Clabburn Prendergast House Kinross Street off Bolton Street Wellington about 1926.

Just discovered this great album on eBay recently. 

It shows a house and the Clabburn family  - the house was in Kinross Street - just off Bolton Street in Wellington, New Zealand. 

The house was built about 1869 for Sir James Prendergast, (he moved to Wellington in 1867) Chief Justice of New Zealand, he died in 27 Feb. 1921, then at a later date about 1925 to 1938, it was owned by the Clabburn family. It was demolished about 1939.

The Clabburn family came out from Norwich and lived in Karori, at Kinross Street, and then Kelburn.

Photos in the album:

1. Claire Clabburn nee Hitchcock outside house at 8 Kinross Street, Wellington c. 1926 b. 9 jul 1882 married 9 feb 1910 d. 10 feb 1966 so 44 in this photo

2. Front gate to driveway to 8 Kinross Street,

3. Steps up to house

4. path up to house

5. Driveway to house

6. House at 8 Kinross Street

7. Claire Clabburn with Penelope (or Nell) outside house 1926 Nell about 1 years old

8. Two women and a girl oustside 8 Kinross St 2 are in photo 12 too.

9. Charles Edward Stuart Clabburn with adopted daughter Nell

10. Charles Edward Stuart Clabburn with adopted daughter Nell

11. House at 8 Kinross Street

12. House at 8 Kinross Street

13. L to R: Coral (6), or Charles, (36) Heather (8) , Nell (1.5), Claire Clabburn (35,) Garth (10), Marjorie (12)

14. View from yard at 8 Kinross Street

15. View over Wellington looking east to Mt Victoria, Kirkaldies Department store in centre

16. View over Wellington looking North – Lambton Quay to right

17. Family wedding photo c.1936 –. Charles and Claire to left.  Others yet to be identified 

Notes on photos:

1 Probably wearing paisley scarves sold by her husband – the embroidered dress looks amazing too. Huge rock of a ring on her wedding finger, strings of pearls, long manicured nails. Her white collar has beads sewn around the edge and small badges or medallions around the edge as well

7 & 9 Nell is wearing a silver brooch, upside down, spelling out “NELL”. The photo has not been developed evenly – amateurishly done?

13. Charles and Clara holding Nell but others unknown – nieces and nephews? From death notices they only had one daughter Nell. . Possibly: children of Walter Lionel Clabburn (1889-1951) emigrated to Australia in 1910 and married Marjorie ("Madge") Camplin Sommerville (1890-1977) (37). They had five children, Marjorie b 1915 (12), Garth b 1917 (10), Heather b 1919 (8), Coral b 1921 (6) Marcus Keith b 1921 . and their descendants include members of the Plowman, Bartlam, Shorter, Rothacker, Harnett, Clabburn, de la Cruz, Bailey, Johnstone, Thornton, Wilkinson, Marsh, Bateman, Adams and Noack families, who are mainly located in Australia. (ages in 1927 in ( ))

WW1 Photo Album Sargeant R G Macdonald

Here is a photo album I acquired this week.

It was made up by a Sargeant R G Macdonald - an Airforce Pilot trained at Sockburn. It records his journey by ship to Britain and Armistace Day en-route meaning they did not get to fly in WW1.

Names Mentioned:
"Doctor"

G Priest

I McGregor [prob I A McGregor of RNZAF Territorial Airforce]

Macaulay

Captain Frame R.N.A.S.

Lt Bull

Tank

Webber [poss R J M Webber of RNZAF Territorial Airforce]McKeage

Bri General Richardson

Bishop Sadlier

G Mulligan

Mr Wilson

S S Matatua sailed from New Zealand to UK. He returned on SS Remuera [S S Matatua returned to Australia 17/8/18 to 15/8/18 voyage D13]

Has photos of grave of Allan William Macdonald RAF buried at Stamford son of Donald & Agnes Macdonald of Canterbury NZ. died of injuries flying at Stamford Nov 11 1918 aged 24. UK National No 1 Training Squadron Grave H. N. 18
voyage from New Zealand to UK and back

Beautifully annotated collection of small amateur photos. Shows life on board troopship via NZ, Albany (Auckland), Wellington
troops on ship, Durban,Capetown, Sierra Leone, Canary Islands, England and return via New York, Newport Mews, Jamaica,
Panama Canal, Pitcacairn to Auckland. Noted six photos of Pitcairn & some early fighter aeroplanes.

