Hocken Collections Māori Archivist Rauhina Kohuwai-Banks (RKB) sat down with Curator of Photography, Anna Petersen (AP), to kōrero about A Different Light: First Photographs of Aotearoa, an exhibition showcasing the history of photography in Aotearoa, now in its last week at the Hocken Gallery.   RKB      Tēnā koe Anna, thank you for sitting down to talk […]

Post researched and written by David Murray, Archivist Last month, a wind storm saw the dramatic toppling of two of the big old elm trees next to our building on Anzac Avenue. Fortunately nobody was hurt, and our building was undamaged, but we were sad to lose the trees. It seems timely to look at […]

Post researched and written by David Murray, Archivist The suitcases made by Disabled Servicemens Products were popular luggage items for many years, and occasionally still turn up in secondhand shops. Sometimes made from leather, but more usually from a type of fibreboard called Vulcanite, examples can often be identified by a red and gold label […]

Post researched and written by David Murray, Archivist There are many photographs of sombre-faced Victorians in the Hocken Collections, but few first-hand accounts of the circumstances and experiences surrounding their creation. A photo titled ‘Joes Cabin’ comes with a description that might change first impressions. Taken at Silverstream Valley near Dunedin on 28 December 1886, […]

Tēnā koutou katoa, ko Scarlett Rogers tōku ingoa, nō Ōtepoti ahau. I am currently a student at the University of Otago and am doing my last paper to complete my Bachelor of Applied Science with a double major in History and Physical Education, Activity and Health. I have a passion for both the history of […]

Post researched and written by Eilish McHugh-Smith, Collections Assistant – Publications Welcome back to the Book Review Corner of the Hocken Blog! Today we delve into the world of photography with a review of Self-Portrait by Marti Friedlander in conjunction with Hugo Manson.  The first thing that attracted me to Self-Portrait was its physicality. A […]

Post researched and written by Anna Petersen, Curator Photographs The Hocken holds the definitive archive of works by English-born photographer, George Chance (1885-1963).  The collection encompasses all aspects of his output from original prints, negatives, and colour slides, to proofs, albums, correspondence, sound recordings, written notes and published reproductions in the form of newspaper and […]

Post researched and written by Curator of Photographs Anna Petersen Illumination is a topical subject in Dunedin at present as the City Council continues to roll out the new LED lights, designed to cut down on energy consumption and enhance our night sky.  As we also enter the season of light, it seems a good […]

Post researched and written by Curator of Photographs Anna Petersen The Geoff Adams collection of slides, prints and negatives in the Hocken Photographs Collection stand out for their colourful, rather racy nature.  Predominantly portraits of actors, artists, singers, TV broadcasters, dancers and sportsmen, they were all taken in London during the mid-1960s and tell of […]

Post researched and written by Jennie Henderson, Hocken Collections Assistant. Many of us may be feeling a bit hermit-like during New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown, but we are not Dunedin’s first hermits!  100 years ago, Dunedin resident Ben Rudd earned the nickname ‘The Hermit of Flagstaff’ with his reclusive habits. Benjamin Rudd (1854-1930) was born in […]