Places

Date: 1924-ca1980

By: Searle, Roland James, 1904-1984

Reference: PAColl-0639

Description: Most of the black and white photographs date from the late 1920s to ca 1950. Of these there are quite a large number of early prints from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s. Most of these have not been "pictorialised" in the soft focus style Searle used for his later finished work. They are small snapshot sized and sharp and clear in detail. The general range of their subject matter sums up Searle's range of interests, photographically speaking, throughout his life. This general subject range is as follows - Railways, family friends and weddings (women and children predominate), Wellington city, Ships, Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington Zoo (mainly animal studies), ANZAC Days, Some sports, aircraft, some other New Zealand towns, military training Second World War, some overseas trips of which those to New Caledonia during the Second World War and later were the most significant, and landscape studies. This last category makes up the largest group of photographs in the collection, especially in the later "pictorial" prints. Though the majority are unlabeled, most have at least one with identification written on the back - though to find these would require looking through some thousands of prints. Most of the pictorialised photographs have been printed on a pale creamy - brown paper which gives them an antique and arty appearence. Most have been manipulated to soften the focus, at times creating a painterly effect or the effect of some lithographs of the late 19th/early 20th centuries. A few have been treated to look like pencil drawings. Though most are landscapes there are also a fair number of architectural shots and flower studies, and some Māori subjects and portraits. Landscapes are predominantly attempts to emulate the sublime and classical/romantic traditions. Mountains and glaciers, humanised landscapes, with or without sheep, reminiscent of the creations of the 18th century English landscape designers, are most common. A fair number of the latter have been taken in some of our larger public parks and gardens. Humans very seldom feature in them. There are several essays of the Pinnacles at Palliser Bay. Many of the same images have been used over and over again. Arrangement: Negatives housed at 1/4-096421 to 096718 and 098069 to 099110; 1/2-178222 to 178231 Quantity: 7320 b&w original photographic print(s). 5 album(s). 214 b&w original negative(s) of which 204 are 35mm strips comprising 632 images. 162 colour original photographic print(s). 3100 colour original transparency/ies. 33 colour photo-mechanical print(s).

Date: 2 - 3 Aug 1997 - 02 Aug 1997 - 03 Aug 1997

By: Foley, Jacqueline, 1951-; Brosnahan, Mary Josephine, 1915-1998; Brosnahan, Desmond Francis, 1941-

Reference: OHInt-0410-01

Description: Describes her childhood as the eldest of nine children growing up on her parents' farm, in the Cave, Cannington area and time spent living with her Aunty Jean who owned the `Excelsior Hotel' in Timaru. Mentions schooling at Teschemakers and working on the family farm for ten years, including the Depression years. Talks about looking after the younger children, housework, farm work, social events, particularly dances, and a family holiday. Describes going to Wellington for 3 months where she worked as a housemaid-waitress at Eastbourne and coming back engaged to Peter, a South Canterbury boy she had known for years. After her marriage in 1940 she had son Desmond (1941) before Peter was called up and spent two and a half years during World War 2 in the Islands (New Caledonia). He returned after the death of a newborn baby. He was a farm manager at Four Peaks before successfully balloting for land at Peel Forest where they farmed for twenty years. Talks about Peter's death at the age of 58, their children growing up, Catholicism, her move to Timaru after Peter's death and living with her daughter ahd husband. Abstracted by - Jacqueline Foley Sponsored by - Desmond Brosnahan Interviewer(s) - Jacqueline Foley Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006849-006852; OHLC-004167-004170 Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 3.24 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-1597. Search dates: 1915 - 1997