Behind the camera

On now on the 2nd floor of the Central Library is our latest exhibition, Behind the camera, featuring a selection from photographers and photography studios whose work is now held in Sir George Grey Special Collections.

New Zealand Herald

Ref: New Zealand Herald / Auckland Weekly News, Seaman Kehoe and cat from the S S Wiltshire, June 1922, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1370-0568-05.

Photographs have long been part of Auckland Libraries’ heritage collections. The Winkelmann collection of views of Auckland was purchased in 1928 and the Richardson collection was added in 1942.

Henry Winkelmann

Ref: Henry Winkelmann, Intersection of Queen Street and Wellesley Street, February 1903, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1-W1080.

James D Richardson

Ref: James D Richardson, Freemans Bay and reclamations, 1877, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-567.

The Library has largely collected photographs for their documentary evidence of places, people and events. This exhibition is our chance to focus on the photographers themselves and give them due recognition.

Daniel Louis Mundy

Ref: Daniel Louis Mundy,  Mansion House and gardens on Kawau Island, c1870, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3085.

Herman John Schmidt

Ref: Herman John Schmidt, 3/4 portrait of the Easthope family, 1909?, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-57237.

The Library’s ongoing digitisation programme means that all the photographs used in the exhibition are also available to browse online.

Clifton Firth

Ref: Clifton Firth, Group of models for Korma sweaters, 1940s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 34-K145B.

Auckland City Council

Ref: Auckland City Council, Interior of the mobile library, 28 November 1963, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 580-8245.

While many of the images have appeared in previous exhibitions Behind the camera gives us a chance to group them together by photographer and give them a stylistic and personal context.

Charles Peet Dawes

Ref: Charles Peet Dawes, Pupils lined up outside Kohukohu School, Hokianga, c1890-1909, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1142-D24.

Ernest Charles Binns

Ref: Ernest Charles Binns, Informal 1/2 portrait of the photographer, c1900, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 80-BIN232.

Frederick George Radcliffe

Ref: F. G. Radcliffe, Picton, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1110. 

There is also an online exhibition showing a selection of Radcliffe's work.

John Rykenberg

Ref: John Rykenberg, The Mike Walker Trio, from left to right, Frank Conway, Neville Whitehead, Mike Walker  outside the Montmartre and Lautrec coffee lounge in Lorne Street., 1960s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1269-E161-29.

For more information on individual photographers in this exhibition you can perform a search by name in our Photographers database.

Ron Clark

Ref: Ron Clark, Roadside picnic, c1950-1969, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1146.

Eric W Young

Ref: Eric W Young, Looking south west from North Head over Torpedo Bay to Auckland City, 1980s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1021-475.

Author: Andrew Henry