In Part 1 of this series we learnt that in 1899, her first year working as a professional photographer, Mary Humphreys opened a photographic studio on Tauranga’s Strand to sell local views, “Maori scenes” and photographic Christmas cards. She demonstrated considerable skill in both technical and artistic aspects of the craft, developed working relationships with three newspaper publishers in Auckland and Christchurch, and cultivated connections within the community to take photos of events, views and cultural themes.
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| Crater Lake at Whakaari (White Island), 9 March 1901 Quarter-plate silver gelatin print mounted on album page, photographed by Mary Humphreys Collection of Tauranga City Library, |
On the morning of Wednesday 6 March 1901 Mary Humphreys boarded the steamship Waiotahi at Tauranga’s wharf,[i] taking advantage of an organised excursion to the Opotiki Show, Races and White Island which had been advertised in the Bay of Plenty Times a few days earlier.[ii] A number of racehorses were also loaded, joining a party who had travelled overnight from Auckland, which included an unnamed journalist from the New Zealand Graphic.[iii]
Photographs published by New Zealand Graphic, 23 March 1901, possibly attrib. to Mary Humphreys
Courtesy of Papers Past
She photographed the Opotiki Races on Thursday, the A & P Show on Friday, and on Saturday reboarded the Waiotahi which then proceeded to Whakaari (White Island) for a visit which lasted four hours. Mary returned to Tauranga on Sunday and developed the numerous plates which she had exposed over the previous five days.
“Some capital photographic
souvenirs of the recent excursion to Opotiki for the Show, Races, and White
Island trip, were secured by Mrs M. Humphreys in the shape of pictures of all
descriptions; among the most interesting are those of the volcanic island, one
of the finest being a whole-plate, looking along the floor of the crater,
across the great hot lake of diluted hydrochloric, at the great fumaroles from
which issue the vast clouds of steam which have given the island its name.”
“A Burning Island – White Island, Bay of Plenty”, 9 March 1901
Photographs published by New Zealand Graphic, 23 March 1901, possibly
attrib. to Mary Humphreys
Courtesy of Papers Past (p541
& p542)
A series of images of all three events were published in the New Zealand Graphic on 23 March, accompanied by an account of the trip written by an Auckland-based journalist.[vi]
“… the Graphic this week … published a series of views of thermal activity in another quarter of the colony. Under the title A Burning Island appears an interesting account, profusely illustrated, of a visit of exploration to White Island … other fine pictures, including scenes … of the Opotiki Show and Races ...” [vii]
She told one of her boarders in later years that “[viii]
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| “The Landing of the Visitors on White Island”, 9 March 1901 Print (120 x 163 mm, full plate) mounted in album, possible attribution to Mary Humphreys Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, Album 62, Ref. 3-ALB62-13 |
While none of the photographs published are credited to Mary Humphreys, they correspond well with those she is described as having taken, one of which was from on board the Waiotahi on its arrival in Opotiki. Auckland Library has a mounted print of one of the images, titled “the landing of the visitors on White Island” in the original article, although they appear to be departing.
Excursionists on White Island, 9 March 1901 (detail at right)
Print (120 x 163 mm,
full plate) mounted in album, possible
attribution to Mary Humphreys
Auckland Libraries Heritage
Collections, Album 62, Ref. 3-ALB62-14
We should be aware, however, that there may have been other photographers on the excursion. A similarly mounted print shows a group negotiating a rocky shoreline, one with a rectangular camera case slung over his shoulder. It is worth noting here that by this time Mary Humphries was using a full-plate camera, although the three known prints from photographs taken by her on this trip were half- and quarter-plate size, probably cropped from the full-plate size. It is possible that the larger format photographs were preferred by editors of the NZ Graphic and Auckland Weekly News.
Mounted print, photographed by Mary Humphreys
Collection of The Elms Foundation, Ref. 2006.0274
In April 1901 a group of local residents formed a committee to organise an appropriate souvenir to be presented to Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future Queen), then on a tour of the Empire with her husband, funded by subscription. Headed by Sarah Seddon, wife of Tauranga auctioneer, and Euphemia Maxwell, they had the idea of “an album containing a number of views of the town and neighbourhood, the book to be bound in a cover formed of New Zealand woods and bearing a silver shield engraved with a suitable inscription … subscribers only to have a right, on a small extra fee, to a photograph of the book.”[ix] At least 75 people subscribed in full, with a similar number of 1s contributions, the photography for which had been entrusted to Mary Humphreys, for which she charged £4 10s 9d. The book contained:
“… 24 photographs of Tauranga and neighbourhood and these have been prepared, in full-plate size by Mrs M. Humphreys, and embrace views of the principal buildings in the town, spots of historic interest, (such as the Redoubt, Military Cemetery, interior of Gate Pah Church), and numerous pretty bits of scenery in the neighbourhood, (such as the Wairoa River near the bridge, bush scenery at Oropi, etc). The cover of the book is to be of inlaid New Zealand woods, silver mounted …” [x]
It was eventually presented to the Princess by Lady Ranfurly in Auckland in June,[xi] and Mrs Maxwell received an acknowledgement of the gift by telegram.[xii] Enquiries have been made with the Royal Collection, but further details of the contents of this album and its present location are unknown (F. Kean, pers comm).
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| Tauranga: The Capital of the Bay of Plenty, by G. Arnold Ward.
Illustrated from photographs by Mrs Humphreys, The Weekly Press, Vol 58
Issue 11091 (Supplement), 9 October 1901 Image from microfilm courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries |
On 9 October 1901 the Weekly Press of Christchurch published “a special Tauranga supplement, containing nearly forty views in and around the town, taken by Mary Humphreys, and a short descriptive article by Mr G. Arnold Ward.” These photographs included “general views of the town, the harbour, the Mount, Wairoa river … the various churches, Government buildings, wharves, Halfway house, Gate Pa Monument … [Te Puke’s] pretty little church [and] one of the Te Puke division of the T.M.R. on parade.” [xiii],[xiv]
1. 1. The Strand, looking north
2.
