Progress

Progress was New Zealand’s first architectural periodical. Published in Wellington from 1905 to 1924 and heavily illustrated with photos, drawings and plans, it is an essential resource for the study of architecture and building in New Zealand in the early twentieth century.

It was initially published by Wellington patent attorneys, Baldwin & Rayward under the title of Progress. Its first issue in 1905 promised to "treat of progress in engineering, processes, inventions, industrial work and economics as applied to any of these subjects."

In 1910 the magazine was taken over by Harry Tombs (1874-1966). Tombs, son of Whitcombe & Tombs founder George Tombs, was a well-known printer, patron of the arts and publisher of fine arts periodicals. Progress was the first of his magazines; the best known was probably Art in New Zealand (1928-44).

Under Tombs, Progress focused on architecture and building; this was signalled by a change of title in 1914 to N.Z. Building Progress. This specialisation was identified by the publishers in the final issue (April 1924) as one of the reasons why they were suspending publication. It was intimated that publication would resume when "conditions become more favourable". However Progress was not restarted. Instead, in 1926, Tombs published another architectural magazine, New Zealand Architectural and Building Review. This lasted until Tombs started Art in New Zealand two years later.