Mary Humphreys, Photographer: Part 2 – 1901

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.

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, Pae Korokī Ref. Album Box 4

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]

“Opotiki Summer Race Meeting” [iv] and “Opotiki Agricultural and Pastoral Show” [v], 7-8 March 1901
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 “such was the corroding atmosphere on the island, the sleeves of her blouse disintegrated.” [viii]

“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.

Souvenir album presented to the Duchess of Cornwall, June 1901
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).

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.

Mrs E.B. Maxwell and the Mission Church, bef Oct 1901
Photographed by Mary Humphreys
Collection of Tauranga City Library, Pae Korokī Ref. Album Box 1 (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.

References

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[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.

Mary Humphreys, Photographer: Part 1 - 1899

“A peep of Tauranga Harbour, N.Z.” attributed to Mary Humphreys, c. 1900-1906
Polychrome collotype printed postcard, published by T.S. Duncanson, March 1907 (A.G. Series 103C)
Collection of Justine Neal

Mention the name Mary Humphreys to a collector of Bay of Plenty postcards and their eyes will light up. Her output in the roughly two and a half decades that she was in business was nothing like that of ubiquitous nationwide publishers such as Frederick Radcliffe, Henry Winkelmann and Frank Duncan, but a fair number of printed, real photo and hand-coloured cards have survived in private and institutional collections. It is arguably for her postcards that she is best known, but what has hitherto perhaps not been sufficiently researched is her photographic activity prior to joining the postcard frenzy around 1905.

Potential reasons for this relative obscurity emerge when one tries to research these early images. The publication of an article – Mary Humphreys: Aspects of her interesting life – in a November 2015 edition of the Historical Review,[i] a page on the now defunct Tauranga Memories Kete and an online article including an extensive timeline,[ii] provide details of her eventful life. Despite her name appearing intermittently in newspaper reports, her photographs published in newspapers were sometimes left uncredited, many of her photographs were produced under the imprints of other publishers, she rarely advertised, never had card mounts printed with her name – as was the norm of that time – only purchased a handstamp (Mary Humphreys, Photo.) around 1905 and often failed to use it. This creates some significant difficulties in the attribution of her work. Many prints have no such identifying marks, and need correlation with contemporary reports of events from newspapers or other contextual information. It is a painstaking process, but working through extant images in several private and institutional collections has been revealing.

Visit of Lord Ranfurly to Tauranga, 25 March 1899
Print mounted on album page, attributed to Mary Humphreys
Collection of Tauranga City Library, Pae Korokī Ref. 99-354

What may be the first known public record of Mary Humphreys taking photographs was during the welcome ceremony for governor Lord Ranfurly when he visited Tauranga on 25 March 1899. The Bay of Plenty Times reported:

“We have had the pleasure of seeing a number of photographs, taken by Mrs T. M. Humphreys, of the Governor's reception at Tauranga and the gathering on the Tennis Club's lawn in the afternoon. They are on sale at Mr Duncanson's and form a pleasant memento of the memorable event, being well taken and nicely finished.” [iii]

The photograph shown above is a print mounted in an album owned by Mary Humphreys, and was therefore almost certainly taken by her. A week later on 1 April Mary travelled to Auckland on board the steamer Waiotahi, and then on 8 April the New Zealand Graphic published four uncredited photographs of the Governor’s reception at Tauranga. Although none of these images appear elsewhere credited to Mary Humphreys, it is conceivable they were amongst those she took on that day. There was another photographer active during Lord Ranfurly’s visit. Thomas Price had two of his images published in the Auckland Weekly News Supplement on 7 April, and he is naturally another potential candidate for authorship of the NZ Graphic images.

Wāhine from Whareroa marae wearing korowai presented to them by visitors from Otaki
Print mounted in album, photographed by Mary Humphreys, c. September 1899
Collection of Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 04-481

It has been assumed that the death of her solicitor husband Thomas Mace Humphreys in May 1898, prompted her to take up photography to provide an income for her young family. On the face of it, this seems a reasonable deduction. In the six years since she had arrived in Tauranga with her husband and infant son, Mary had given birth to two daughters and became an active community member, participating in fund raising and other activities on the social calendar. Apart from working as a solicitor, her husband lent money “on good security at current rates of interest” and was a mining investor.[iv] Although she is listed with “domestic duties” in the 1896 electoral roll, during the Te Puke gold prospecting “boom” that year two mining claims were registered in her name, suggesting a more than passing familiarity with business matters.[v] Her widowed mother Mrs Adair was living with them so would presumably have been on hand to assist, and her husband’s intermittent illness for the last year of his life may have required her to assume more of the business administration. This, however, is speculative – in the manner of the day, women’s roles and contributions in such partnerships rarely received explicit acknowledgement. Within six months of becoming a widow Mary Humphreys announced that she had been appointed local agent for the Citizen Life Insurance Company, another intrepid step into the world of commerce.[vi]

Advertisement, Bay of Plenty Times, 18 October 1899

In November 1899 Mary took the bold step of opening a “studio” on the Strand to sell her photographs. It was situated next to the Tauranga Hotel and would no doubt have received brisk foot traffic in the run up to Christmas.

