Children taking donkey rides on Sumner beach, Christchurch [ca. 1905]
Do you have any photographs of summer in Christchurch and Canterbury? If so, feel free to contribute to our collection.
Kete Christchurch is a collection of photographs and stories about Christchurch and Canterbury, past and present. Anyone can join and contribute.
The Christchurch Documentary Project has looked at Halswell and the seaside suburbs of the East. Now it is Bishopdale’s turn.
Photography students from the School of Fine Arts are photographing the people and the physical environment of Bishopdale from March through to August this year with the goal of building an archive of contemporary documentary images.
The photographers are: Thomas Herman; Robert Earl; Liam Lyons; Elise Williams; Janneth Gil; Lucas Perelini.
If you or your group would like to be photographed for this project, please contact the library on 941 7923 or at library@ccc.govt.nz
I love the Christchurch Photo Hunt. And this month it’s happening once again. I can’t wait to see all the new photos go up on Kete Christchurch.
Past Photo Hunts have given us hundreds of images of families and friends celebrating everyday events and activities from around the Canterbury district. They are incredibly touching to browse. The annual Photo Hunt, going since 2008, is slowly building a fascinating photographic archive for us all to share.
One of my favourites from the 2014 Photo Hunt on Kete Christchurch is a shout out to the fifities. It’s all about the dresses, the shoes, the hair.
My favourite postcard from the 2013 Photo Hunt. Postcards and old cityscapes, just lurvely.
![Golden thoughts [postcard]](https://i0.wp.com/ketechristchurch.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0006/0217/PH13-129_medium.jpg)
We can all support the Photo Hunt by sharing our photos. The theme for this year is Arrivals and Departures – The Journeys That Have Shaped Us, with two categories of People and Places.
It’s easy to share a photo/s this year. Pick up an entry form from Christchurch City Libraries or download it from the library website. Fill in the relevant information and drop the photo and form back to the library or submit the information using the online form. Entries need to be in before 5pm 31 October and all entrants go in the draw to win a tablet or E-Reader.
The photos are scanned by librarians and the originals are returned to owners. The digital copies are uploaded to Kete Christchurch for us all to browse and enjoy. These and past images are also accessible from DigitalNZ, an extremely useful website for researching family history.
A few years ago I submitted a family photo and am so pleased I did. My sister-in-law took it as the cousins were enjoying a “day out” in 1990. The children had spent the afternoon at Sumner beach and finished off the day swimming in Scarborough pool. They had been having fun, as cousins are prone to do, and the photo captured their excitement as they waited for fish and chips at the end of the day.
The cousins are now grown and have young children of their own. I can’t wait to share this unforgettable moment in time with our new family members.
Let’s share our photos with the Christchurch Photo Hunt and help preserve the heritage of Canterbury for everyone.
Since 2008, Christchurch City Libraries has been pursuing your old photos. Why? Because they are a fantastic record of local history. The pics go onto our Kete Christchurch – the repository of all kinds of Ōtautahi images.
This year’s theme is ‘Arrivals and Departures — The journeys that have shaped us’. We want your images related to this subject. You could win a tablet or eReader. Find out more, and enter in a library or online.
There are four cool postcards you’ll spot in libraries – feel free to grab a few. They feature some top travel pics – perfect inspiration!
Christchurch Photo Hunt postcards [2.24MB PDF]
Have a look back at Photo Hunts gone by:
House and garden, 1950s. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ. Kete Christchurch.
Riding the surf at New Brighton beach [1939]. Christchurch City Libraries, CCL Photo Collection 22, Img00788
And visit First to Surf celebration at New Brighton this weekend, to commemorate 100 years since a display of surfing by Duke Kahanamoku in New Zealand.
The party then went to New Brighton, where an exhibition of surf-riding and swimming by Kahanamoku, in company with members of the New Brighton Surf Club, had been arranged. Unfortunately, the rollers were too short for a real exhibition of surf-riding. A long, strong roller, sweeping right into the beach, is required for this, but the rollers at New Brighton this morning were short, breaking too soon. However, Kahanamoku gave as good a display as was possible in the circumstances, and certainly taught members of the Surf Club something of the art of surf-riding. His position as he lay on the board was very graceful. Once he tried to stand upright on the board as he came shooting in, but the roller broke,as he did so and he capsized. One or two other similar efforts failed for the same reason. He showed a few of the other fancy touches of surf riding, manipulating the board in various ways as he rode it.
Maria Rohs with father Frederick Rohs. Lyttelton Harbour, Governors Bay, 1961. Entry in the 2014 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt. Kete Christchurch. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 NZ Kete Christchurch PH14-184.jpg
The Christchurch Photo Hunt has produced a bumper crop of Christchurch images. Thanks to all of you who shared your wonderful historical photos and memories.
