
Therefore it is important too:
-Look carefully at photographs and think about the visual clues on them.
-Compare photographs with each other – don’t just look at them in isolation.
-Take care to prevent damage and deterioration – don’t expect to be able to fix it once change or damage has occurred.
-Never make any physical changes, repairs, ‘improvements’ or clean the prints and negatives yourself – consult a suitably qualified conservator if necessary.
Here are images we know more about but are yet to be positively identified. If you can confirm or deny any of these locations please use the comment section at the end of this post.
1) Mangere Bridge, South Auckland?
Untitled, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
2) Kaiteriteri area – Little Kaiteriteri?
Untitled (beach cove), circa 1965, New Zealand. National Publicity Studios. Purchased 2003. Te Papa
3) Greytown?
Street scene, circa 1875, Wairarapa. James Bragge. Te Papa
4) ‘Elvington’, Oamaru. Residence of the Maude family the property was named after Elvington in York where the family came from. On Maude Street or Awamoa Road?
’Elvington’, Oamaru, NZ, 1880s, Oamaru. R. Mahan & Co. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
5) Location of this villa in Rona Bay, Eastbourne?
Eastbourne Villa, 1921. Maker unknown. Gift of Margaret and John Christie, 1979. Te Papa
6) The house has possibilly now been burnt down but did it used to be on main road out of Te Kopuru near Dargaville?
New Zealand Historic Buildings: Dargaville, 1960 s – 1980 s, New Zealand. Brian Brake. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa
Mitchells Cottage, Central Otago, 1960 s – 1980 s, Clutha-Central Otago. Brian Brake. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa
Many of you have been helping identify the locations and places in some of the mystery photographs in Te Papa’s collection. It has been very enjoyable hearing from people, checking the information offered and updating the results on the database.
All the images in this post have been identified by the public via this blog site and Te Papa’s social media sites. In some cases we have also been able to add a link in the record on Collections Online to the same scene today via google street view (see examples below).
Thank you to all of you who have helped identify the photographs shown in this post and for sharing your knowledge of Aotearoa.
Children’s Park, Greymouth, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
The photograph above (previously known only as ‘Children’s Park’, Greymouth) has been identified as Dixon Park (Greymouth) with the house in the background the Italian consulate and residence of the Perotti family. Sometime after 1952 the house was demolished and the Trinity Church and Centre now occupies the site on Tainui Road.
The above image is my favourite of the mysteries so far. Previously it was only known only as “Coastal scenery, Northland” but thanks to some astute local knowledge this shot of Whangaroa was located to the same point on the road where the same tree still hangs over. No idea what happened to the car though!
Post Office, Timaru, 8.54am, Timaru. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
The old Timaru Post Office was a bit tricky as the clock tower has now been removed and a similar larger Municipal Building (also with a clock tower) stands opposite.
Private house and surrounding garden, circa 1930, New Plymouth. Oakley, William. F B Butler/Crown Studios Collection. Gift of Frederick B Butler, 1971. Te Papa
All that remains of these houses at 104-106 Pendarves Street, New Plymouth is part of the stone fence.
Golf House, One Tree Hill, 1913, Auckland. Robert Walrond. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
The ‘Golf House’ is at 9 Fern Avenue, Epsom. The house was originally built of kauri as rooms for the Auckland Golf Club. At the time this photograph was taken the house was owned by the Kingswell family who had purchased it in 1909. Percy Kingswell (1870-1928) added bay windows on both floors and the turret to the original house. Originally from Invercargill, Kingswell made money mining on the West Coast of the South Island but in 1928 facing bankruptcy he committed suicide in the house.
Below are some more views located and identified by the public:
Lake Ohau, looking north, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
Railway Station, Greymouth, 1900s. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
Ravensbourne, Dunedin. Burton Brothers. Te Papa
Maketu (European settlement), 1886, Dunedin. Burton Brothers. Te Papa
Kuaotunu, 1880 s, New Zealand. Burton Brothers. Purchased 1991. Te Papa
Sunnyside Station Homestead, Waiau. Mr and Mrs Cuthbert, 10.1917, New Zealand. J.B. Gilmour. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
Rail bridge, South of Picton, circa 1900. Muir & Moodie. Te Papa
Plants can grow in what appear to be the strangest places. This can be frustrating for property owners (e.g., grass in the gutter; footpaths cracked by pohutukawa roots).
But our view of plants is often from our own animal-centric perspective; unlike our zoological kin, an individual plant doesn’t have the option of moving to a better spot. Wherever a seed or spore falls is going to be the home of that plant for the rest of its life; that is, of course, if it even germinates at all. Grow, wherever you end up, or perish.
