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Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Thames (NZ): Shortland Wharf 1891 Painting


Thames River with native canoe in foreground, wooden dwelling in background.Painting by: Cheeseman, Ellen Maud 1848-1928, artist
http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collection/object/am_library-paintinganddrawings-2398
A magnificent view of Shortland Wharf, the painting by Ellen Maud Cheeseman, signed 1891.
While the Shortland Wharf structure can be clearly seen in the distance, it also shows us how the area was more accessible than today. The landing itself being further east, and vessels such as waka could land well past the Shortland Wharf itself. There few mangroves in those days - or maybe they were cleared! The photo below by W A Price was taken a decade later, in the early 1900s.

PA-Group-00719. Price, William Archer, 1866-1948 :Collection of post card negatives. 1900 - 1930. [Collection]
Repository: Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
Who was Ellen Maud CHEESEMAN?
"Ellen Cheeseman was the sister of Thomas Frederick Cheeseman, Curator of Auckland Institute and Museum from 1874-1923." There are several of her watercolours at the Auckland Museum.
Ellen was the daughter of Thomas Cheeseman and Eliza (Cawkwell) Cheeseman

AUCKLAND STAR, VOLUME LVIII, ISSUE 271, 16 NOVEMBER 1927