AN HISTORIC FIND

Evening Star, Issue 21433, 9 June 1933, Page 10

AN HISTORIC FIND

ARTISTIC STUDIES OF OLD NEW ZEALAND FINE REPRODUCTIVE WORK A visitor to Dunedin is rejoicing over the fortunate acquisition of an old publication which is at once an artistic treasure and a valuable document of old New Zealand history. A friend of Ills was disposing of some effects before returning to England, and among them was a copy, in excellent preservation, of ‘ New Zealand, Graphic and Descriptive.’ This volume, which is of about the same size as a newspaper, though bound excellently in book form and much thicker, was compiled by an artist, Mr C. D. Barraud, and interest lies not only in his fine work, but in the superlative quality of the reproduction, chromo-lithograph, plain lithograph, and woodcut; while the letterpress, comprising descriptive and historical notes on the places illustrated, was contributed by Mr W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. The printing firm was Sampson, .Low, Marston, Soarle, and Revington, London, and the book was published in 1877. The dedication reads ; Dedicated by Permission to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales By His Royal Highness’s Most dutiful and most obedient humble servant, diaries IX Barraud. In the preface it is stated that the intention of the publication was to afford “Some idea of the peculiar physical outlines of these islands, and the beauty and the distinctive _ characters of 1 the indigenous vegetation, rather than that of the towns. . ( . .” It was stated that the intent was to tell tourists the manifold attractions of the islands. It is noted that most of the communication had to be done by sea, but mention is made of “ a system' of roads which is being rapidly pushed forward, by means of which, within a comparatively limited period, the beautiful and varied scenery of the interior of the islands may became more accessible to the tourist than it now is,” ASSISTANCE ACKNOWLEDGED. The artist, in a personal preface, states that ho had been resident in Now Zealand since 1849, and over a period of over twenty-six years had travelled both islands extensively, painting and sketching. During that time ho bad received ■ generous ami willing assistance “ not only from the wealthy shcepfarmers, but also from the solitary shepherds far away among the hills, and the road parties in the wild districts, whose kindly invitation to share the midday meal or take a ‘ shakedown ’ for the night in the roadside hut was always freely given.” The long list of subscribers published in the edition includes the following Otago names;—Mr M. Atoheson, Mr G. M. Aldrich, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, Mr J. B. Bradshaw, Mr Fredlc. Battley, Mr J. Butterworth, Mr A. Bathgate, Mr Justice Chapman.' Mr J. Copeland, Mr E. R. Cargill, Mr R. Chapman, the Hon. Captain Fraser, Mr F. Fulton, Mr H. S. Fish, Mr John Hyde Harris, Mr B. C. Haggitt, Mr W. M. Hodgins, Mr E. P. Kenyon, Mr W. J. M. Larnach, Mr J. Mitchell, Mr J. MacKerras. Mr D. F. Main, Mr Andrew Macredie, Mr E. M'Glashan, Mr E. Prosser, Mr D. Proudfoot. the Hon. W. H. Beynolds, Mr H. W. Robinson, Mr A. Holland, Mr J. M. Ritchie, Mr J. T. Ritchie, Mr James Smith, Sir Robert Stout, Air W. A. Tolmie, Mr George Webster, Mr John S. Wright, Mr John White, Mr James Wilkie, Mr E. H. Ward, and Mr F. Wayne.