Kete Horowhenua

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Murray's Jewellers- Cinema Advertising Slide

New Zealand's marriage rate was high throughout the 1950s and, after a small decline in the early 1960s, climbed steadily until the early 1970s. This meant that many functions centres, jewellers and dress makers used weddings in their advertising. Murray's Jewellers was no exception! 

The photograph in the slide was a popular wedding style up until the 1970s. Until then, it was common for couples to have wedding photographs taken in a studio instead of the actual wedding venue. 'On location' photography became popular in the 1940s but the studios persisted for a while afterwards. 

No details can be found at the time of writing about Murray's Jewellers but their address suggests they traded in Levin- as does the fact that this slide was found amongst others from the town. This is one of many slides MAVtech has from Murray's Jewellers so they must have either been very popular or wanted to be! 

J. Cumming Photography- Cinema Advertising Slide

The first commercial photographer in New Zealand (Isaac Polack) set up shop in Auckland in 1848.  Photography has changed a lot since then with the formal portraits taken by Polack no longer as popular as they once were. But in the 1950s wedding photography was still a lucrative business. Amy Harper, a specialist in weddings, sometimes had bridal limousines in a queue outside of her studio on a Wednesday (one of her busiest days of the week!)

Mister J. Cumming, a Levin photographer, undertook weddings as well. Wedding photography 'on location' became increasingly popular after the Second World War. In England, former army photographers would wait outside of churches ready to offer their services to the happy couple on the off chance they would be interested! But studio based wedding portraits were in demand as well.

Mister Cumming didn't just photograph weddings. In a 1960 Levin Industries Catalogue he advertised his services for commercial and industrial photography (then based in Trafalgar Street), and many photographs taken by him are of local events. The National Library states he was active between 1955-1968. 

The photograph on the slide is hand coloured. This was another service photographers offered, but one which would soon become obsolete as better colour films, papers and printing became available.

Langtry's Pharmacy- Cinema Advertising Slide

Kodacolor was one of the first colour print films- meaning that the finished photos were put into an album or picture frame instead of being projected onto a wall (i.e. slide film). Kodacolor was introduced in 1942, but the war meant that it wasn't widely available until the 1950s.

Unlike slide film, print film tends to be a bit more tolerant of mistakes in exposure- hence why the ad promoted that 'any camera' could use it- even the simple snapshot models which didn't have the controls to cope with slide film. But, because making prints from negatives cost a lot of money, most colour film photographers still used slide film.

All this was only relevant if you could afford colour film at all- up until the late 1950s many snapshooters stuck with black and white. However, by the mid 1970s over 90% of snapshots taken in Western Countries were in colour. Cheaper processing meant that at lots of these were now print films.

The original Kodacolour print film was discontinued in 1963, so we know that this slide was made before then. The 'Kodacolour' name was still being used for colour films right up until the end of the 1980s.

A 1950s advertisement for Langtry's Pharmacy boasts of their photo developing service which could return your film in twenty four hours. Online records suggest that Langtry's shop was demolished in 1975, but this is to be confirmed.

Magic Lantern Slide- Family and House

Who are the people in this magic lantern slide? Where is this house? Why is there so much mud? And, most importantly, had anyone heard of firearms safety? The child in the picture must be hoping that the gun isn't loaded.

If anyone can answer these questions (or can decipher the writing on this slide) please let the MAVtech Museum know! In the absence of any answers we can see why this slide is important: many family photographs and postcards show groups outside of houses. With land needing to be broken in, families outside their properties were seen as a kind of colonial pride.

What they are holding also speaks volumes about how people saw themselves (or at least, how they wanted to be seen). The man is holding a gun and is seen as a powerful provider. The boy holds a hammer- has he been helping with the work? The lady holds a book (a Bible perhaps? This was common for womens' photographs in Western countries back then). And the young lady looks ready to go to school or church in her neat hat and tidy clothing. These themes were often used in professional photographs and subconsciously spilled over into many early snapshots. 


Mind you- this could also be a professional photograph.

Also, this is a lantern slide, designed to be projected onto a wall. Unlike a personal photo album, these  slides were usually viewed as a large group. Extended family? A soldier overseas in the First World War? (the Dunedin Photographic Society took photographs of families that soldier relatives could then view near the front. These were all magic lantern slides.)

Photographs are often seen as perfect windows into the past but this one holds more questions than answers! 

