Heritage et AL

Ref: James D Richardson, Steamship Maheno used as First World War hospital ship, no date, no location, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-1624

During the First World War not all women saw their role as the person to keep the home fires burning. Those armed with nursing qualifications and the spirit of adventure enrolled to serve their country overseas. These dedicated professionals included nurses from the South Auckland area, who served in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, NZ and Aus soldiers on board a hospital ship, on the way from Lemnos Island to Alexandria, Eyqpt, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150701-47-2

This post is dedicated to some of these nurses who trained in Auckland between 1912 and 1916, with the exception of Ethelwyn Carruth who trained in Thames in 1914.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, on board the Maheno where wounded soldiers receive expert attention, no location, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150715-46-4

May McGee (Finlayson) served as a Staff Nurse. Born in Auckland, May lived at Walmsley Road, Otahuhu. May set off for Plymouth, England, with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force 20th Reinforcements New Zealand Army Nursing Service on 30 December 1916. While overseas she served as a nurse in Egypt and France. May was made Sister in 1919 and returned home to NZ on board the transport vessel Giessen in July 1919.

Mabel Maida Illingworth (Coates) was born in Australia in 1882 but went on to serve as a Staff Nurse with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. Mabel was sent to Egypt where she worked in the nursing service as a masseuse. Mabel was awarded the British War Medal (1914-1920). She was discharged on 24 October 1917 having become dangerously ill and was invalided home.

We can follow Mabel's recovery in Kai Tiaki (the journal of the nurses of NZ): 'Staff-Nurse M.M. Coates, 22/355, has been at the convalescent home at Sandwich, but has now been discharged to duty' (July 1917, p76). Following the war, Mabel and her husband began a family (see newspaper clipping below). She was buried at All Saints Anglican Church Cemetery, Howick, aged 68 years old.

Ref: Births section in Kai Tiaki, Volume XII, Issue 3, July 1919, p145, from Papers Past

Maud Montgomery (Glacken) was born in September 1888 and trained to become a nurse, graduating in 1914. She later enlisted to serve as a Staff Nurse. Leaving her home in Papatoetoe at age 28, Maud set off on Hospital Ship No. 1 Maheno (Second Charter) with the New Zealand Army Nursing Services Corps on 25 January 1916.

Before Maud left, she attended an afternoon tea function held in January 1916 in the Parliamentary dining-room in Wellington. Here the Hon. Minister of Public Health entertained both the nursing staff of the hospital ship Maheno, and the nurses leaving as passengers. The Prime Minister and Mrs Massey were present at the function along with other dignitaries. The Prime Minister made a farewell speech in which he mentioned the highly impressive behaviour of the nurses on board the torpedoed Marquette.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, NZ nurses before beginning their duties abroad the hospital ship Maheno, no location, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150715-47-3

In an article in the Dominion - ‘New Zealand Army appointments and promotions’ it was announced that Maud Montgomery had received a promotion to the position of Staff Nurse. Kendall and Corbett (1990) record that Maud served at Bagthorpe Military Hospital, Nottingham, England and later on in France (Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, p3).

Whilst in France, Maud was moved to St Omer, then to Amiens and later on to Abberille, where she served on the front line. She was awarded the British War Medal (1914-1920), the Victory Medal and was made Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC). You can visit The Armoury at the Auckland War Memorial Museum to view Maud Montgomery’s medals and nursing badges.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, arrival of sick and wounded heroes by the hospital ship Maheno, Queen's Wharf, Auckland, 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19160106-43-1

Aileen Catherine Miller, Staff Nurse, of Station Road, Mangere Crossing, Otahuhu, sailed on the Hospital Ship No. 2 Marama (Fourth Charter) as a member of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service on the 1 June 1918. The April 1919 issue of Kai Tiaki listed nurses who had recently returned to NZ and been posted to duty at various military hospitals - this included an A.C. Miller, who is recorded as having been posted to Trentham. While this has not been verified to be the same Aileen Catherine Miller, the information does fit within the general date range, occupation and name. Aileen was promoted to the position of Sister in 1921.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, steamer Marama, NZ’s second hospital ship, no location, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19151209-35-1

Ethelwyn Carruth’s (Motion) family lived at Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe at the time she enlisted as a Staff Nurse for the New Zealand Army Nursing Service. Ethelwyn trained to be a nurse at Thames Hospital and passed her 'Nurses Examinations' in January 1914. She worked as a Staff Nurse until late 1917 when she was promoted to the position of Sister. Ethelwyn was on board the Hospital Ship No.2 Marama on its Second Charter. Ethelwyn embarked on the 10 November 1916 at Wellington.

Ref: Photographer unknown, Sister Ethelwyn Carruth during a lifeboat drill aboard NZHS Marama, location and date unknown, reproduced with kind permission of Sherayl Kendall

There will have been many tales of adventure and sorrow relayed by these First World War nurses to family and friends during their lifetimes. Hopefully some family members can pass on their reminiscences about these brave women at the upcoming First World War centenary commemorations event, which is being arranged by the New Zealand Military Nursing organisation.

Keen to find out more? Here are the sources used for this post:

Author: Sharon Smith, South Auckland Research Centre

“So sad to realise the ‘boys’ in the photos gave their lives 100 years ago”.

“Engaging and informative without being overwhelming. A wonderful tribute”.

“A fine exhibition of stories that need to be told”.

“Amazing diaries keeping record of daily life”.

“Great to see photographs and documentation of camaraderie in tough times”.

These are just a few of the comments inscribed in the visitor’s book of the current exhibition at the Sir George Grey Special Collections: 'It’ll be over by Christmas: World War 1914-1918'. Visitors have signed themselves as "grand-daughters of veterans" or relatives of "survivors" of this war. At the time of this centenary we still remember the First World War war, even if not all of us have personal memories of loved ones who served and survived.

Everything on display in the exhibition at the Central City Library (with the exception of a few of the published books) was produced between 1914-1919. It therefore covers what New Zealanders were reading and looking at during the war period.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, the storming of Le Quesnoy in France by NZ soldiers, 27 March 1919, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19190327-32-2

The Auckland Weekly News Photographic Supplement published photographs of events in NZ and overseas of the war as it happened. These photographs have been extensively digitised and are available on the Heritage Images database. You can refer to this guide for help searching for images in the database.

New Zealand soldiers were deployed in places as far from home as Belgium and Turkey, but also nearby in locations such as Samoa. Additionally, New Zealand’s extensive recruitment of soldiers for the war included Māori and men from Niue and the Cook Islands.

Ref: Herman John Schmidt, Private Flanton of the Māori Contingent, NZ Māori Pioneer Battalion, no location, 1917, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-F3347

Ref: Herman John Schmidt, Lance Corporal Purie Davi Harry of the 3rd Māori Contingent, Rarotongans, NZ Māori Pioneer Battalion, no location, 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-H2289

Shown above are portraits from the Herman John Schmidt collection, which contains some 4,500 soldier portraits. The subjects of many of these portraits have been identified through research by the library. This extensively digitised collection is also available on the Heritage Images database and is a valuable resource for family historians and those interested in researching the First World War.

Ref: First World War postcard, 23 September 1917, Ephemera Collections, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Personal records such as letters, postcards and diaries give valuable insights into soldiers’ experiences of the war, from the most harrowing to the dreamy or even banal. The touching and undramatic card seen above (drawn from the Ephemera Collections) is dated 23 September 1917 and reads:

“My Dearest Darling Fanny, Just a Post Card from France hoping that you are quite well and in the best of health as this leaves me. I have just been down the village to get this and some other cards, but the place was so dirty and there is so little to see that I did not stay there very long. Believe me to be yours forever. – George”.