Consider these observations that have been extracted, with permission, from a ‘zine’ (a zine is a self published, inexpensively produced publication with a small circulation) published by “jMj”:
Growing wild in Wellington
my homage to plants that take root as they choose in our city
What do you see in the plants in these images? Are they ‘battlers’ to be admired for making what they can of a bad situation? Or are they a reminder that plants would quickly envelop our urban world if we stopped pushing them back?
Thanks very much to jMj for sharing these observations and the colour photos – the zine itself is in black and white.
If you’d like to share with Te Papa’s blog your own images of plants growing in unusual places, here’s my email.
Rātana is a Māori adaptation of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Founded in 1918 by T.W. Rātana (1873–1939), Rātana has become a major Māori church in New Zealand with over 45, 000 Morehu or followers (as at the 2006 census). T.W. Rātana was raised Presbyterian with Wesleyan influences, so it is highly likely this religious familiarity has influenced the presentation of the Rātana kākahu, which show a distinct and direct correlation to the Protestant ecclesiastical vestments. The clothing that symbolised authority within the Protestant faith was adapted as the symbols of authority and leadership in the Rātana faith.
From its establishment to today, the Rātana Church continues its role as an important faith and guide for many Māori across the country, and T.W. Rātana had a major impact on Māori leadership in the twentieth century.
A.005127; At Ratana; 1939; Maori; Raine, William Hall
A.005115; Ratana; about 1933; Raine, William Hall. 5 men (all 5 wearing suits), on house porch, attending the 60th birthday celebrations of Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana (centre, front row) :- Back row (left to right) – PK Paikea, T Omana. Front row (lerft to right) – HT Ratana, Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana and ET Tirikatene.
Rātana Ministerial Uniforms
Uniforms are of great importance to the Rātana Church, especially as visual signifiers of the specific roles and duties of the wearer. There are three levels of Āpotoro – three different ministers/readers, and each of these is identifiable by their various prescribed uniforms.
In the image below, you can see three types of minister uniforms.
The different Āpotoro at Rātana Pā. Photograph courtesy of Robin Ohia. 2011.
The Āpotoro Rēhita or the Registered Apostle is an official registered minister who not only has spiritual duties but also legal. They are legally mandated to carry out the similar duties as a Justice of the Peace. (Purple cassock, white surplice, purple stole)
There are also the Āpotoro Wairua, the lay-readers, who support many followers of the Rātana Faith with spiritual counsel and guidance. (Blue robe, red stole)
There are the Akonga, or the disciples in training. (White surplice, yellow stole)
Colour origins
The design origins of the Rātana ministerial clothing lie within the Old Testament from the Exodus gospel: “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39, 1)
The Donor – Mita Ririnui
The Honourable Mita Ririnui in his Āpotoro Rēhita robes. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
These kākahu were gifted by Honourable Mita Ririnui, a retired Labour MP for the Waiariki District and an Apōtoro Rēhita in the Rātana Church for the last 25 years. He lives in Tauranga, where he was born and raised, and is of Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pukenga descent. He continues to carry out Treaty Settlement work following his retirement from Parliament in 2011 and was raised in the Rātana Church:
“I have always been a member of the Rātana Church, my dad was a member of the Rātana Church, my granddad was a member of the Rātana Church so that’s the only religion I have ever known. …. I have always followed the philosophy of the Rātana Church; much of it has been instrumental in my upbringing.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012).
Mita became an Ākonga at the relatively young age of 27 and just a few years later he was made an Āpotoro Rēhita. His ascension within the church not only meant a commitment by him as an individual, it also required the commitment of his wider whanau. He described the special process in acquiring his appropriate robes for his new roles and the involvement of his family, almost as a rite of passage:
“My family gave me my kākahu – my first set of kākahu were my lay reader’s kākahu. My dad and his sisters gave me those. They were the only set of kākahu I had for that particular tūranga (appointment). When I graduated to the next level as an Āpotoro Wairua, the responsibility was mine from thereon…and so when I was appointed the position, I made a deliberate approach to the church authorities and presented my certificate. And once it had been signed, I made a deliberate attempt to purchase my own, because it had to be mine. And because the role became more important I had to take total responsibility.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
The Āpotoro Rēhita robes that he wore as a Registered Apostle were, in the end, paid for by Mita and his father. The involvement of family in the ordination and robing was significant. To acquire the robes, the pair made a trip to the Rātana Pā near Whanganui.
“They’re only made in the church office, Rātana Pā – these lovely ladies in the back room, with their sewing machines, having been seamstresses in previous lives, and I’d like to say made to measure, but they fitted me perfectly.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
Mita was then 30 years old, and still continues to practice today as an Āpotoro Rēhita.
