Wellington Harbour Board Photographic Negatives, Circa 1880-1948

Descriptive Data

Archives IdentifierAC097Date Range1776-1942DescriptionThis series comprises photographic negatives commissioned by or donated to the Wellington Harbour Board (WHB). It also contains a substantial number of copy negatives obtained or purchased by the WHB from other sources.

The earliest original negatives date from the turn of the 20th Century. There are some copy negatives with even earlier dates. Copy negatives have a date range enclosed with square brackets, indicating that the item is a later reproduction of an original.

Photography taken specifically for the WHB was contracted out (for a sample of photographers used see AC065 – Sundry Accounts). This practice appears to have continued throughout the Board’s lifetime (see AC023:194:9). In general, the photographic/negative collections were used for record, publicity and reference purposes, with a particular focus on the history of the Port of Wellington (see AC023:194:9).

Many of the AC097 negatives correspond to photographic prints in the WHB photograph albums, some of which may have had more specific intents (e.g. the Jubilee floating dock albums). Copies of photographic material were regularly requested by the public for use in publications, for personal interest and for occasions such as reunions (see AC020 - Inwards Correspondence and AC023 - WHB Administration Files). There is also correspondence from the Alexander Turnbull Library expressing interest in obtaining copies (see AC023:194:9).

Negatives corresponding to photographic prints in the WHB photograph albums have album references recorded in the Copies field of the individual record item.

Subject matter covers WHB activities, facilities and staff. It also covers visiting ships, ships in the Jubilee floating dock and the general Wellington harbour-side area.

There is little record of how the negatives were managed by the WHB other than the numbering sequence into which they were arranged. The WHB administration and inwards correspondence series indicate that AC097 was probably managed through the Head Office Department. There are no WHB controlling indexes. The WHB numbering sequence has been retained and forms the item number for individual record items.

There are gaps in the numbering sequence that may correspond to negatives in AC098 and AC099, but it is not possible now to reconstruct that relationship with certainty. Equally, given the fragility of the medium, it can be assumed that at least some of the gaps amount to negatives that were broken or damaged during the lifetime of the Wellington Harbour Board. Physically the items are boxed according to format and size, adhering to safe storage practice.Quantity (Linear Metres)6.75MediumPhotographSystem of ArrangementNumericalCollection TypeWellington Museums Trust

Access Information

Restriction StatusOpen

Related Agencies

Controlling or Creating AgencyWellington Harbour BoardRelationship Date Range1880-1989

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Wellington Harbour Board Photographic Negatives, Circa 1880-1948