The physical exhibition has been reproduced as a visually rich online exhibition, thematically organised by caselists (e.g. Samoa, At Sea, Soldiers' Writing), which will provide a valuable resource for digital library users for years to come.

'It’ll be over by Christmas: World War 1914-1918' is open now at the Central City Library and runs until the 12th of October. Open daily weekdays from 9am-5pm and weekends from 10am-4pm. You can read about the opening of the exhibition on 15 July 2014 in an earlier blog post.

Author: Angeline Chirnside, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: Auckland Libraries, front exterior view, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0033

Several months have passed since the great unveiling of plastic wrap from the exterior of Lopdell House, Titirangi, which is part of the newly named Lopdell Precinct. I was curious to see inside the building following its renovation, restoration and seismic strengthening.

The entrance foyer, with its floor of decorative Italian tiles and sweeping circular staircase provided an impressive welcome.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, spiral staircase, hanging lights and tiled entrance foyer viewed from level 2, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0004

The ground floor room, which was formerly occupied by Lopdell House Gallery with its wall of arches, windows along its length and highly polished reclaimed kauri timber floor, is earmarked for a café/restaurant.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Interior wall arches, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries,TITI-D-2014-0021

The Upstairs Art Gallery is open on the first floor and offers both member exhibitions and local artist shows in an intimate, light-filled space. Constantly changing views over the Manukau Harbour through sash windows contribute to the ambience.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Upstairs Art Gallery, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0026

Listen to a soundbite of gallery manager Teena Speedy talking about how the gallery engages with the community.

Heritage features retained in the renovation include an original bath from the 1930s Hotel Titirangi.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Original bath from the Hotel Titirangi, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0003

A few original wardrobes from the former Hotel Titirangi are still intact. This room is used for commercial purposes.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Original wardrobe from the Hotel Titirangi, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0007

The last tenant to leave Lopdell House prior to the renovation, and the first to return once work was completed, was barber, Peter Fielder.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Peter Fielding in his barber shop, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0009

Book and paper conservator Paul Taylor of Spiral Path Book Studio is a new tenant to Lopdell House.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, book and paper conservator, Paul Taylor of Spiral Path Book Studio, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0010

Other businesses currently established in the building range from civil engineers to psychotherapists and massage therapists. The Colin McCahon Trust office is also located here.

The original Hotel Titirangi roof terrace has been opened after decades of being enclosed for various purposes, including at one time, a restaurant. Currently used as a viewing platform, it is envisaged it will become a venue for weddings, art exhibitions and the performing arts.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Roof terrace, Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0015

Ref: Auckland Libraries, Lopdell Precinct facilities manager, Jolie Hutchings. Lopdell House, Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0017

Facilities Manager Jolie Hutchings sees the Precinct becoming an arts destination once the new gallery, Te Uru, opens later in the year. Listen to Jolie talk about the facilities currently open to the community.

Fast facts
Lopdell Precinct comprises:

Lopdell House
Lopdell House Gallery (Te Uru) - a new bespoke art gallery currently under construction, which is adjacent to Lopdell House
Lopdell Hall (originally the Lopdell Treasure House)
Titirangi Theatre, which will occupy the basement of Lopdell House.

Building details:

Architect: Mitchell & Stout
Construction Company: NZ Strong
Commissioned by: Lopdell House Redevelopment Trust and Auckland Council.

For further information:

See the West Auckland Historical Society’s May/June 2014, newsletter, Vol 357, pp.2-5, for a report on the architects’ talk, Titirangi Presbyterian Church, 18th March. A copy is held at the West Auckland Research Centre, Level 2, Waitakere Central Library, Henderson
See: previous blog post on Lopdell House (24 January 2014), for references and links to books held in Auckland Libraries and documents on the history and renovation of Lopdell House.

Ref: Auckland Libraries, rear exterior view Lopdell House,Titirangi, 2014, West Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, TITI-D-2014-0032

Author: Julia Barron, West Auckland Research Centre

The declaration of war was greeted so enthusiastically in NZ that many anti-militarist groups lowered their profile. This included the National Peace Council, whom in 1914 suspended all public work, saying “the war fever is too acute to allow of any meetings being held” (Hutching, M., 2007, see full reference below).

Most NZ women supported the war effort, but some were bold enough to agitate for international arbitration and an end to war. The Canterbury Women’s Institute, the Women’s International League and The Housewives Union formed part of the nucleus of the anti-war movement in NZ.

Ref: Front cover of Women for Peace & Freedom by Betty Holt (1985)

Working-class women in particular protested against conscription; and in the Waikato, Te Puea Herangi led the Tainui resistance to conscription, saying to the Government:

“These people are mine. My voice is their voice…I will not agree to my children going to shed blood. Though your words be strong, you will not move me to help you. The young men who have been balloted will not go…You can fight your own fight until the end " (11 July 1918).

Few Māori volunteered to fight in districts where land had been confiscated during the NZ Wars. The Parliament of the Kingitanga decided none of their iwi should serve overseas. However, in 1918 their men were subjected to the ballot and arrested if they failed to answer it. Six Tainui men were court-martialled and sentenced to two years hard labour – even though, the war ended before any Māori conscripts could be sent overseas.

Ref: Photographer unknown, Princess Te Puea Herangi, location unknown, c. 1940s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A11967

The Military Service Bill of 1916 enabled conscription in areas where there were too few volunteers to meet recruitment quotas. A new organisation was swiftly founded in response - The Women’s Anti-Conscription League (WACL), who stated that:

“The question of participating in the destruction of human life in war is, and should remain, a matter of individual conscience, and no Government, whether representing a majority or minority, has any right to compel any person to kill or be killed. ... The mothers among us revolt against the idea that there is no better use for their sons than to be compulsorily sacrificed to militarism, war, and wholesale slaughter.”

A branch of The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was formed in NZ with the aim of ending the war through negotiated settlement. The league also sought to solve future international disputes by arbitration and conciliation. You can find out more about the league through the serials holdings at the Central City Library.

Ref: Founding members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Pictured are (from left) unidentified, Mrs Marcus Jones, Mrs L. M. Piper, unidentified, Pankhurst, unidentified, Mrs D'Arcy Hamilton, Miss Elizabeth Martin, unidentified, Auckland, 1916. Image taken from ‘Standing in the sunshine’ by Sandra Coney (1993)

A deputation of 30 women, including Wellington Housewives Union members Sarah Snow and Jane Donaldson, urged Prime Minister William Massey not to proceed with conscription, saying that as mothers they objected to raising sons to be used as soldiers in the interest of a class which did not represent their own interests. The Lyttelton Times ridiculed this meeting with the following headline and article:

"FEMININE DEPUTATIONISTS – PREMIER’S ENTERTAINING HOUR
… The display of essentially feminine qualities made the whole proceedings very entertaining … Three ladies were named as speakers, but the whole thirty got in their verbal shots at various times" (Lyttelton Times,12 June 1916).

“The verbal shots actually quoted were in fact pertinent,” Elsie Locke later wrote in 'Peace People: A History of Peace Activities in New Zealand'.“Mrs Donaldson said the working class had always fought battles, paid the debts and lost their liberties in war.”

Ref: Woman marching with peace sign and U.S. flag, disarmament conference, Washington, D.C., c. 1914-1922, from the National Photo Company Collections at the Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons

WILPF also strongly protested against sending conscientious objectors to the front in 1917: “it [is] incredible [that]…the liberty of conscience, so dearly bought in other times by our forefathers, should be deliberately set aside”.

