Mason, psychic photographer (or spirit photographer), land speculator, auctioneer, and caricature-photographer. The caricature photographs, consisted of cartoons overlaid with photographed heads of public dignitaries. In these he depicted current public opinion, constituting a comic history of the Wairarapa between 1877 and 1886. Born in Calcutta he came to New Zealand and fought as a volunteer and then captain during the New Zealand land wars. In 1872 he moved to the Wairarapa, staying until 1886 when he and his wife Louie moved to San Francisco because of her ill health. Wyllie lost everything in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and his wife died soon after. Photographs Wyllie took while in America appeared to show figures which were not present at the time. Many of his photographs were tested and deemed to be true, not fakes. He was brought to England in about 1911 for further testing, again deemed to be genuine. He died while in England, in 1911.
Wyllie, Edward, 1848-1911
Iorns album 4
Date: Between 1877 and 1886
From: Iorns, Bennett, 1883-1977 :Photographs relating to Masterton and the Wairarapa
By: Wyllie, Edward, 1848-1911
Reference: PA1-q-132
Description: Album created by Joseph Iornsl, between 1877 and 1886. The first page consists of a collage of members of the first Masterton Borough Council after the Council gained Borough status in 1877, including portrait of Robert George Williams, mayor. The rest of the album consists of a caricature photographs, or cartoons, by Edward Wyllie. They depicted current public opinion, showing a comic history of the Wairarapa between 1877 and 1886. The cartoons are drawn by Wyllie, or are cartoons taken from published items, with photographed heads of local dignitaries superimposed on the illustrations, and captions relating to local events. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with brown cover; front decorated with black trellis, overlaid with flowers in gold, entitled `Album'; back with impressed decorative pattern; 30.5 x 25.5 cm
Iorns album 2
Date: Between 1877 and 1886
From: Iorns, Bennett, 1883-1977 :Photographs relating to Masterton and the Wairarapa
By: Wyllie, Edward, 1848-1911
Reference: PA1-q-130
Description: Album created by Joseph Iorns, between 1877 and 1886. The first page consists of a collage of the members of the first Masterton Borough Council after the Council gained Borough status in 1877, including portrait of Robert George Williams, Mayor. The rest of the album consists of caricature photographs, or cartoons, by Edward Wyllie. They depict current public opinion, showing a comic history of the Wairarapa between 1877 and 1886. The cartoons are drawn by Wyllie, or are cartoons taken from published items, with photographed heads of local dignitaries superimposed on the illustrations, and captions relating to local events. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with blue cover decorated with coloured peacock feathers, with a few holly leaves and berries, entitled `Album'; 31.5 x 26.0 cm