Waiata- Be Kind to Animals- Magic Lantern Slide

Every photograph is a window into the past- and sometimes what you see surprises you. Children singing a waiata about being kind to animals seems like a modern day school lesson, but the writing on this slide is from 1924! In the 1920s only a few private schools taught the grammer of Te Reo. Tragically, all the other schools saw speaking Te Reo as a caning offence. Was this slide of one of the private schools- or a smaller group or club? We just don't know.

Or maybe these children were located at Waiata Shores, near Auckland (although even then, few schools used Te Reo names for locations back in the 1920s).

Art historian Walter Benjamin coined a term called 'optical unconsciousness' and part of that is seeing a photograph in hindsight. The people in it do not know the future, but we do. Whatever this photograph depicted it seems like it belongs in our present than in it's past.

But the past is full of surprises!

Magic Lantern Slide- Car and Caravan

Although magic lantern slides were most famously used professionally by schools, universities, churches and lobby groups they were also used by amateur photographers. The glass slides, 'masks' for displaying the image and fixing chemicals could be bought from local photography stores. Anyone with darkroom could have a go.

What makes this slide unusual is that it is in colour- by this stage, most amateurs had abandoned magic lantern slides in favour of smaller, 35mm film. The car's number plates are pre-1964 which gives us an idea of the last date this slide could have been made.

Regardless of how it was captured, this photograph is of a wonderful 'Kiwi' caravan holiday. Where it was taken remains a mystery. 

F&R Campbell- Magic Lantern Masks

Chemist shops often sold photographic equipment in the early 20th century- especially in small towns which couldn't support a specialist business. Given that photography meant darkrooms and darkrooms involved chemicals it was a perfect match! The fact that F&R Campbell were opticians made even more sense- snapshot cameras all had lenses after all.....

This is a packet of masks for magic lantern slides. The masks were finely cut pieces of black paper in various shapes such as square, oval, thick boarder etc. The masks were pressed against the glass magic lantern slide to focus the viewer's eyes on the most important, central part of the picture. The lantern would project these images onto a wall.

F&R Campbell were based in Feilding. They were advertising in the local paper in 1914 which would have been around the time these 'Primus' slide masks were made. 

Horse riding in Target Reserve, Foxton - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.

This picture was taken at Target Reserve in Foxton. It's one of the few safe places to ride a horse in the Horowhenua.

Photographer: Josien Reinalda.

CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.

UHA / Clay Banks, Ōhau - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022. This photo was taken at Clay Banks, Ōhau, in production for a Visual EP called UHA by Te KuraHuia. Photographer: Faith Oriwia Henare-Stewart.

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CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district.

The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.

UHA / Clay Banks, Ōhau - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.

This photo was taken at Clay Banks, Ōhau, in production for a Visual EP called UHA by Te KuraHuia.

Photographer: Faith Oriwia Henare-Stewart.

CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.

On top of the world, Foxton Beach - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

   #CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.   


  On Top Of The World! Miss 6 loves exploring every stick hut she comes across on our morning walks at Foxton Beach.  

 #CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.     


Dottie at Hōkio Beach - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

#CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.   

 Hōkio Beach. My Dog Dottie and I live at Hokio beach. We walk and swim, enjoying the beauty the beach offers whatever the weather. 

Photographer: Stewart Whiting

#CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.   



Foxton Beach sunset - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

  #CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.   

 Sunset photography. My photos are taken at Foxton Beach and by the Manawatu River at Foxton Beach. These photos you see here are taken at sunset my favourite time of day. When my sister and I go on long walks around the point or just down sunset walkway, so I can capture these stunning moments you see here, in this beautiful place I call home. These photos represent love, because taking photos of the sunset is something I love doing, and it making me truly happy and I hope they make you happy too.  

Photographer: Morgan Jane Jerard


   #CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote. 

Hōkio Beach - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

 #CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.  


Taken at Hokio Beach. Close to where I would go white baiting with my nana and grandad as a child.  

Photographer: Kristy Butterfield.

  #CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.  


Sunset birds - #CaptureYourHorowhenua

  #CaptureYourHorowhenua photography competition - Nature & Adventure / April 2022.    

Sunset photography. My photos are taken at Foxton Beach and by the Manawatu River at Foxton Beach. These photos you see here are taken at sunset my favourite time of day. When my sister and I go on long walks around the point or just down sunset walkway, so I can capture these stunning moments you see here, in this beautiful place I call home. These photos represent love, because taking photos of the sunset is something I love doing, and it making me truly happy and I hope they make you happy too.  

Photographer: Morgan Jane Jerard



   #CaptureYourHorowhenua is a district-wide amateur photography competition that encourages Horowhenua residents to showcase what they love about their district. The images are exhibited at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, and the winner is decided by public vote.  
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