The Free Lance, one of the country’s most popular weekly pictorial newspapers, had this to say:

“…the definition of the “New Zealand conscientious objectors” as “the real heroes of the war.” This gem of maudlin and mawkish sentiment fell from a lady named Mrs. Beck, who is president of the Wellington Housewives’ Union, an organisation which is a sort of feminine complement of the male “Red” Federation” (Free Lance, 28 September 1917).

WILPF and other women’s groups sponsored Adela Pankhurst, daughter of British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, on a speaking tour of NZ. She talked of women’s involvement in peace, and also internationalism. She attracted overflow audiences to her meetings around the country, some of which were women-only – yet most newspapers ignored her. She said that NZ’s Military Service Bill took away a greater degree of liberty from Britishers than any bill in a thousand years, and was also intended for future wars.

Ref: 'Most Dangerous Women - Feminist Peace Campaigners of the Great War' by Anne Wiltsher (1985)

The Christchurch Press called Pankhurst’s lecture on women and war: “a torrent of syndicalist invective against the holders and manipulators of the world’s capital”.

In 1918 the WILPF and the Auckland Women’s Political League amalgamated as the Women’s International and Political League to promote "true internationalism, anti-militarism and the interests of working-class women".

Keen to find out more?

Coney, S. (1993). 'Standing in the sunshine: a history of New Zealand women since they won the vote'. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, formed in the US in 1915, and opened a New Zealand branch the following year.
Holt, B. (1985). 'Women for Peace & Freedom'. This is a history of the NZ section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which was produced for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the League. Betty was a past president of the NZ section of WILPF.
Hutching, M. (2007) ‘The Moloch of War: New Zealand women who opposed the war’, pp.85-95. In Crawford, J. and McGibbon, I. (eds.) ‘New Zealand’s Great War: New Zealand, the Allies and the First World War’.
Locke, E. (1992). ‘Peace People: A History of Peace Activities in New Zealand'.
Wiltsher, A. (1985). 'Most Dangerous Women - Feminist Peace Campaigners of the Great War '. This book looks at female peace campaigners in Britain.

Author: Leanne, Central Auckland Research Centre

It is always fascinating to discover why the street you live in is given a particular name, and for residents of a block in Mt Roskill, Auckland, there is a marvellous history behind theirs.

It is a group of streets that was known as the Victory Estate – located up at the Mt Roskill end of Dominion Road in Auckland.

The subdivision was purchased by a syndicate in 1920, as reported in the NZ Herald newspaper. The land had been held for the past 50 years by the Wesley Training College who had possessed huge amounts of land in the area. It was described as “beautiful high green slopes …. Commanding magnificent views over Mount Eden” (New Zealand Herald, Vol. LVII, Issue 17412, 6 March 1920, p.9).

Ref: DP Plan 16857, North Auckland Land District, Plan of Auckland Suburb, IV Titirangi S.D., Mt Roskill Road District, 1923

The names of the streets in the Victory Estate were most admirable as they honoured names familiar to 1920s NZers, who had endured the First World War. The Belgian towns of Mons and Louvain, and the French town of Cambrai, were recognized, and military heroes on the side of the Allies were honoured: Sir Douglas Haig, Ferdinand Foch, Sir David Beatty and the controversial Sir John Rushworth Jellicoe.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, view of Mons, Belgium, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19140910-41-2

Hardley Avenue, intersecting the streets, was named after the developer. Unfortunately, Jellicoe, named for New Zealand’s Governor-General (1920-1924) was later re-named Jasper Avenue, quite possibly due to the preponderance of Jellicoe Streets in existence in the isthmus, but none the less an act, the author of 'People & Progress' (see full reference below) called “incredibly insensitive alteration” and “historical vandalism”. Quite pertinent is an article in the NZ Herald (6 March 1923) proclaiming that Admiral Jellicoe had “signified by letter to the owners his pleasure in having his name connected with a suburb of beautiful Auckland”.

Ref: Russell Southsea, Sir John R. Jellicoe, Lord High Admiral of the British Navy, 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19160323-37-1

The Victory Estate’s position in national town planning history was sealed in the defining of the 1923 Survey Regulations Act, which required a portion of land in a development to be set aside for a reserve. An article in NZ Surveyor outlines in the previous year, how developers Hardley and de Luen had taken a case regarding public spaces and roading requirements to the high court, after the Mt Roskill Roads Board declined their application to approve it. The case was declined, subsequently prompting a law ensuring new subdivisions would set aside 5% of the total land for public park-type areas. Indeed, this was seen as a crucial requirement for areas like Mt Roskill, where it was envisaged a working class population would settle – and subsequently did.

Keen to find out more?:

Alexander, B.N. (1967). 'The Purpose and Provision of Reserves in Relation to Residential development' in 'New Zealand Surveyor', March 1967.
McConnell, P. (1983). 'People & Progress: a study of place names in the Mount Roskill Borough'.

Author: Joanne Graves, Central Auckland Research Centre

Embroidered silk postcards from the First World War are known as WWI Silks. An estimated 10 million were made by French and Belgian girls and women and sold to Allied servicemen on duty in France. The cards were mailed home at no charge to the sender in Military Mail pouches, and became treasured mementos from "the boys over there”.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, c. 1914-1918, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Many of the Silks featured symbols and greetings important to Allied troops: fern fronds for New Zealanders, maple leaves for Canadians; flags; battalion and regimental crests; and patriotic messages such as 'United We Stand' or 'Victory and Liberty'. Especially favoured were cards with Sister, Mother, Father, and the words love, kiss and home.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, 1918, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

According to author and historian John Laffin, it took between 4-8 hours to embroider each postcard but as demand grew the quality declined.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, August 1917, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

The delicate, tender embroidery contrasted with the gruesome realities of the First World War, giving no indication of what the soldiers were experiencing and sparing families back home from the true horrors of war. Most cards bore a cheerful greeting, tying in with government authorities who suppressed news of the terrible conditions, lost battles and casualties in order to encourage recruitment.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, October 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Novelty postcards made from card and silk featured in the Paris Exhibition of 1900, but a new market developed during the First World War via nuns in convents around the soon-to-be invaded areas of Belgium and Northern France. The nuns had long been embroidering church vestments as well as commercial items to support their ministry. After 1915 they organised refugee women and girls to embroider these complex, war-themed souvenirs in their homes or at refugee camps. Gradually, production was moved to factories and included machine embroidery. Usually 25 identical designs were printed onto rolls of silk/organdie, although some rolls have been discovered with 400. Once embroidered, they were cut and mounted onto card backing and sold in shops across France, through the YMCA’s recreation centres and at training facilities.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, 1917, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Today, WWI Silks are often in excellent condition as a waxed envelope was provided with them for mailing, and soldiers would often slip these inside a second envelope for protection. Nor were postage stamps attached as they were sent home through the military mail system. Finally, their recipients took great care to preserve the Silks, saving them in keepsake boxes or framing them to hang above the mantlepiece.

Ref: First World War silk embroidered card from the Ephemera Collections, September 1917, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

The Silks are popular with collectors of military memorabilia, particularly those featuring regimental badges, or unusual images like bi-planes, or spelling mistakes such as a Christmas card showing an English pudding with mistletoe and the words Tranch Pudding. A WWI Silk recently sold for $150 on an online auction site. During the war, the cards cost half a day’s pay for a regular British soldier or two days pay for a French one.

You can purchase fascimile/replica greeting cards of the Silks pictured in this post, which are drawn from the Ephemera Collections of the Sir George Grey Special Collections. These cards are available from the Sir George Grey Special Collections and at the research centres around the region. See the poster below for more information.

