It’s an unlikely saga that stretches across continents; the story of how an American photography gallery became the custodian of more than a million photos that catalogue momentous events from New Zealand’s history, saving the historic cache from landfill.
The vintage images, which were taken by news and art photographers for regional newspapers over more than a century and date back to 1841, depict pivotal scenes in the establishment of modern New Zealand – including protests, disasters and national triumphs – as well as daily life, culturally significant photos of Māori and early images of cities as they grew. Some are the only known copies of those pictures; the negatives for most have been lost or destroyed.
