New Zeland's photo treasures heading for the tip? Discussion papers

[Michael Pritchard]

John B Turner has published a series of papers under the general heading Notes on the collection of photographers’ collections for posterity, with five published and a further five due in 2023. 

John notes: 'I have written about the state of collecting photographs as art and social history in New Zealand at various times over the past 50 years from the point of view of a photographer, teacher, collector, curator, and photo historian and am particularly concerned about what is not happening to ensure the collection and preservation of the photographs of my fellow post-World War II generation who have so much of their life’s work invested in large collections of analogue negatives and prints.

This investigation, based on my own and other photographers’ experiences of trying to place their collections in suitable archives indicates, as suspected, that there is a widespread crisis unfolding, and that is the consensus of the librarians, archivists, and curators who we asked to share their thoughts on key issues for this perhaps long overdue survey.

Already there have been at least two attempts by leading curators, picture librarians and photographers to discuss issues around the collection and increasing non-collection of analogue photographs linked to the rapid acceptance of the digitisation of public records and new issues about how to save “born digital” photographs.'

The papers can be viewed here: 

Part 1:   https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/new-zealands-photo-treasures-heading-for-the-tip

Part 2:   https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/new-zealands-photo-treasures-heading-for-the-tip-part2

Part 3:   https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/new-zealands-photo-treasures-heading-for-the-tip-part3

Part 4:   https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/new-zealands-photo-treasures-heading-for-the-tip-part-4

Part 5:   https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/part-5-auckland-art-gallery-alexander-turnbull-library

Upcoming parts early 2023:

Part 6:   Auckland War Memorial Museum & Auckland Libraries

Part 7:   Internal Affairs & Heritage Departments

Part 8:   Canterbury Museum & Christchurch Art Gallery

Part 9:   Collection case studies: Tom Hutchins, Paul Gilbert, Max Oettli & Barry Myers

Part 10:   Curating, Barry Clothier Simple Image show & Clothier/Turner 1965 Artides show

John's introductory paper can be see in the Word file here

Image: G Leslie Adkin: Untitled, Horowhenua, c 1924. John B Turner Collection