Discovering Photographer Noel Brotherston : A Personal Journey Through a Fashion Archive

In late 2022, Auckland Libraries received a significant donation of fashion photography negatives by Noel Brotherston (1932–1997). Most of the images date from 1968 to 1969. For me, it marked the beginning of a piece of work to make this substantial archive discoverable. Of the nearly 19,000 frames in the collection, over 7,000 now include metadata and are available to view on Kura Heritage Collection Online. Creating metadata for this collection turned out to be more revealing and more rewarding than I had expected.

Metadata is generally defined as data about data. It records information such as format, dimensions, media type, and other technical or descriptive details. As dry as that may sound, effective metadata is essential – it helps users locate, search, and make sense of content. 

At Auckland Libraries, those of us creating metadata for photography collections work in spreadsheets adding descriptions, keywords, subject headings, and relevant notes for each image. Thankfully, I didn’t need to write unique metadata for each image - Brotherston almost always took multiple shots of the same scene, so often it was a matter of copying and pasting between records.

Noel Brotherston was born in Wellington and began his photographic career in Sydney and Melbourne before returning to Auckland in 1968. Here he worked producing content for the department store Milne & Choyce and editorial spreads for women’s magazines such as Eve and Thursday. Later in his career, Brotherston moved away from studio photography, focusing instead on commissioned work and photographic processing.

Image: Photographer Noel Brotherston in his studio. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2439-07. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Brotherston worked with some of NZ’s top models, including Judith Baragwanath (pictured here). Model wearing a short dress. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-1786B-05. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Creating metadata for this collection involved research, personal experience and the occasional lucky break. For instance, one eureka moment came when I recognised the location of Brotherston’s studio — Commercial and Technical Photographic at 133 Mt Eden Road — and several of his outdoor shoot locations, including the area outside the Auckland School for Dental Nurses (or “murder house”, as we kids called it in the 1980s!), on Kelly Street. I had grown up just around the corner and knew the surrounding streets and parks well. 

Image: The building (left) on Mt Eden Road where Brotherston had his studio. Model in a coat. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2731-03. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Models posing outside the dental school on the corner of Mt Eden and Kelly Street. Models dressed for spring. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2883-10. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

As I worked on the collection, one question kept returning: who were the models in these images? A colleague who had worked with Brotherston in the 1990s helped me identify the photographer himself in several shots. By consulting 1960s issues of the women’s magazines Eve and Thursday, held at the Central City Library, I was able to put names to a few of the women. It was deeply satisfying — names breathe life into these images. These women were real people, not just clothes horses, and naming them also helps future researchers and families recognise them.

Image: A deep dive into 1960s magazines revealed (from left): Dianne Boles, Anne McClurg and Elsebeth Mitchell. Dressed for all seasons. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2432-08. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: The woman on the right often features in this collection, but her name is unknown. Do you recognise her? Women in matching attire. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2469-02. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

I’ve always loved clothes, so working on this collection was a treat. However, I don’t have extensive knowledge of fashion history or terminology, so Fairchild’s Dictionary of Fashion quickly became an essential reference for identifying the correct terms for garments and design details—from swallow-tailed collars and leg-of-mutton sleeves to pantgowns, and skimmer dresses. Women’s magazines like Eve and Thursday were also invaluable, often featuring Brotherston’s photographs, along with descriptions and information about the designers or manufacturers. I also consulted a range of websites to verify details about people, places, and fashion, including The Vogue Archive database, which is available through the Auckland Libraries website.

There were some exciting, serendipitous moments. While browsing an Auckland newspaper from 1969, I spotted one of my favourite Brotherston images used in a Milne & Choyce advertisement. In another happy coincidence, I found one of his makeover features in Eve and realised the woman at the centre of the story was the mother of someone I know.

Image: Model wearing a fluffy hat. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2617-03. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Brotherston worked for the department store Milne & Choyce, photographing both their products and premises at 131 Queen Street

One of the refreshing aspects of this collection is its behind-the-scenes candour. Many images include the visual clutter of the studio — electric heaters, lighting gear, assistants caught in frame. Others capture models in unguarded moments: pulling faces or pausing between takes. These shots reveal the effort involved in creating each composition — models stand on boxes or lie on squabs, dresses are cinched with pegs, accessories taped in place.

Image: It takes a team – and sometimes a treat – to get the perfect shot. Model in separates. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2695-02. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Dianne Boles stifles a laugh. Model wearing false eyelashes. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2765-08. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

These photographs will appeal to a wider audience —not just those interested in 1960s fashion, but also anyone curious about the era’s social norms and everyday realities. There are images showing models smoking cigarettes or pipes — a reflection of the era’s casual attitude toward smoking and its association with glamour. Some of the poses between male and female models subtly reinforce gender stereotypes typical of the late 1960s, with women often depicted in more passive or decorative roles. I was struck by how many of the female models are wearing wedding rings, highlighting how commonplace it was for women to marry in their late teens or early twenties, in contrast with today, where the average age is 30.

It is fair to say that the images reflect a lack of cultural diversity, with almost all the models appearing to be of European descent. There are, however, two notable exceptions: Māori model Aotea Wakarua and Aboriginal model Olive Mundine. Their presence is significant, but it also underscores how rare such representation was in mainstream New Zealand fashion photography during this period.

Image: Model in a jumper. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2877-03. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Models in knitwear 1968. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2136-06. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Another group of photographs that stood out for me are those where the backgrounds are blocked out – a pre-digital technique that isolates the model and highlights their movement and form, transforming fashion photography into art-like images.

Image: Model in foundation underwear. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2927A-01. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Image: Model in foundation underwear. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2927A-05. Photographer: Noel Brotherston

Working on this collection confirmed for me that photographs are more than just visual records — they’re tools for discovery, connection, and storytelling. Metadata plays a crucial role in this process: it transforms individual images into searchable, contextualised records, making them accessible to everyone from fashionistas to future researchers.

Image: Model in separates. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1817-2501-01.
Photographer: Noel Brotherston

If you recognise any people or places in the Noel Brotherston Collection, we'd love to hear from you. 

Author: Auckland Libraries Research and Heritage Unit

Sources

Charlotte Mankey Calasibetta, Fairchild’s Dictionary of Fashion (2nd ed.), (New York, Fairchild Publications, 1988)

Eve [magazine]

“Fluffy wools…” Milne & Choyce advertisement. New Zealand Herald 22 April 1969, p.7

Stats NZ, 03 May 2024. Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2023

Thursday [magazine]