Shropshire Star

Historically important Maori images fetch £18,000 at Shropshire auction

A rare group of 19th century photographs fetched a record-breaking £18,000 at an auction – after creating national attention 11,000 miles away in New Zealand.

Published

The 12 photographs, consigned by a Telford vendor who had kept them in a drawer for the last 30 years, went under the hammer in Trevanion and Dean's monthly auction in Whitchurch.

The photographs each depict Maori men, women and children, and were taken by New Zealand's first female photographer Elizabeth Pulman.

Such was the interest in them in New Zealand that a film crew was dispatched to the auction house and a group from the Maori Society of London travelled to Shropshire to bless them.

Auctioneer Christina Trevanion said: "It was relatively uncommon for women to take photographs, let alone work as professional photographers, we recognised the historical importance of the collection as soon as we saw it."

Born in England in 1836 Elizabeth married George Pulman in 1859 aged 24.

In 1861 they emigrated to New Zealand where they opened a photographic studio in Auckland in 1867, specialising in scenic photographs and landscapes.

Elizabeth was fascinated by the Maori people of the North Island in New Zealand and she photographed many of the Maori kings.

The Whitchurch auctioneers said they recognised the market for these pieces was both here in the UK and in New Zealand and so began a marketing campaign which involved two New Zealand news crews and international media covering the story and filming the auction.

Ms Trevanion said: "Thanks to the effective marketing campaign we launched prior to the auction we are delighted to report that four of the images will be returning to New Zealand, with at least two of the images being secured by Elizabeth Pulman's descendent.

"It was the best outcome we could have hoped for.

"What made it even more special is that the Maori Society of London travelled up on the morning of the auction to bless and pray around the photographs before they were sold. It was a very emotional experience."

Other sales on the day included a cheese vat made by WH Smith and Co of Whitchurch, which cost a UK buyer £3,000.

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