Ref: poster advertising the Silks greeting cards available for purchase from Auckland Libraries

Author: Leanne, Central Auckland Research Centre

There is an immediately accessible quality about hand coloured or tinted photographs, which brings the past alive in a way that is perhaps more intimate than black and white photographs.

Ref: Photographer and colourist unknown, hand coloured photograph of David Clark driving the Northcote Borough Council's dray, c. 1910, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, N0101008

Converting images of varying shades of grey i.e. black and white photographs, into coloured images literally involved the application of colour onto the photographic image. There were two methods by which this could be done. Hand colouring or tinting involved painting very lightly onto the surface, so that the photograph underneath was still visible. The more clumsy method of the two was over painting, whereby a heavier pigment was applied, often completely obscuring the original photograph. Prior to the start of either process, a layer of varnish was usually applied to ensure that the absorption of colour was even across the photograph.

Ref: HA Firth (photographer and colourist), unidentified Māori woman, no location, c. 1870s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 589-124

Hand colouring has been carried out since the invention of the daguerreotype in 1839 (although not readily available though in NZ until the 1950s) and subsequently ambrotypes, see example below (popular during the mid 1850s in NZ). Prior to autochrome, an early color transparency (1903) with a painterly look and the advent of colour film (Kodachrome) by Kodak in the mid 1930s, this was the only way to inject colour into photographs (other than toning e.g. with selenium, which applies a colour wash to the entire image). It was effectively just another layer of the artistry that was already being carried out in the darkroom - where techniques to 'edit' image such as 'dodging and burning' and the application of masks were already widely used.

Ref: Thomas M.B. Muir (photographer), colourist unknown, hand coloured ambrotype showing an unidentified girl and dog, location and date unknown, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 747-1

Colour was usually in the form of oil paints, oil pastels, inks, crayons and colour pencils. Although the form chosen was often dependent on the format of photographic image. For example, once paper prints had become more widely available, crayons were used to colour these images. Colour was applied using brushes, fingers, cotton swabs or airbrushes. Usually the intention was to create as realistic an addition as possible.

Ref: Photographer & colourist unknown, hand coloured portrait of Sir George Grey, location unknown, 1890, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 5-C2063

It was a highly skilled job and resulting images often looked naive or clumsy if the job at hand wasn't handled with extreme precision and a light touch. Skilled colourists added a surreal but ethereally beautiful effect to the image, which enhanced the original artistic intention of the photographer.

Ref: Photographer and colourist unknown, hand coloured photograph of Northern Steamship Company vessels laid up in the Upper Waitemata Harbour, c. 1920s, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, N0111061

The process of colouring was not usually carried out by the photographer but by a colourist, often a woman, employed in the studio to do this work. Having a portrait coloured was a labour intensive and expensive process, meaning that like early photographs, it was originally only available to a privileged few.

Ref: William Archer Price (photographer), colourist unknown, hand coloured photograph of the opening of the Northcote Bowling Green, 1909, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, N0108002

Helen Stuart (probably the daughter of the photographer Samuel Stuart senior) was one of the best known female colourists in NZ. A report in the Christchurch Star newspaper indicates that her "coloured photo of a Māori" was part of an exhibition of New Zealand Art at the Royal Albert Hall in London (5 November 1886). Other NZ colourists included the celebrated "Miss Carroll”, William Henry Davis who coloured portraits for George Hoby in Nelson and Edward Arnold who carried out the colouring work for the photographer John McGarrigle (although this not a successful partnership). Henry Frith, whose photograph appears in this post, did his own colouring, which was reasonably unusual at the time.

Due to the status of women at this time, the work of many female colourists was not credited, therefore their work frequently remains unidentified. You can find out more about a number of these colourists and photographers through the Photographers Database, an online index created by the library (when carrying out a search remember to enter [surname], [first name] into the search box).

Colouring did not always involve applying colour to the whole image, sometimes small details such as jewellery were picked out with powerful effect using inks. This was the trademark style Henry Frith - an example of his work can be seen below and earlier on in this post. In the case of portraits of Māori featuring taonga / treasured items, such as mere pounamu / greenstone club, these taonga were accentuated by the addition of colour. Occasionally moko / tattoos were also treated in this manner.

Ref: Photographer and colourist unknown, hand coloured portrait of an unidentified Māori man, no location, c. 1860s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 589-217

Ref: HA Frith (photographer and colourist), unidentified Māori woman, c. 1870s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 589-212

Stencils were also used for applying small areas of colour. Dry pigment mixed with gum arabic was added to the areas to be stencilled and finally by breathing over the image, the colourist could fix the colour by using the moisture in his/her breath.

It is not just portraits that were hand coloured. For example, many local scenes or commemorative events were coloured and reproduced as postcard souvenirs. Whites Aviation, the Auckland based company known for their stunning aerial photographs of NZ (1950-1960s) also produced hand coloured landscapes as popular decorations for people's homes.

Ref: Photographer unknown, hand coloured photograph showing the recreation area near the wharf on Rangitoto Island, 1939, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, D_GR_0030

The process of colouring black and white photographs still continues today and has seen something of a resurgence in portraiture (particularly images of children) and as part of the renewed interest in analogue photography. Apps on mobile phones and Adobe Photoshop tools are able to digitally ape this colouration process. So whilst hand colouring has been around for a long time and its popularity has waned at times, it has developed into a true fine art form that shows no sign of disappearing.

Ref: Photographer and colourist unknown, postcard of the PS Eagle leaving for Devonport, 1907, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, N0110023

Author: Natasha Barrett (NB)

Rua Kēnana (1868/1869 - 1937), who was also know as Ruatapunui, was a Tūhoe prophet. He called himself the Mihaia / Messiah and claimed to be Te Kooti Arikirangi's successor Hepetipa (Hephzibah) who would reclaim Tūhoe land that had been lost to pakeha / European ownership. Rua's beliefs split the Ringatū Church, which Te Kooti had founded in around 1866/1868.

Ref: George Bourne for Auckland Weekly News, Rua Kēnana, c. 1900-1909, no location, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3324

In 1907 Rua formed a non-violent religious community at Maungapōhatu, the sacred mountain of Ngāi Tūhoe, in the Urewera. By 1900, Maungapōhatu was one of the few areas that had not been investigated by the Native Land Court. The community, also known as New Jerusalem, included a farming co-operative and a savings bank. Many pakeha believed the community was subversive and saw Rua as a disruptive influence.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, the settlement of Maungapohatu, April 1908, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3313

During the First World War the NZ Government was concerned that Rua opposed Tūhoe men enlisting for service against Germany. There were also rumours that he openly supported Germany.

The government used the opportunity to arrest Rua after a 1915 gathering for a hahunga / bone cleansing ceremony where he allegedly supplied liquor without a licence. He was summoned to appear before a magistrate on 19 January 1916. Rua said he was busy harvesting cocksfoot grass but would appear at the February court session. However Rua’s non-appearance was deemed to be contempt of court and preparations began for an armed police expedition to arrest him.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, police expedition to arrest Rua Kēnana, Ureweras, 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3797

On Sunday 2 April 1916, 67 police invaded Maungapōhatu. Rua stood unarmed on the marae / complex of buildings including houses and sacred courtyard, to greet the police when a shot was fired. In a short exchange of gunfire two Māori were killed and a policeman injured. The police claimed they had been ambushed but evidence suggests a policeman fired the first shot. Judith Binney - well renowned contemporary historian and author of works about Rua and the Maungapōhatu community, has assessed the events and noted that not only did the evidence support Rua and his followers' version of events but that the arrest warrant was not credible.

