4074 - New Zealand

New Zealand Photographer: Burton Bros. (1866–1914). Views of mountain ranges, waterfalls, and lakes in New Zealand. Circa 1885. 19 albumen prints. Each approximately 15 x 20 cm, with images on the reverse. Some have a number from the negative in the lower corners; most bear the photographer’s stamp and are annotated in pencil on the reverse. The Burton Brothers studio was among the leading photographic businesses in nineteenth-century New Zealand. Walter John Burton (1836–1880) established the Grand Photographic Saloon and Gallery on Princes Street in Dunedin in 1866; with the arrival of his brother Alfred Henry Burton (1834–1914) in 1868, the business became Burton Brothers. During their partnership, which ended in 1877, Walter managed the Dunedin portrait studio while Alfred traveled extensively to produce landscapes and panoramic views; their traveling darkroom van, built for wet-plate photography, enabled them to take photographs in remote areas and safely transport the studio’s equipment. The firm provided settlers with portraits and marketed its views of the colony—including Māori portraits—to local and international audiences in individual prints, series, and albums. This selection showcases the dramatic landscapes of the South Island, including Bowen Falls, Mitre Peak, the Franz Josef Glacier, Hot Water Basin, the Matukituki River, Mount Cook, Diamond Lake, Mount Rolleston, Lake Manapouri, Otira Gorge, Arthur River, Lake Ada, Milford Sound, and “The Lion” at Milford Sound. – Most have light creases; some have small tears or nicks along the edges; a few show fading at the edges; otherwise, most are in good to very good condition. Provenance: By descent to the current owner.