In 2019 New Zealand's Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū held an exhibition Hidden Light: Early Canterbury and West Coast Photography which highlighted the contribution of pioneering photographers at work in nineteenth-century Te Waipounamu, New Zeland's South Island. Spectacular landscapes by skilled amateurs and professionals join powerful images of tangata whenua, settlers and mining scenes. Unseen work by a small number of early women photographers is also included.
The exhibition publication has been out of print for several years but is now available as a free download with texts from curator Ken Hall and Haruhiko Sameshima.
Details and download here: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/about/library/publications/hidden-light-early-canterbury-and-west-coast-photo
Comments
This is a fascinating exhibition catalogue with wonderful images and informative essays. Well worth a look!