Ref: AN Breckon for Auckland Weekly News, members of the armed constabulary advancing close to Hiruharama, Rua Kēnana's house, Maungapōhatu, 13 April 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3792

Rua was charged with sedition, a type of treason. His trial was the longest held in NZ until 1977. Although the jury found Rua not guilty, Judge Chapman found him’morally’ guilty of resisting arrest. Chapman lectured him that the Māori were a race ‘still in tutelage’ and he must learn that the long arm of the law reached into ‘every corner'. Rua was harshly sentenced to one year’s hard labour followed by 18 months’ imprisonment. He was released in April 1918.

Ref: AN Breckon for Auckland Weekly News, showing from left in handcuffs: Maka Kanuehi, Pukepuke Kanara, Rua Kēnana, Whatu, Awa Horomona and Tioke Hakaipare following their arrest at Maungapōhatu; the policemen are Bill Neil (back left), Andy McHugh (in helmet beside Awa), Maungapohatu, April 1916, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A3794

Author: Chris Paxton, South Auckland Research Centre

Did you know that many early photographic processes involved the use of common types of food such as egg, potatoes and other household products including salt, alcohol and lavender oil, that we all have in our cupboards?

Ref: Green and Hahn for Auckland Weekly News, a duck with eggs, 1930, Papaui, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19301022-46-5

Ref: Green and Hahn for Auckland Weekly News, gathering lavender in a Christchurch garden, 1932, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19320106-46-3

Ref: J.A. Slack for Auckland Weekly News, testing spirits at H.M. Customs, Auckland, 1899, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-18990707-2-1

Ref: F.A. Hargreaves for Auckland Weekly News, A crop of potatoes being harvested in the Waiapu County, Auckland, 1911, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19110518-7-3

Ambrotypes - alcohol, salt and lavender oil
The ambrotype first became popular in NZ during the mid 1850s, overtaking the daguerreotype, which was invented in 1839 but not widely available in New Zealand until the 1850s.

Described as a form of wet plate collodian photography, a glass plate was first dipped and coated with a salty, syrupy, alcoholic mixture, which made it light sensitive. This solution included cellulose nitrate in ether and alcohol with the addition of bromide (found in sea water) and iodine (found in iodized table salt). The plate was finally dried and varnished using among other things, lavender oil.

Ref: Photographer and colourist unknown, hand coloured ambrotype showing William Spain, date and location unknown, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 3-554

Collodion originally had medical purposes and was used for dressings. The first person to adapt its use to photography was the Englishman Frederick Scott Archer. In 1851 he discovered that it could be used instead of albumen / egg white and gave a very fine grained image, requiring less exposure time. Wet plate collodian photography could also be used to create high quality duplicates or negatives and was used for both ambrotypes and tintypes/ferrotypes.

Albumen prints - egg whites
Invented in 1850 by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard, one of the main components was albumen, which is found in egg whites. It was used to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper along with salt and silver nitrates. The paper was dried and then placed in contact with the negative, which was usually a glass negative made using a collodion emulsion, as described above. Exposed to either sunlight or UV light (the latter was far more effective), the resulting print was fixed and sometimes toned using gold or selenium.

Ref: Photographer unknown, carte de visite showing an unidentified young Māori woman, c. 1880s, location unknown, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 3-554

Ref: WW Winter and Gray and Bluman (Firm), pages from a family album showing carte de visite photographs, c. 1880-1890s, location unknown, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 305-ALBUM-109-22

This process was effectively the first commercially viable way of producing a photographic paper based print from a negative. During the mid-19th century, the carte de visite print became one of the more popular uses of the albumen method.

Autochrome - potatoes
Invented by Louis Lumière in 1903 but not marketed until 1907, this process used potato starch to produce a colour transparency. Using a screen coated with millions of grains of potato starch dyed in three different colours, light was filtered onto the glass plate. The resulting colour image, as can been seen in the photographs below, has a dreamy, painterly impressionistic or pointillist effect.

Autochrome was instantly popular and was only superseded in the mid 1930s when Kodak released Kodachrome, the highly successful colour film for both still photography and cinematography.

Ref: Samuel G. Frith, autochrome photograph of a fancy dress tableau, no location, c. 1910s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1043-9713

Ref: Samuel G. Frith, autochrome photograph of Averill Frith with a vase of flowers, no location, c. 1912, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1043-9715

Author: Natasha Barrett (NB)

Over at Signposts, Matthew Tonks writes about an international conference he attended in Wellington last weekend. The Experience of a Lifetime: People, Personalities and Leaders in the First World War was an excellent arena for learning about a variety of personal war stories: "Twenty four presenters regaled their audience with a range of experiences – from European generals responding to unprecedented mechanical conflict, to Able Seaman John Reardon, a New Zealander who died when the Royal Australian Navy’s submarine disappeared off New Guinea in September 1914."

Ref: 'The experience of a lifetime...' conference poster, 22-24 August 2014.

Professor Sir Hew Strachan of Oxford University spoke at the conference and will be speaking at Auckland War Memorial Museum tonight, Friday 29 August, at 7.30pm. The tickets for Sir Hew's talk in the museum auditorium have sold out. However, there are tickets now on sale for seating in the auditorium lobby.

Ref: Auckland War Memorial Museum image, Sir Hew Strachan.

In the current Sir George Grey Special Collections exhibition 'World War 1914 - 1918' you can read many personal accounts of the First World War. From diary entries, letters and postcards to writing in the form of a novel and poetry.

Ref: Wilfrid Wilson Gibson. Battle. London: Elkin Mathews, 1916.

Ref: Postcard. Unexplosed Turkish shell at Anzac 1915. Photo ref: 657-4.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections.

While selecting material for the exhibition 'It’ll be over by Christmas: World War 1914-1918', I came across a map showing Zeitoun Camp on the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt. This is where the New Zealand soldiers trained before being shipped off to various locations on the fronts to fight.

Ref: NZ Map 8064, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

The map came into the library in a donation with other maps, which were duplicates from the Archives New Zealand / Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga. In the top left corner is a signature which has been carefully transcribed, “Captain V.A. Kelsall WMR”.

Ref: NZ Map 8064 (detail), Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Victor Albert Kelsall was born in 1875 in Scotland but soon moved to New Zealand. He fought in the South African War, receiving medals for his service, and later returned to South Africa and served in the Transvaal Mounted Rifles. In 1906 he received the Zulu Medal for his part in operations against the Zulu Rebels.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, NZ's Mounted Infantry leaving the camp at Zeitoun, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150506-37-2

On returning to NZ he farmed in the Marlborough Sounds as well as being a surveyors assistant. On 26 August 1914 at Palmerston North, soon after the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted in the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. On 15th October he departed Wellington on the Arawa and on the 4 December 1914 the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment disembarked and proceeded by train to Zeitoun Camp.

Ref: NZ Map 8064 (detail), Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries

Ref: H.A. Bick for Auckland Weekly News, the railway station near the Zeitoun Camp, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150311-39-4

The NZ soldiers trained here until the departure of the infantry to participate in the landing on Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915. However on the 8 May 1915, the mounted troops were also ordered to prepare to board the train for Alexandria, en route for Gallipoli. They arrived and landed after dark on the 12 May.

