Historical Journal Publication of the Heart of the Whau Project
Welcome to the first issue
Welcome to The Avondale Historical of you I haven’t even had the chance Journal. to visit. I thank you all – and to all of you I have not yet met, I will try to It is my intention to start up a histori- get to you. Every memory, every cal society for the Avondale- scrap of information you possess is Waterview area. While there have important. been setbacks (mainly, ill health and a very cold winter — too cold to have While I am pre-publishing informa- Inside this issue: night meetings!) — I still see a need tion from the Heart of the Whau on for such a society in the area. the Internet at the moment, not every- one has access to a computer, even Avondale’s 2 Part of the aims of an incorporated today. So, this journal is to help keep Lost historical society, following on those all of you updated with what I have Photos societies which have come before us , been working on, and also with any is to regularly publish a journal. Here issues arising that concern Avon- Photographic 2-4 is the start of that particular little pro- dale’s history and its preservation. I Restoration ject. hope you enjoy it. — Lisa Truttman I have seen so many of you, those who have called and spoken to me, who I’ve visited. And there are still many
What is the Heart of the Whau project?
Heart of the Whau is the history of Avondale haps learn of their history also). Central. The area it covers is but a fraction of Avondale: In February this year I was approached by the from the Hollywood Cinema to Henry Street, up Avondale Business Association chairman, Mr Rosebank Road to the railway station, down Duncan MacDonald, to put together a timeline Great North Road to the halfway to the Whau history of the Association for their website, Creek. www.avondale.net.nz. Well, that grew into a his- At the moment, the research so far collected is tory of the entire Mainstreet shopping centre and being published in stories on my website (see part of the area immediately around it. www.geocities.com/rimtark/ The historical project now spans from 1841 to DownMemoryLaneIndex). Fifteen stories have 2001 (the European history of Avondale — but I been published so far, along with photographs hope to hear from local tangata whenua to per- kindly provided by many of you. The Avondale Historical Volume 1,Issue 1 Journal Page 2
Avondale’s Lost Photos
At right is a lost photo of early Avon- dale. According to the Western Leader of 2 March 1982, Mr Richard Lancaster, manager of Henry Peck’s Restaurant in Avondale (then part of the Inner Circle Development) had this photo in his col- lection to put around the walls of the res- taurant. Portage Licensing Trust, who owned the restaurant then, have now advised that they are unaware of where this, and other photos of turn-of-the-century Avondale are. Atkinson’s Drapery, c. 1920s. If anyone has seen a photo similar to this, Published in Western Leader 2 March 1982.
Here’s another photographic orphan.
The original photo would show Dan Robertson’s bakery cart (he was a baker/ store owner from around 1910 to 1919 on the corner of Rosebank Road, oppo- site the old Post Office, where the Fearon’s Building is today). The house in the background belonged to the Collins family. I’ve checked with Auckland Public Li- brary, but have yet to try the Auckland Museum or Waitakere Library. The photocopy held in Avondale’s li- brary refers to “Mrs Mould” who pre-
(From NZ House and Garden Magazine, September 2001)
The Professionals: We Talk To Photographic Restoration Specialist Dianne Adams BIOGRAPHY These days Dianne sees herself as the keeper of Dianne Adams’ passion for restoring photographs the memories. Appropriately enough her Auck- was triggered by a photograph of her great- land shop, Archivista — with its lacy curtains, grandmother sitting on the steps of an adobe cot- chintz fabrics, gilt frames and voluptuous roses tage she’d built single-handedly. — evokes a sense of a gentler age. (continued. on page 3) “All of a sudden I understood how precious pho- tos are. The cottage was still there but my great- grandmother had since died.” The Avondale Historical Volume 1,Issue 1 Journal Page 3 The Professionals: We Talk To Photographic Restoration Specialist Dianne Adams (continued. from page 2) themselves to last much longer than colour pic- tures. Many photographs that are more than a Preserving old photographs is a rewarding occu- hundred years old still look good. On the other pation, she says. hand the separate colours in photographs from “People are so appreciative of what we can do for the 1960s and 1970s tend to break down one by them. No two jobs are the same. I really feel that one. The image gradually disappears until only a we’re fulfilling a significant role in helping pre- ghost-like outline remains. So our great- serve people’s histories.” grandchildren may never see photographs of us as children since the colours will probably fade Archivista, tel (09) 630 1213 completely. Colour photography is improving constantly but it remains to be seen how good the What makes photographs so special? colour photographs of today will look in fifty Photographs are about memories and can become years. especially meaningful if the person has died. You often hear people who have lost everything in a What else can affect the longevity fire lamenting