Sockburn boys. at albany - 14 men (sockburn was aerodrome at chch)"The RNZAF - A potted history. Initially New Zealand's military pilots were trained at the 2 private flying schools situated at Kohimarama in Auckland and
Sockburn in Christchurch. Once trained these pilots invariably left for England to join the RAF.
A review carried out in 1919 by Colonel A. V. Bettington of the RAF at the request of the New Zealand Goverment suggested
that the country should form it's own air arm. The report recommendations were however considered too ambitious by the
Government of the time and were basically shelved as was the offer of 100 military aircraft by the British Government. After
much procrastination 33 aircraft were finally shipped to New Zealand. The total was comprised of twenty Avro 504s, nine DH9s,
two Bristol F2Bs and two DH4s. Refresher courses for military pilots using these machines were held yearly by the Canterbury
Aviation Company at Sockburn under the supervision of Captain Len Isitt."

http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/

"The RNZAF Museum is located at the former RNZAF Base Wigram, at Sockburn in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is
one of the premier tourist attractions in Christchurch - New Zealand's second largest city - and so is not too hard to find.
Physically, the museum entrance is the old main gate to the former base, and you cannot miss it as it has a grey and orange
Harvard trainer next to the gate. "

http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Museum%20Location.htm

In 1916 Sir Henry Wigram established the Canterbury Aviation Company at Sockburn, Christchurch, and purchased Caudron biplanes from Britain for pilot training. He gifted the aerodrome, later Wigram Aerodrome, to the government for defence purposes.
At the end of the war many New Zealand pilots stayed with the new Royal Air Force and several had attained high rank by the outbreak of World War II. Others returned to New Zealand and, serving part-time, provided the nucleus of the NZPAF.
- Wikipedia

On board on Armistice day when war finished - 11/11/1918 [same date as other macdonald grave]

Collis, William Andrews CDV New Plymouth 1875-1891

Just got these in the mail today. They are both CDV's by William Andrews Collis of New Plymouth who was active about 1875-1891 - see Auckland City Library - Photographers Databases


The view of an early township is the earlier image as can be seen from it's squarer shape and very simple stamped label to the rear. The portrait of a Maori woman is later with a more elaborate, label by ""Herald" Lith. Auckland N.Z."


The card also has rounded corners in keeping with later CDVs.


I have searched through lots of images in the Alexander Turnbull Library - mostly the towns around New Plymouth but have not been able to identify this one - Can anyone help? It is from a high point - a water tower? a lookout? a ship's mast or a tree?

A nice image of a Maori woman - probably from the Taranaki area from Photographer's location and quick look through Collis's other photos in area she is wearing a very similar Piupiu type cloak or dress. She has a moko to her chin (tattoo) and a scarf? around her neck. It would be nice to ID her but I realise this is a long shot!

Clearing out photos

I am clearing out some older photos, but not old enough for me!, I am putting movie memorabilia onto eBay including Paul Newman's original publicity photos, I have listed some from "The Drowning Pool" - where the song "softly killing me with your song" came from. apparently.

Also from "Cool Hand Luke" and "Winning."

Lots more to go, also have heaps of New Zealand Aircraft photos to clear out - from the "Wings" magazine archives. I have some regulars who buy these as well as putting some on the local Trademe auction. I am keeping a lovely old photo of the Vogel 1 aeroplane made by Wellington photographer Arthur Schaef.

I also have an eBay guide on how to identify different types of photographs. Let me know if this is useful and if I can improve it.

Old Photo of Dunedin about 1862 Princes Street

Just got this in mail today. A great photo of Princes street in Dunedin. I had a look on Timeframes A great site to see some of the National Libraries holdings. It takes a bit of navigating around and don't go on it after midnight as they seem to shut all their servers down.

Anyway, there is a copy of this photo there.

I at first thought it the same but noticed a few differences; mine is not cropped so much and the library one seems to have a name written in the negative to the lower left corner as well as a few more scratches. (The National Library images are not high resolution - to encourage you to buy a print!)

This photo also appears on page 11 of Hardwicke Knight's book "Photography in New Zealand" pub 1971 - he attributes this photo to William Melluish who seems to have had his studio very near here. The National Library says photographer unknown. Knight uses it as an example of how these photos from collodian glass plates are a bit "faster" than earlier so you can see people who are not moving too much but there are still "ghosts" of moving carts and people.

In the photo can be seen the following names:

Day & Mieville

W & J Barr - Butcher

James Bird & Co. Auctioneers, Commission & Shipping Agents

A. Mercer ships chandlers

a milner?

On the rear of mine it says Princes Street Dunedin & Dunedin looking down main street.

It came on the same page as another print.

This is labelled on rear - Club Hotel, Dunedin and "Club House - This club is now broken up"

I have no idea where or what this was so if any one knows ...

There is a small shield over the door but too indistinct to see much

Maggie Maine nee McCrae

3.2 Maggie Maine or Margaret Martha Gordon Maine nee McCrae "Mrs McCrae married" Rear: "M M G McCrae born 25th June" 1844

She is one of Georgiana’s daughters
d. 1914 Married Nicholas Maine - I think they had one son?

photo by:
Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne


Great dress - a chintz look to it. I wonder what colour it is?

Fanny Moore nee McCrae

Fanny Moore nee McCrae

Octavia Frances Gordon McCrae born 20th June 1847 at Arthur's Seat in the suburb which is now known as McCrae! near Melbourne, Australia.

The McCrae's were one of the first settlers to set up a farm there.

Fanny was one of Georgiana McCrae nee Gordon's daughters.

She married George Walton Moore in 1867.

- CDV photo by: Johnstone O’Shannessy & Co 3 Bourke St, East, Melbourne

This is one of two photos on the same page which, I take, show the album owner's two daughters successfully married off. I think this is quite a stunning photograph with a great pose and a great subject.