Ref: H Bland for Auckland Weekly News, troopers of the Wellington Mount Rifles Regiment having a break from training in the desert, 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150401-44-8

By June it was clear a different strategy was needed to break the stalemate at Gallipoli. It was decided to try and take the heights of the Sari Bair range, which would threaten Ottoman control of the peninsula. One of the objectives was a hill known as Chunuk Bair. On the morning of the 8 August the Wellington Battalion, supported by the Auckland Mounted Rifles and two British Battalions managed to take Chunuk Bair. The Ottoman’s soon returned to try and seize it back. The next day the Otago Battaliion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment relieved the defenders and desperately held on through enemy attack as well as friendly fire from artillery at Anzac Cove.

'Tortured by thirst, in desperate pain from open wounds, the gallant little force refused to be beaten. It was during this momentous phase in the operations that the magnificent morale and inspired example of the officers of the Regiment asserted themselves with splendid results. While the position was exposed to the full force of the attack, and one part of the line appeared to be weakening, Colonel Meldrum, Major Elmslie, and Captain Kelsall sprang from their shallow trenches and hastened to restore the line. Major Elmslie and Captain Kelsall both fell during this critical time. But their example was not lost” (Wilkie, A.H. (1924). 'Official war history of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment 1914-1919'. Auckland: Whitcombe and Tombs, p.55).

Chunuk Bair and Gallipoli were eventually taken back by the Ottomans. Victor Kelsall remains there, his place of burial is unknown, but his name appears on the Chunuk Bair NZ Memorial, along with the names of 850 others killed in the Battle of Sari Bair and in other operations in this sector. His map of Zeitoun Camp is in the Sir George Grey Special Collections (ref: NZ map 8064).

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, NZ memorial at Chunuk Bair, Gallopoli Peninsula, 1939, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19390426-54-1

The First World War exhibition is on now at the Sir George Grey Special Collections, located on Level 2 of the Central City Library. The exhibition is open daily from 9am-5pm during the week and from 10am-4pm at the weekends. You can read about the exhibition and its opening in two earlier blog posts. If you can't visit the exhibition in person, then make sure you check out the online exhibition including the section on Egypt & Palestine.

Author: Ian Snowdon, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Sir George Grey Special Collections has a range of books containing cartoons and individual issues of comics. Some of the creators mentioned in Adrian Kinnaird's excellent book on New Zealand comics - From Earth's End - feature in the collection.

Eric Resetar was born in Auckland in 1928 and is one of New Zealand's early comic book author - illustrators. When Resetar was a child he had a great interest in science fiction and enjoyed creating his own stories with drawings. He was 13 years old when a text story he illustrated was published in the one-off production Mighty Comic. Below is the cover of one of Resetar's self-published comics: Adventure. For the month of September there is a case displaying some of Resetar's publications in the reading room at Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Ref: Eric Resetar, Adventure No. 1, 1944. Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Streetwize comics was a Christchurch Community Law Centre project and includes comic strips about getting help from lawyers, the role of social workers and a prize-winning entry called 'Injustice' in a 'tell your story' competition for young people.

Ref: Streetwize comics, 1987. Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Four issues of the comics anthology Flypaper were created in Dunedin in the 1980s. There is one copy of one unnumbered issue held at Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Ref: Fly paper comics, about 1985. Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Ref: Sad sack. No. 266, January 1979. Sir George Grey Special Collections.

There are DC, Marvel and Disney comics in the collection as well as graphic novels, children's books illustrated by cartoonists and, as mentioned in an earlier post, wonderful satirical cartoons from the eighteenth through to the twenty-first centuries. If you are keen on comics, check out Auckland Libraries' Comic Book Month events and activities.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

In recent years Auckland bibliophile and historian John Webster has been a generous donor to Sir George Grey Special Collections. Among the items he has gifted to the library is an 1845 edition of 'The poems of William Wordsworth'. The book is in superb condition for its age, but what makes it of particular interest is the hand-written inscription on the second leaf, which reads: “Anna Hosykns from William Wordsworth, Westminster Cloisters, 15th April 1847.”

Ref: Second leaf inscription from 'William Wordsworth,'The poetical works...' London: Edward Moxon, 1845.'
Sir George Grey Special Collections.

The writing matches other surviving examples from the poet’s pen. Biographies and Wordsworth’s published letters verify that he was acquainted with Anna Hoskyns.

Anna’s maiden name was Ricketts. Born in 1814, she belonged to a family that became part of Wordsworth’s circle in the late 1830s. She was among the group of friends that accompanied the poet and his daughter Dora on a three-day excursion to the Duddon Valley in October 1838. She was his houseguest at Rydal Mount in the Lake District in October 1841 and again in June and July 1842.

Anna is fondly mentioned in a letter that Wordsworth and his wife, Mary, wrote to their close friend Isabella Fenwick on 28 July 1842: “Our love of her encreases every day – and I cannot but feel she has been thoroughly happy with us – Then she is such a useful little thing! She is ready to help with her pen, her dear voice and in every way.”

Ref: Watercolour from 'William Wordsworth. The prelude. Grasmere: The Wordsworth Trust, 2007.'
Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Wordsworth notes later in the same letter: “This morning I conducted dear Anna to the point opposite the higher division of the high waterfall of Rydal, of which you must have heard me speak. I left her there drawing. She has done some very pretty things in and about our Village which will be delightful Memorials to take away with her.”

Anna Ricketts married London barrister Chandos Wren-Hoskyns, a widower with a small daughter, on 9 July 1846. She called on the Wordsworths in April 1877 when they were staying in London with William’s nephew, Christopher Wordsworth, the Canon of Westminster.

Mary Wordsworth records in a letter to her daughter-in-law, Fanny, dated 20 April 1847: “We have seen Anna Ricketts that was and her Husband also; she is and looks quite well and happy. She brought with her her Stepdaughter, a very engaging Child.”

View examples of letters, illustrations and poems written by Wordsworth and his contemporaries in the online version of The Romantics exhibition, held at Sir George Grey Special Collections earlier this year.

Written by: Iain Sharp, Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Recently, an advertisement from a page in a journal, displayed in the current Sir George Grey Special Collections exhibition: World War 1914 -1918, made me look closer. The product is soap and the accompanying illustration is not unusual or incredibly striking. It was the text which made me pause, as it reminded me of scenes in Pat Barker's novel Regeneration. In particular, the lives of a group of munitionettes, who provide an insight into an element of home front life during the First World War.

Ref: The sphere. Vol. 76, no. 995. London: Illustrated Newspapers, 1918.

Munitionettes were British women employed in munitions factories during the First World War. These women worked with hazardous chemicals on a daily basis with minimal protection. Receiving an injury or getting killed by an explosion were always possibilities.

Many munitionettes worked with TNT, which after prolonged exposure, would turn their skin a yellow colour -- leading to the name 'canary girls'. Possibly not the type of woman with "dewy freshness and charm of skin and complexion" described in the advertisement above.

Below is a photograph showing a British shell-filling factory, covering an area of nearly ten acres.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, 'The war of munitions...',
29 March 1917, AWNS-19170329-43-1

Other areas of employment for women during the First World War included work in offices, in hangars used to build aircraft, as nurses, ambulance drivers and Red Cross workers.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, 'Women and war work...',
17 February 1916, AWNS-19160217-47-1

The image above shows a group of young women who make shoes for army horses at a factory in England. The group of photographs below show women doing a variety of work: scrubbing the outside of a train, welding and cleaning windows from the top of tall ladders.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, 'Taking the place of men...',
22 June 1916, AWNS-19160622-45-1

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, 'War work of women...',

20 September 1917, AWNS-19170920-37-2

Above is an image of women ambulance drivers rushing to their vehicles and the photograph below shows women in Whanganui, digging up potatoes to raise funds for wounded soldiers.

