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About the Collections

The Collections

Photographs

From daguerreotype to digital, the photograph collection of over 1.2 million images, spans over 150 years of photographic history. The collection has early calotypes by William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of photography, and closer to home, an impressive set of albums compiled by the 19th Century watercolorist and photographer John Kinder, containing remarkable examples of photography from the wet plate era.

From the dry plate era another Auckland-based photographer, the prolific Henry Winkelmann, gave the Museum his entire collection of negatives, other than the documentary photographs of Auckland City which he had given to the Auckland Public Library. Women photographers of note represented are Una Garlick and Margaret Matilda White. The latter part of the 20th Century is substantially represented by the colourful and prestigious collection of the documentary photographer Robin Morrison. Other collections include the documentary photographs of the Auckland Star and New Zealand Herald newspapers and Sparrow Industrial Pictures.

Paintings and Drawings

The paintings and drawings collection numbering over 1500 works includes oil and watercolour paintings, pencil sketches and lithographic prints. Paintings and drawings are collected primarily for their historical values as visual documents rather than for their contribution to aesthetic history. These pictures can take the visual record back beyond the widespread use of photography. It includes substantial collections of the work of Charles Heaphy, Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky, George French Angas and John Webster. It also contains Maori portrait collections by Charles Frederick Goldie and Gottfried Lindauer.

Maori & Pacific Island

The photograph and painting collections have a large range of Maori and Pacific Island images. These include many portraits as well as documentary photography depicting social life and culture from the 19th century to the present.

New Zealand at War

As a war memorial and museum we have a strong commitment to the representation of New Zealander's at war. Pictorial Collections has a large range of material from both world wars as well as images of other conflict involving New Zealanders.

Pictorial Collections
View the Sparrow Collection, the Robin Morrison Collection, the paintings and drawings collection, photograph albums, glass plates and negatives and the print collections.

Pictorial Web Exhibitions
View 150 Years Of The Auckland Museum, Horses Grazing In The Domain, Comings And Goings At The Museum, City Scenes, The Harbour, Soldiering On, Pacific People

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Image Enquiries

General enquiries about sourcing images (photographs, illustrations, maps, posters etc.) and purchasing copies - email the Museum Library.

Image Orders

If you know the image(s) you require please download our order form and return it to us with your request.

Download Order Form - PDF
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Download Order Form - Word
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Pictorial Collections Enquiries

Enquiries about acquisitions (including donations), and information about specific pictorial collections – email the Pictorial Curator.