Early photographers in the Chatham Islands

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33425, 5 January 1974, Page 9

Early photographers in the Chatham Islands

Contributed by

the Canterbury Museum)

The Canterbury Museum has a splendid collection of photographs taken in the Chatham Islands last century and the early 1900 s, In the second issue of the “Chatham Island Chronicle” of August 24, 1867, the following advertisement appeared on the front page. Photography by E. A. Welch Portraits, groups and views with all the latest improvements. So far, I have seen no photographs which can with certainty be attributed to Welch, although an early one of Red Bluff is possibly by him. In 1872 and 1873 Samuel Delabere Barker (Sam), -second son of the celebrated Dr A. C. Barker, was in the Chatham Islands. He had been an apt pupil of his father, and most of the photographs he took there are excellent. When one considers the heavy equipment photography in those days entailed, and the virtual absence of good roads in the Chatham Islands, one is filled with admiration for his energy, as well as his skill. Sam Barker was born on Febuary 6, 1848. and died on September 17, 1901.

Alfred Martin, a Christchurch photographer about whom 1 have been unable to gain very much imformation, was also in the Chathams in 1877, and took some very fine photographs, including that of the wreck of the Ocean Mail, already featured in this series. Martin was in Christchurch at least until 1882 but by 1888 had gone to Wanganui. Wreck in 1863 Alexander Foster arrived in the Kahu on July 5, 1888 to take the post of schoolmaster at Te One. He and his wife were skilful photographers, and took many fine photographs in the succeeding years. Their work can be indentified by the initials “A.F.’’ or “C.F.” diagonally across the bottom left corner. One photograph of three young brothers was taken about 1902 and one of the boys in the portrait, a friend of mine, is still living in Christchurch. Miss Margaret Stoddart, although most of her time was given to painting, took some good photographs in the Chatham Islands in 1886. These are now in the Canterbury Museum's pictorial history collection. On postcards Russell Duncan, then living in Napier, wrote on De-

cember 26. 1903, to James J. Niven, of the well-known shipping firm, listing 16 photographs he had taken on a visit to the Chathams in 1893. Some of these showed the Jessie Readman after she was wrecked about 4 miles east of Taupeka Point, and her wool, salvaged. Quoting Mr Duncan “the wool was sent ashore by a wire rope' suspended from the foremast to the beach”.

As the Jessie Readman, caught in an ocean current, in heavy fog. was wrecked on December 23, 1893, we have a date for Mr Duncan's visit. It would be very interesting to learn if any of his photographs, of considerable historic interest, have survived.

In the early 1900 s, the firm of Lilywhite, Ltd, Hah fax, England produced a series of postcards showing Chatham Island views, and later produced a second series, utilising some of the views shown in the first series. The photographs are anonymous, but could be the work of the Fosters. Local photographers in the Chatham Islands producing their own postcards in the early 1900’s were D. F Blyth and J. J. Quest.

Any further information about early photographers in the Chatham Islands would be received gladly by the writer. — R.J.S.