Ref: Auckland Weekly News, 'Women's patriotic work in Wanganui...',

8 November 1917, AWNS-19171108-35-1

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Dotted around Auckland are a number of residential and commercial buildings designed by Canadian architect Sholto Smith (1881-1936) which are now part of Auckland’s architectural heritage. While researching Auckland’s War Memorial libraries for the Our Boys website, I discovered Smith was noted as the designer of the gorgeous, little Albany War Memorial Library - although there is some controversy over whether it was Smith or his business partner, Thomas Mullions who played the bigger part in the design.

Ref: Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean, Albany War Memorial Library,
about 1986, from nzhistory.net.nz

Smith arrived in New Zealand in 1920, when he was 39 years old, and joined the architectural practice of TC Mullions and C. Fleming McDonald. He became partner after McDonald’s death and together with Mullions went on to design both residential and commercial properties. Among them the Shortland Flats in downtown Auckland which the pair owned as a venture to generate income. The flats have been described as Auckland’s smallest example of the gothic skyscraper style.

Ref: James D. Richardson, Shortland Flats, 1925,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-1708

Another highly visible building is the Lister on the corner of Victoria and Lorne Streets, a design influenced by the Chicago style of modern, simplified architecture dominant in skyscrapers of the early twentieth century. It was named for British surgeon and medical scientist, Sir James Joseph Lister. Interestingly, a letter to the editor of the New Zealand Building Record, dated 15 April 1924, laments the wording on the building as ‘The Lister Bldg’ not ‘Building’: “Who has not gazed with a feeling akin to awe at some recently constructed building and felt with an expression of pride that that building belonged to Auckland; when our eyes have alighted upon the name of the building, and we see emblazoned forth “Lister Bldgs” or some such name. Evidently the architect or designer has run out of lettering…”

Ref: N. M. Dubois, Lister Building (right), about 1973,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 786-A030-2

One of Smith’s grandest designs was the Chancery Towers on the corner of Chancery and O’Connell Streets.

Ref: Drawing of Chancery Chambers in The New Zealand Building Record',
15 May 1925, p.20.

The completed building was scaled down from the original design which boasted an impressive top that paid tribute to New York’s Woolworth Building -- at the time the tallest in the world. In 1989 the Auckland District Law Society bought Chancery Chambers and restored it to ‘reflect’ its 1920 origins. It is also a site of historical significance as John Logan Campbell’s Acacia Cottage, believed to have been the first European-style home in Auckland, was built there.

Ref: Linda Tyler, Colwyn, St Heliers, Auckland, 2011.

The most romantic of Smith’s work was his own home, Colwyn, at 187 St Heliers Bay Road, Auckland. He designed it as a wedding gift to his second wife, Phyllis, naming it Colwyn after the town in Wales where they met. The house is described by Linda Tyler: “A romantic idea of a cosy storybook house which in its scale and massing recalls the childhood home of Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare… The built design maintains the Anne Hathaway cottage references right down to the text on the wooden mantelpiece over the fireplace. The quote inscribed there is taken from the beginning of Shakespeare’s sonnet 57: 'Being your slave, what should I do but tend upon the hours and times of your desire?'"

If you fancy becoming more intimately acquainted with Smith’s work, a tour of Shortland Flats is a feature of the upcoming Auckland Heritage Festival. Bookings are essential for the tour on Sunday 5 October. For more details, check out the Heritage Festival programme.

Author: Joanne Graves, Central Auckland Research Centre.

Sometimes when a customer has navigated their way up two flights of escalators and come across the Sir George Grey Special Collections exhibition room, they might decide to go through another set of glass doors to the reading room for a look around. At this point, they might scan recent acquisitions displayed in a case or walk around the edges of the room looking at the books-about-rare-books on the shelves. Next the person at the reading room desk might walk over and say 'hello' and tell them a bit about the collection. And thankfully, there is always the book Real Gold on hand: making the task of briefly outlining the wonderful, varied and expanding Sir George Grey Special Collections much easier.

Ref: Iain Sharp, Real gold: treasures of Auckland City Libraries,
Auckland: AUP, 2007.

When Real Gold was published in 2007 there was a physical exhibition to coincide with the book launch. In addition, there is an online version of this exhibition which gives detailed information and images of some of the items displayed. Real Gold is available to be purchased from Sir George Grey Special Collections and booksellers nationwide.

Ref: Screen shot of the 'Real Gold' online exhibition home page.

Like the book Real Gold, Auckland Libraries'online exhibitions are a splendid way of exploring heritage collections. Online exhibitions have a wide reach, do not have a closing date and are a way of revisiting or being introduced to a physical exhibition.

Ref: Screen shot of the 'Antarctica: a tale to tell' online exhibition home page.

Ref: Screen shot of the 'Old Favourites: famous children's books' online exhibition home page.

Technological changes can be seen in the different formats of the online exhibitions. Sometimes online exhibitions are a replica of the physical exhibition, other times only a selection of items are shown. Currently, all physical exhibitions held in Sir George Grey Special Collections have some sort of online equivalent. Don't be shy -- take some time to have a physical or virtual browse of some of Auckland Libraries' treasures.

Ref: Screen shot of an item in the 'Flowers, fruit and foliage' online exhibition.

Ref: Screen shot of 'The Romantics: Jane Austen meets Frankenstein' online exhibition page.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Sir George Grey Special Collections has a large collection of glass plate negatives of scenic views of New Zealand taken by Frederick George Radcliffe.

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Lake Kaniere, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R644

Radcliffe came to New Zealand from England in the early 1890s. Soon afterwards his wife, Kate, and their two daughters, Harriette and Olive, joined him at his farm 'Utopia' near Paparoa, on an inlet of the Kaipara Harbour.

Radcliffe's interest in photography grew and he quickly acquired a reputation as an exceptional scenic photographer. For twenty years he traveled the country taking photographs of small rural towns, large cities, rivers, gardens, buildings, beaches, wharves, forests, lakes and streets. From 1909, with the help of Kate and Olive, he operated a successful postcard business from his home in Whangarei. Radcliffe played the oboe, conducted local orchestras and was an active member of various music-related clubs in his community. He died at Onerahi, Whangarei, in 1923.

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Queen Street, Auckland, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R14

Below are some examples of Radcliffe's photography. These images are accessible via the Auckland Libraries' database Heritage Images. You can purchase copies of prints or digital files of the images from the website or by contacting the photograph collection librarians.

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Picton, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1110

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Ruamanga Falls, Whangarei, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1990

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Ohakune East, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1214

Ref: F G Radcliffe, St Clair's beach, Dunedin, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R455

Ref: F G Radcliffe, New Brighton, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R341

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Waiwera wharf, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1639

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Whangaroa Harbour, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1869

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Oriental Bay, Wellington, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R1830

Ref: F G Radcliffe, public gardens, Invercargill, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R602

Ref: F G Radcliffe, High Street, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R330

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Ngaere gardens near Stratford, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R2176

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Marine Parade, Napier, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R759

Ref: F G Radcliffe, On the beach, at Sumner, Christchurch, Sir George Grey Special Collections,
Auckland Libraries, 35-R349

Ref: F G Radcliffe, Ulva Island, Stewart Island, Sir George Grey Special Collections,
Auckland Libraries, 35-R1403

There is an online exhibition showing a selection of Radcliffe's work. And if you want to look for biographical information about New Zealand photographers try exploring the Photographers database.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Sir George Grey Special Collections recently acquired a wonderful collection of colour slides taken by Ron Clark mostly in the nineteen-fifties, sixties and seventies. They are accessible via the Heritage Images database.

