Almost the entire Winkelmann Collection, bought by the library in 1928, is now accessible through the Heritage Images Online database. This collection includes many views of the Auckland waterfront, the central business district, and wonderful panoramas taken from hills and mountains around Auckland. Henry Winkelmann - biography
Born in Yorkshire on the 26 September 1860, Henry Winkelmann arrived in New Zealand in October 1878, where he lived an interesting and varied life, taking up photography as a career when he was nearly forty. Winkelmann began his photographic career in 1892, after surviving an extraordinary eight month stranding on the remote Jarvis Island to which he was sent to claim on behalf of Thomas Henderson in August 1881, and ten years working as a clerk for the Bank of New Zealand. He then began work as a photographer, supplementing his income by continuing to work for the Bank until 1895 when he left to farm Great Barrier Island. By 1901 he was well established as a photographer, setting up a studio in Victoria Arcade. Renowned and awarded, both at home and overseas, for his marine photography, Winkelmann photographed a wide variety of subjects including scenes from all over New Zealand.
The collectionAuckland City Libraries purchased his documentation of Auckland City from late 19th century through to the 1920s, in 1928. It features photographs of the central business district, Auckland's waterfront (many taken from the top of masts of ships berthed at Auckland wharves), and views taken from mountains showing Auckland suburbs. The Auckland Institute and Museum received the large remaining collection of his glass plates and photographs upon his death in 1931. Henry Winkelmann left Auckland with a great treasure. It has been an invaluable visual source for people studying the history of Auckland, the Waitemata, architecture, transport and shipping as well as homeowners seeking early photographs of their houses. His work gives insight into Auckland's history documented by a skilful and inventive photographer. |
