Hanna, John Robert, 1850?-1915: Photograph album of Waitomo Caves

Photograph album containing photographs of the Waitomo Caves taken in 1889 by John Robert Hanna.

Mainly images of the stalactites and stalagmites inside the caves, and one image of a group portrait of seven men (five Pakeha, and two Maori) at the entrance to Maces Cavern. Some of the men appear to be sitting and standing in a dugout waka, and some of them hold axes and blades.

Captions inscribed on the prints include names of specific features, caves and caverns within the Waitomo caves system, including Mace's Cavern, The Grand Cavern, Organ Gallery, Fairy Grotto, The Banquet Chamber, Mair's Cavern, The Blanket, as well as images of landscapes outside the caves.

Album's cover made by the General Assembly Library.

Source of title - Title supplied by Library

Inscriptions: Album page - centre - "H 243"; "Photographs of Waitomo Caves"; "near Otorohanga, NZ". "Hanna photo Auckland"; also "General Assembly New Zealand Library". Inscriptions on spine: "919-3115"; "Waitomo Caves"; and "General Assembly New Zealand Library". Pencil note on first page reads: "Probably taken on original survey 1889." In this note, the word tour was crossed out and replaced by "survey".

Wai (water) and tomo (hole or shaft). Although local Maori had known about the caves previously, they were first explored extensively by English surveyor Fred Mace accompanied by local rangatira, Tane Tinorau (Ngati Uekaha) between 1887 and 1889. The caves were opened for tourism by Tinorau in 1889. Source: Wikipedia: Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Retrieved 29.10.2014. This expedition took place in May or June of 1889.

Quantity: 1 album(s).

Physical Description: Brown leather album, 31cm x 26 cm, with gold embossed lettering and elaborate pattern embossed on spine.

Provenance: Donated by Parliamentary Library, Wellington, 2014

Transfers: From Book Collections - From NZ & P Book Collections as part of a large ongoing donation of mainly published material..