that their photographs have of photographs? burned. Photographs are irreplaceable. Often peo- Photographs can be harmed by excessive expo- ple become more interested in preserving memo- sure to light, heat and moisture. Dramatic swings ries and old photographs when they have chil- in temperature can also cause damage so keep dren. Suddenly there is a greater sense of family photographs away from fireplaces, heaters, base- — and perhaps an urge to track family resem- ments and attics. Photographs hung on south blances through the generations. walls are susceptible to mould from moisture building up in the frame. Dust, fingerprints, in- What can be done with damaged sects and smoke are other key enemies of photo- photographs? graphs. Glossy photographs are even more prone Modern technology allows us to perform magic to sticking. on photographs that many people would think are beyond repair. We can restore those that have What’s the best storage method? been ripped or are even in several pieces. If a Photographs printed on fibre-based paper last photograph is in a truly terrible state, we can longer than those on resin-coated paper. Albums, sometimes use other photographs of the subject frames or boxes (if the photographs are wrapped to assist in restoration. in pH-neutral tissue and kept between matt boards) are the best storage environments. Old What are sepia photographs? photographs that have been glued to backing Sepia is a term used to describe photographs that boards are usually in good condition simply have brown tones. Sepia was especially popular because they’ve been kept flat. prior to World War II and is regarded as being very stable from an archival point of view. When Any specific advice about albums? having photographs restored sepia lends an in- Pages should be pH-neutral (also known as acid- stant aged quality that many people prefer. Often free) so as not to react with photographs. Those a freshly produced black and white copy of an old-fashioned photo-corners may be fiddly but old photograph can look too new. they’re still one of the best ways to secure photo- graphs. Double-sided adhesive hinges are user How well do different types of friendly but they’re not that easy to remove. Slits photographs last? (continued. on page 4) Black and white photographs and sepia photo- graphs have stood the test of time and proven The Avondale Historical Page 4 Journal Volume 1,Issue 1 (continued from page 3) pected to live long. The restored photograph was In the pages are good but rare since they only then framed and presented to the ninety-year-old work for photographs that are standard sizes. Tis- woman who had been that sickly baby. I also see sue placed between pages prevents photographs a lot of old photographs that just have a name scratching or sticking to each other. Albums can written on the back. “Bob” or “Mary” is not much be custom-made so that the photographs are inset use to future descendants trying to trace history. If below the page surface which means tissue is not only people had recorded dates, places, full required. I think photographs look best on black Names and even birth dates. pages. Write details beneath the photograph (Pens that work on black paper are available.) Those PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES magnetic albums with peel-back pages that stick to the photographs are about the worst things you • At weddings and other significant events, make can use. sure some black and white shots are taken. • When writing on the back of photographs use pencil and press lightly. Include as much detail What trends have evolved through as possible. the decades? • When framing a photograph use a mount to en- sure the surface is not in contact with the glass. Our attitudes to photographs have changed so much in the past couple of generations. We’re a • To protect photographs from excessive light real snap-happy bunch now. Many of us have consider UV glass in frames. heaps of very ordinary photographs of ourselves • Store albums upright in a book shelf so they’re but no really good ones. A hundred years ago our not weighed down by other books. ancestors organised formal photographic sessions. • File negatives in an orderly manner and store People tended to look very serious and stern them separately from photographs. partly because the exposures were so long that it • Handle only the edges of a photograph. was impossible to maintain a convincing smile for • If colour photographs are fading you can have the time-frame needed. Glamour photography — black and white copies made from the negatives where people (mainly women) go to specialists or direct from the photograph. for a make-over and sitting – is catching on strongly today. My thanks to the editors of NZ House and You must get to see some Garden for their kind permission to reproduce interesting photographs? the above article. Recently we were asked to restore a lovely old photograph of an ailing baby who wasn’t ex-
The Avondale Historical Journal I thank
Published by Lisa J Truttman Beckett Real Estate, 19 Methuen Road, Avondale, Auckland M.R.E.I.N.Z., Phone: (09) 828-8494, Fax: (09) 828-8497 1881 Great North Road, Avondale Email: historian@avondale.org.nz for their sponsorship of this publication. Printed by Avondale Photo Cen- Phone (09) 828-9812 tre Part of Avondale for 1962 Great North Road, Avondale over 20 years.