The judging took place on Thursday 20 November. The judges were Rosemary Baird and Bridgit Anderson, with the help of staff members Paul Sutherland and Sue Colyer.
Waiting for Moira Chris Andrew
Judge’s comment: A wonderfully evocative image and story of the past and present. The railway lines that crisscross Christchurch have played an important part in many peoples’ lives. I remember a similar moment from my own childhood waiting for my father to return by train from Lyttleton standing on the Moorhouse avenue over-bridge. Bridgit Anderson
Summer Sunday outings at the Waimakariri River Merle Conaghan
Judge’s comment: Classic images of a summer Sunday outing. Beautifully composed family portraits. The only real changes are in the clothing. Bridgit Anderson
Cashel Street, December 1900 June E. Blank
Judge’s comment: You can feel the wind in this image! The street life and signage is fascinating. There’s a lot to observe and I particularly like the mass of muslin bunting used to decorate Cashel Street. It’s as if the two sides of the street have become the walls of a rather grand marquee. Bridgit Anderson
Firemen at Ballantynes Fire 1947 Robert Brettmeyer
Ballantyne’s fire, 1947 Robert Brettmeyer
Judge’s comment: A very moving group of images of the Ballantyne’s fire. You get a real sense of the deeply distressing nature of the event from the firefighters point of view. Bridgit Anderson
Escalator in Millers Building, late 1970s Des Pinn
Judge’s comment: Any child born in the sixties will remember the endless fun and simple entertainment to be had riding the Millers department store. The perspective of the photographer, the colours, the signage and the people moving through the space captures the experience beautifully. I love the way the photographer has has chosen the moment a child is about to ascend the escalator to press the shutter. Bridgit Anderson
Railway office staff hostesses, 1958 Mary Boyle
Judge’s comment: What a joyous moment has been captured here. It’s a wonderful staff photo and a fascinating showcase of women’s 1950s fashion. Bridgit Anderson
Camping at Leithfield Beach Valerie Allen
Judge’s comment: Camping is such a New Zealand tradition and this image from 1939/1940 captures it all. It’s delightful and from the way the photograph has been framed you can feel the families pride in their Caravan, car and the ubiquitous thermette. Bridgit Anderson
Skating In North Hagley Park Bruce Baldwin
Judge’s comment: Skating in North Hagley Park is not something you see everyday, so it was a pleasure to come across this image. The photographer has really captured some of the fun and excitement to be had for all. What I see as a real strength in this image are the candid moments it captures. There are people engaged in lots of different activities and you can almost hear their conversations. Bridgit Anderson
Gebbies Pass Radio Transmission Tower Alison Moore
Judge’s comment: A great series of images that really tell the story of the place and the people who worked there. Bridgit Anderson
Poulsen family photographs, 1920s and 1930s Bronwyn Horgan
Judge’s comment: A wonderful family album that gives the viewer a fascinating insight into family life and the city from the 1930’s – 1950’s. The accompanying notations really expand the experience. Bridgit Anderson
Collection from a photograph album June Boslem
Judge’s comment: Another fascinating album for those who love cycling. Bridgit Anderson
Winsor Family photographs Alison Wilson
Judge’s comment: There are many fascinating historical images in this album that cover many important civic moments in the life of the city. Bridgit Anderson
Collection of glass negatives Glyn Williams
Judge’s comment: This collection is made even more interesting through it’s lack of provenance. The images have been reproduced by Glyn Williams from glass plate negatives with the people and places are largely unknown. Bridgit Anderson
It was so much fun judging the 2014 Christchurch Hunt although it was very difficult to choose between so many incredible photos. These photos will be an amazing resource for historians, researchers and art historians and I’m very grateful to all the donors who have shared their precious family photos.
My favourite photos were those which told a story and made me curious about the events in the photo. For example, the winning photo in the people category was a delightful display of 1950s fashion, but it also made me curious about the women’s job’s as hostesses on the railways. What would it have been like for those women to have worked in the mostly male environment of the Addington Railways? Did they wear a uniform usually or were these their usual dresses?
I also enjoyed seeing photos that were about quintessentially Christchurch events such as the commended picture of the Ballantyne’s fire – those photos brought us into the midst of the firefighters and made the event feel real and personal.
The winner of the places category was a beautiful image – not only a great visual record of Cashel street frontages (now lost to redevelopment and earthquakes) but also a record of how Cantabrians celebrated and decorated their public spaces in 1900 – it reminded me of the recent SCAPE festival. These historical photos reveal continuities as well as differences.
The albums were especially valuable as they gave broader coverage of Canterbury life from a personal perspective, and told a sustained narrative about events and places.
A look at a couple of sites affected by the 4 September 2010 earthquake, and what they look like now.
Here’s how the same site looks today: 4 September 2014.
See the set of images Knox Church earthquake impact – Kete Christchurch.
More photos and stories:
Christchurch City Libraries Blog 