William Harding: Photographic Portrait Exhibition opens

26 May 2022

Sixty reproductions, at a scale much larger than William Harding’s original glass plate negatives, are on display at the National Library, allowing us a chance to get close to a diverse cast of characters.

William Harding had a photographic studio in Whanganui from the 1850s to the 1880s. His photographs depict the township and most notably its people. They depict Whanganui society and provide a rich source of information relating to both Māori and Pākehā people at a formative time in New Zealand’s history.

Using few elaborate props or backdrops, and unwilling to retouch his photographs to flatter his sitters, Harding’s portraits are remarkable for their sensitivity and honesty. The women, men, children, families and other groups who were his subjects, appear with startling immediacy.

Harding was a true craftsman and made his own cameras. Whilst landscapes were his preference, thankfully portraits provided some form of income to support his family, creating the enduring record available at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Dr Fiona Oliver, Exhibition Advisor, National Library of New Zealand, has selected portraits from the 6,500 plates held within the Harding Collection.

This exhibition has been funded collaboratively by the Stout Trust, Turnbull Endowment Trust, and the Te Puna Foundation.

Open 26 May – 29 October 2022               /              Free Entry           /              Mon-Fri: 9-5 Sat: 9-1