Ref: Ron Clark, Oakura Bay, 1950s,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1227

Ref: Ron Clark, Muriel Clark at the wheel of a Humber Hawk, about 1956,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-12

Photographs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are a strong part of the Sir George Grey Special Collections image collection.

The Ron Clark slides span the mid-twentieth century, filling a time period gap in Auckland Libraries' photograph collections. Life in New Zealand is captured in wide-ranging ways. There are scenes showing urban and rural activities, family gatherings and outings, interior shots of homes, churches and hospital wards, beach visits, overseas holidays, public events and building construction sites.

Ref: Ron Clark, Auckland's last tram, December 1956,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-881

Ref: Ron Clark, Flooded fields at Twinings, October 1971,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-740

Ref: Ron Clark, House at Alton Avenue, Hillcrest, 1960s,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-356

Ref: Ron Clark, Pamela and Carolyn Clark on Christmas morning, 25 December 1957,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-78

Ref: Ron Clark, Marsden Road, Paihia, 1950s or 1960s,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1393

The colours, depth of field and curved edges of the slides will be familiar to twenty-first century Instagram users. Unlike the simple action of choosing a filter on a smartphone app, a photographer using a camera with slides has a tricky job -- there is almost no latitude for exposure fault. Bracketing was a technique used by colour slide photographers to ensure well-exposed images were taken. The process of bracketing involved taking a number of images of the same scene, one under-exposed, one over-exposed and hopefully, one well-exposed. The large number of well-exposed slides in the Ron Clark collection highlights his impressive technical skills.

Ref: Ron Clark, Pamela Clark bottle feeding a lamb, December 1971,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-726

Ref: Ron Clark, Fishing at Whangaruru beach, February 1971,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1232

Ref: Ron Clark, Kawakawa, 1950s,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-1655

Ref: Ron Clark, Grass tobogganing at Hunua Presbyterian camp, 1960s,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1207-558

The Ron Clark slides were a generous donation and are a wonderful addition to Auckland Libraries'photograph collections.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections

For the past few months, the heritage floor, on the second floor of the Central City Library, has hosted a display titled Our Girls -- a tribute to the role of women in the First World War. The content covers the following topics: prohibition and making-do, cartoon depictions of women, the anti-militarists, the fundraising effort, working girls, nurses abroad, and the absence of men.

It has been an interesting exercise to find images to cover such a variety of topics. Women were not always portrayed favourably, especially in the political cartoons of the day. Publications like Freelance and Truth condemned the ‘wowser’ prohibitionists as out to spoil a boy’s fun (men did not escape the condemnation, either) or they depicted women as vain and ignorant.

Ref: Cartoon from the New Zealand Freelance, 6 March 1915, p.11.

The caption for the cartoon above reads:

Shopman: “Yes, Miss, all face powders have gone up in price on account of the war.”

Young lady: “Oh, isn’t war terrible!”

Yet, while women did not fight in the First World War, they did step up. They took over the jobs vacated by the men, and while some agitated against the war itself, others were desperate to serve, for example, the nurses who enrolled in the newly formed New Zealand Army Nursing Service. Women raised funds however they could -- from street appeals to social events -- doing whatever it took to raise money for the war effort.

Ref: A E Watkinson, Women's patriotic work... 8 November 1917,
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19171108-35-1

But it was, of course, the men and the boys who saw and endured the action on the battlefields. To commemorate the men, Auckland Libraries launches the website Our Boys, Your Stories at the Auckland Heritage Festival. Our Boys recalls the men and boys who served in the First World War and their lasting legacies.

Ref: AWN, Athol Hart,
Sir George Grey Special Collections,
Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19180912-34-3

Streets were named after war heroes like Jellicoe, later the Governor General of New Zealand, but, they were also named after local figures in communities too. Newmarket’s Crowhurst Street commemorates the Crowhurst family, which had five brothers sign up to serve, three of whom were killed during the war. While Hart Street in Takapuna recalls Athol Hart who was killed in action in 1918.

The Our Boys organisers are especially thrilled to have digitised copies of Quick March -- the official publication of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association (RSA) -- from 1918-1923 available to view on the website. Search through issues for a glimpse of post-war life, from advertisements to political comment and personal reminiscences.

Ref: Quick March cover, vol. 1, no. 9,
January, 1919.

Take a look at the different parts of the Our Boys website, leave comments, see if you can find anything relevant to you and your family - maybe discovering the meaning behind a street close to where you live or finding information about or a photograph of a relative.

Our Girls is currently displayed on the second floor of the Central City Library until early October. If you cannot make it in to the library, check out the photos on our Facebook page.

I leave you with this quote, from the Our Girls display, attributed to New Zealand staff nurse Margaret Watt who in 1917 said of her experience nursing the boys:

“It is not the work itself that is so tiring, it is the sadness and suffering that goes on all around that takes it out of me.”

Author: Joanne Graves, Central Auckland Research Centre

Ref: AWN, An unidentified soldier saying farewell to Sister Mary Louisa Worthington,
4 November 1915, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19151104-48-2

The item in the image below belongs to a group of books collectively referred to as incunabula -- items which were printed (not handwritten) before the year 1501 in Europe.

There are 106 incunabula in Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Ref: Saint Birgitta. Revelationes. Nuremberg: Printed by Anton Koberger, 1500.
Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Revelationes was printed in 1500 in Nuremberg. Auckland Libraries' copy was a donation from Sir George Grey. Iain Sharp in Real Golddescribes Revelationes as 'a blend of theological meditation, biblical lore and spiritual autobiography'. Revelationes was dictated to the confessors of Saint Birgitta, a Swedish mystic, over a period of twenty years. It is generally accepted that Albrecht Dürer designed the woodcuts, even if someone else did the physical cutting of the blocks.

Ref: St Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra Gentiles,
Venice: Franciscus Renner and Nicolaus de Frankfordia, 1476.
Sir George Grey Special Collections.

The 1476 edition of Summa contra Gentiles has a similar aesthetic to medieval manuscripts. The gothic type, illuminated borders and ornamental initials are all characteristic of handwritten texts from earlier decades. Auckland Libraries' excellent copy was donated by Henry Shaw.

Ref: Speculum humanae salvationis, Ausberg: Printed by Gunther Zainer, 1473.
Sir George Grey Special Collections.

The Speculum humanae salvationis first appeared in Europe in the 1320s and was aimed at ordinary religious people with limited education. Included, in this edition from 1473, are 192 woodcuts, hand-coloured after printing, which were crucial in communicating the book's messages. The illustration on the left, above, depicts the biblical scene of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The 1473 edition of Speculum humanae salvationis is one of only twenty-five complete specimens known to exist.

In 2011, the Auckland Library Heritage Trust and the ASB Community Trust provided grants to support a project which involved the cataloguing of printed material published pre-1800 -- including the incunabula -- in Sir George Grey Special Collections. The catalogue records are very in-depth and provide great access to Auckland Libraries' rare book collection.

Author: Zoë Colling, Sir George Grey Special Collections. With information from Real Gold by Iain Sharp.

Ministering Angels in time of suffering

It'll be over by Christmas exhibition

Lopdell House Revisited

NZ Women who fought against WWI

Mt Roskill’s Victory Estate

Love, kiss and home

Hand coloured photographs

Rua Kēnana - Māori prophet

Food, alcohol and other common household products & photos

On a personal note: First World War stories

Victor Albert Kelsall

Blistering barnacles! It's Comic Book Month

Wordsworth gift

Munitionettes

From gothic skyscrapers to Hathaway cottages

Real Gold and online exhibitions

Radcliffe's scenes

Ron Clark's colour slides

Our girls, our boys

Incunabula