Detail close ups of the kākahu. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
On a slightly more personal note, while I was brought up Katorika or Catholic, I was also raised alongside many of my extended family and members of my tribes who belonged to the Rātana church. Indeed three of my grandparents were raised Rātana (until my maternal grandmother converted to Catholicism after marrying my grandfather). So the Rātana church had a very strong presence in my childhood and I’ve always loved the colours and sounds of Rātana – their striking purple uniforms, hymns, the thunder and lament of the Rātana Brass Bands (otherwise called the Reo), and the solemnity of the spiritual Āpotoro. And in this, there were memories of watching uncles who were Āpotoro, dress in their Āpotoro robes, in readiness for Whakamoemiti or prayer service. There was a tangible sense of transformation and reflection as they dressed. In that short small and informal ritual of donning their robes over their everyday clothes they stopped being our uncles, and became spiritual leaders. I wanted to duplicate this process somehow in the Uniformity exhibition.
When I explained this to the Uniformity exhibition team and to Mita, they were in full support. And with huge amount of gratitude to the generosity of Mita, we were able to film the following clip here in our studio at Te Papa. We filmed his dressing process in the morning, and in the afternoon, I interviewed him about his life in the church and as an Āpotoro.
Filming Mita Ririnui in Te Papa studio. June 2012. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa 2012.
Adjusting robes for filming. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa 2012.
Mita Ririnui and the Curator. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
I’m always interested in hearing and seeing your own memories of churches in your life. Please feel free to share images or stories, either of the Rātana Church or of any other denomination.
He mihi:
Thank you to Mita Ririnui for his generosity in contributing to the Uniformity exhibition and sharing his personal stories with Te Papa.
Thank you also to Te Herekiekie Herewini, for peer reviewing this article.
Glossary:
Kākahu: Clothes, robes
Tūranga: appointed position
Āpotoro Rēhita: Registered Apostle
Āpotoro Wairua: Spiritual Apostle, Layreader
Ākonga: Acolyte, Learner
Whetū Marama: The crescent moon and star symbol of the RātanaChurch
Xmas (Christmas) dinner, 25.12.1905, Levin. Leslie Adkin. Gift of G. L. Adkin family estate, 1964. Te Papa
Christmas marks that another year has just about gone. Another year of change, doubt, joy, laughter and sorrow. Another year that those who have passed don’t know about.
If I made a Christmas card from a photograph in the collection I would probably choose the image above. The photograph, taken by Leslie Adkin on 25 December 1905 near Levin, shows his family seated at a dinner table laid with a dish of roasted meat, various china serving dishes, crystal glassware and vases of summer flowers.
The family have dressed up for the meal and have been photographed between mouthfuls with cutlery poised. The small clock on the mantelpiece appears to read 2.10pm. It seems the Christmas tree (which looks to be native rather than pine) is still awaiting decoration – possibly an activity for after lunch.
The mirror above the fireplace reflects part of the table, the boy with the white pointed collar and the tree – a reminder of the way photographs show what photographers select and record – small portions of the world, snippets of stories.
Images like this share the past and build stories of ritual-like habits of Christmas feasting in Aotearoa; the way traditions come and go and evolve to suit each day. It also shows Adkin’s skill as a young photographer. Taken inside without the help of artificial lighting or a flash he manages – probably with the help of the family all sitting still – to get a good clear shot.
So this is a card of sorts – sending good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
Movember is drawing to a close, and thousands of men in New Zealand and around the world are sporting moustaches for a good cause. In New Zealand, the funds raised are being used for research, advocacy and survivor support around men’s cancer and mental health. Here’s a small selection of moustachioed men, drawn from our photograph collection to inspire you in Movember’s final days … and remember, these moustaches are the culmination of years of effort!
F. W. Harrington, circa 1860, Dublin. Cabinet photograph by Chancellor and Son. Purchased 1916. Te Papa
Moustache cup with saucer, 1902, England. John Aynsley & Sons. Te Papa
Campbell 12 PS, circa 1908, Wellington. Gelatin dry plate negative by Berry & Co. Purchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
India series: soldier, 1960s, India. Colour transparency by Brian Brake. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa
Lt. Col. A.W. Grant, Army medical service, 43rd L.T. New Zealand 1863 – 1866, circa 1860. Cabinet photograph, maker unknown. Purchased 1916. Te Papa
Self portrait, 1930s, Wellington. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa
For more information about the use of images from this blog, see our About page.
Please note that some of them are not available for sale, supply or distribution. In any case, to purchase an image, please contact our Picture Library.