“Many who like to remind their friends at Christmas of their whereabouts in the world will be glad to bear that Mrs T.M. Humphreys intends opening a studio on the Strand to supply photographic Christmas cards and photos of local scenery, Maori life, etc., and will be prepared with all sorts and sizes in time for the November English mail. Having seen a great number of this artist's photos we are able to say, with confidence, that they are really excellent and have secured her commissions from several leading illustrated papers.”[vii]

“Maoris preparing a feast [at Whareroa] near Tauranga”, c. September 1899
Photographed by Mary Humphreys, published in Auckland Weekly News Supplement, 22 Dec 1899
Image courtesy of Auckland City Libraries Ref.  AWNS-18991222-03-03

In October Humphreys had asked the A. & P. Society for, and was granted, “permission to erect a small tent on the Show Ground for the purpose of taking photos for certain illustrated papers.” [viii] This confirms that by then she had already developed a relationship with newspaper publishers, and indeed two of her Māori-themed images were published in the Auckland Weekly News Supplement in late December.

Maori pataka belonging to James King, curio dealer
Photographed by Mary Humphreys, 9 Nov 1899
Tauranga Heritage Collection, Captain Mee Album Ref. 0032/12/11

Wide interest in the images of tangata whenua possibly prompted another photo session in November, when she photographed an ornately carved pataka (storehouse) belonging to Tauranga curio dealer James King:

“On Thursday morning last Mrs Humphreys secured a photograph of the carved front of an ancient Maori pataka, or food store house, the property of Mr James King, curio dealer. The carvings are still clear and distinct though executed a number of years ago, in the days before metal tools of any sort were known here, and are fine examples of the old style of Maori workmanship. Mr King temporarily re-erected the front of the building for the purpose of having it photographed; the picture taken was very successful and would be very valuable to any student of Native art, the carved designs being very clearly defined.”[ix]

The extant views from this early period demonstrate that Mary had already mastered technical aspects of photography (operating what was probably a half-plate view camera), framing and composition of views, and developing and printing of exposed plates. She had quickly gained an eye for what constituted a good photograph, and it was clearly not something that she had taken up for the occasion. Perhaps she had already been exposed to the “mysterious art” of photography for some years. It is likely that the camera she used initially had originally been purchased by her husband, who is recorded as having taken photographs at a sporting event soon after their arrival in Tauranga in March 1894:

“During the polo match yesterday, Mr T.M. Humphreys took a photo of the two teams drawn up in a line with the band and spectators grouped round.”[x]

Photographic prints in an album created and owned by Mary Humphreys in the Tauranga Library Archives collection suggest that she may have been taking photographs as early as 1896.[xi]

By the end of 1899, she had set herself up as a photographer in a town which already had the well-established studio of Thomas E. Price and, although Price was investigating opportunities further afield and may have taken his eye off the ball, it would have been a fair question to ask whether the population of the town could support another. Photographers in the latter part of the 19^th century generally fell into two camps: those who operated from a permanent, well-appointed portrait studio, usually close to the centre of a community that was large enough to provide an ongoing supply of customers and commissioned “out work”, and itinerants who travelled between smaller communities, often quite widely, seeking out trade where they could. Mary Humphreys is unlikely to have had sufficient capital to either purchase a studio or build a new one and, with a young family to support, could not contemplate being away from home for lengthy periods. However, she was determined to explore options that may not even have been envisaged just a few years earlier, such as the rapidly burgeoning demand for images by newspaper publishers, who were by then able to reproduce them cheaply using the halftone process.

In Part 2 of what is intended as a series of articles on Mrs Humphreys, we will follow her emerging career path into the 20^th century.

References

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[i] Justine Neal, Shirley Arabin, and Geoff Willacy, “Mary Humphreys: Aspects of Her Interesting Life,” Historical Review: Bay of Plenty Journal of History Vol 63, no. 2 (November 2015): pp42-47.

[ii] Debbie Joy McCauley, “Mary Humphreys (Née Henderson) (1865-1946),” Blog, Debbie McCauley, Author (blog), 2021, https://debbiemccauleyauthor.wordpress.com/biographies/mary-humphreys-nee-henderson-1865-1946/.

[iii] “Untitled [Mrs T.M. Humphreys, Photographs of Governor’s Reception],” Bay of Plenty Times, May 1, 1899, Volume 24 Issue 3841 edition.

[iv] Thomas James Mace Humphreys, “Money to Lend. Advertisement [T.M. Humphreys],” Bay of Plenty Times, January 25, 1897, Volume 24 Issue 3503 edition.

[v] “Application for Special Claim. Advertisement [Mary Humphreys],” Bay of Plenty Times, September 14, 1896, Volume 22 Issue 3449 edition.

[vi] “Untitled [Mrs T.M. Humphreys, Local Agent for Citizen Life],” Bay of Plenty Times, December 9, 1898, Volume 24 Issue 3785 edition.

[vii] “Untitled [Mrs T.M. Humphreys to Open Studio on Strand],” Bay of Plenty Times, October 18, 1899, Volume 24 Issue 3913 edition.

[viii] “A. & P. Society. Inward Correspondence [Mrs T.M. Humphreys],” Bay of Plenty Times, October 23, 1899, Volume 24 Issue 3915 edition.

[ix] “Untitled [Mrs Humphreys Photographs Pataka],” Bay of Plenty Times, November 13, 1899, Volume 24 Issue 3924 edition.

[x] “Untitled. [Mr T.M. Humphreys Photographs Polo Teams],” Bay of Plenty Times, March 2, 1894, Volume 22 Issue 3087 edition.

[xi] Mary Humphreys, Mary Humphreys Photo Album, n.d., n.d., Photo Album Box 4, Tauranga City Libraries Archive, accessed December 19, 2023.