Early morning, Tauranga harbour
3.
Looking up Wharf street, from the wharf
4.
The Strand, looking south
5.
Panorama of Tauranga from the Redoubt
6.
Boys’ School
7.
Girls’ School
8.
Ruahihi Rapids (see 99-337 and 03-245)
9.
Half-way House between Rotorua and Tauranga (see
99-348)
10.
Monuments [Mission Cemetery]
11.
English Church (see 99-360)
12.
Wairoa Bridge (see 99-339 and 02-046)
13.
Unloading firewood on the beach
14.
Mauao and the Old Sulphur Works
15.
Maori Women on the Strand
16.
Armstrong gun in the Redoubt
17.
Ammunition limbers and cannon in the Redoubt
18.
Wesleyan Church
19.
Wairoa River (see 99-338)
20.
Old Mission Church (see 99-358)
21.
Soldiers’ and sailors’ graves
22.
Roman Catholic Church
23.
Presbyterian Church (see 99-359)
24.
Te Puke Church
25.
Gate Pa monument (see 99-346)
26.
Maoris on the Strand
27.
Maoris returning home
28.
Post Office (see 99-340)
29.
The Mount
30.
Te Puke Mounted Rifles on Parade
A number of these views are immediately recognisable as having been published later by Mary Humphreys as postcards, such as the views of the Ruahihi rapids (Wairoa rapids), English church and Wairoa bridge. Others have survived as previously unattributed prints in the Tauranga Library collection, such as images of the Holy Trinity Church, Mission Church (Elms Chapel), old Post Office and Halfway House, Ngawaro – which featured in my October article about Halfway House as a possible attribution to her, now gratifyingly confirmed. I have provided links to where those images may be seen.
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| Mrs E.B. Maxwell and the Mission Church, bef Oct 1901 Photographed by Mary Humphreys Collection of Tauranga City Library, 99-358 |
A PDF version of the full Weekly News supplement, supplied by kind courtesy of the Christchurch Library, is downloadable here. The images reproduced are unfortunately poor quality, understandably having been scanned from a microfilm, so if readers can identify any further versions of them existing in private or institutional collections, I would be keen to hear from you (Email).
Mary Humphreys had undertaken three large photographic projects in 1901, resulting in the publishing of several collections in the newspapers, and significant publicity around the album of views presented during the Royal Visit. Tauranga’s other photographer Thomas E. Price closed his studio and moved to Auckland where he had purchased the Newton branch of J.W. Hemus’ Sarony Studio in September 1901.[xv] Price did return for brief visits in April and October 1902, and then more permanently in 1903, when he appears to have reopened the studio, and it was still operating as late as February 1906.[xvi] However, the absence of a significant number of extant portraits by Humphreys suggests she did not see herself in the role of a studio photographer. She had by this time built up a substantial catalogue of views, and continued to avail herself of opportunities as they presented themselves, as we shall see in Part3.
[i] “Shipping Departures. March 6. SS Waiotahi,” Bay of Plenty Times, March 6, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 1120 edition.
[ii] W.M. Commons, “Excursion to Opotiki Show, Races, White Island. Advertisement,” Bay of Plenty Times, March 1, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 4118 edition.
[iii] “Untitled [Excursionists on the SS Waiotahi],” Bay of Plenty Times, March 6, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 1120 edition.
[iv] “Opotiki Summer Race Meeting,” New Zealand Graphic, March 23, 1901, Volume 26 Issue 12 edition.
[v] “Opotiki Agricultural and Pastoral Show,” New Zealand Graphic, March 23, 1901, Volume 26 Issue 12 edition.
[vi] “A Burning Island - A Trip to White Island, Bay of Plenty,” New Zealand Graphic, March 23, 1901, Volume 26 Issue 12 edition.
[vii] “Untitled. [NZ Graphic Article, A Burning Island],” Auckland Star, March 19, 1901, Volume 32 Issue 66 edition.
[viii] Robert Thomson Goulding and Margaret (nee Wallis) Goulding, An interview with Mr and Mrs R.T. Goulding, interview by Mrs van Ooorde, December 11, 1975, Tauranga City Libraries Archive, https://paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz/nodes/view/19542.
[ix] “Untitled. [Souvenir for Duchess of York],” Bay of Plenty Times, April 5, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 4132 edition.
[x] “Tauranga’s Present to the Duchess of Cornwall,” Bay of Plenty Times, May 29, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 4154 edition.
[xi] “Tauranga’s Present to the Duchess of York,” Bay of Plenty Times, June 24, 1901, Volume 29 Issue 4164 edition.
[xii] “Tauranga Ladies’ Gift to the Duchess of York,” New Zealand Graphic, July 20, 1901, Volume 27 Issue 3 edition.
[xiii] “Untitled. [Photographs by Mary Humphreys Published in Christchurch Press],” Bay of Plenty Times, October 9, 1901, Volume XXIX Issue 4210 edition.
[xiv] Gerald Arnold Ward, “Tauranga: The Capital of the Bay of Plenty,” The Weekly Press, October 9, 1901, Volume 58 Issue 11091 (Supplement) edition, Christchurch City Libraries.
[xv] Thomas Edward Price, “T.E. Price, of the Sarony Studio, Newton, Auckland. Advertisement,” Bay of Plenty Times, September 2, 1901, Volume XXIX Issue 4194 edition.
[xvi] “Borough Council [Meeting],” Bay of Plenty Times, February 7, 1906, Volume 31 Issue 4859 edition.
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