2020 has been a turbulent year with Covid forcing us to adapt the way in which we work. Despite this, Photo Hunt was still able to ahead as planned and we collected almost 400 photographs. This is the second highest number of entries since we started Photo Hunt way back in 2008.
All of the entries were uploaded to the Discovery Wall and can now be viewed online both on Canterbury Stories and the Discovery Wall website. All the images are also available on the Discovery Wall in Tūranga - as well as at the Mobile Discovery Wall which is at Spreydon Library during December.
A total of 377 entries were received and an overall winner was selected along with winners and highly commended for the categories of people, places and collection. All winners and highly commended entrants were awarded a certificate and book as a token of our appreciation for their contribution.
It was tough to decide which photographs to award the top spots to, but the Digital Content team chose those that filled gaps in our digital heritage collection. A strong theme of cars and planes came through this year, as well as many images that complement our current collection as well as contributing to areas that it isn’t yet strong in. These new additions continue to help us tell the story of Christchurch through the eyes of local people.
Huge thanks to our colleagues across the Library network for their support with Photo Hunt this year. Special shout out to Hornby Library who were hosts of the Mobile Discovery Wall and through their local community we received 94 entries!
A special mention to Linwood Library who ran a ‘Share with Us’ programme alongside Photo Hunt this year, allowing members of the local community to share their memories with a library staff member. This has been well received by the local community and the Library hopes to continue working in this way to capture local history.
You can contribute to our collection anytime by signing up to the Discovery Wall website, or we can scan photographs and return them to you. Contact us at LibraryDigitalContent@ccc.govt.nz for more information.
Overall Winner: Tail of British European Airways Vickers Viscount 701, October 1953. Contributed by Barbara Newcombe
This photograph, taken by the contributor’s father Peter Basire, was chosen as the winner of Photo Hunt 2020. We really liked how this particular photograph combines being artistic with telling a great story about the crowds inspecting the planes following the London-New Zealand Air Race.
The Air Race is a well-known event but it wasn’t well represented in the digital heritage collection so, this image along with the 12 others contributed as part of this collection, provide the public with an insight into this historic event in Christchurch. The images capture an event very much of its time and the great excitement of Christchurch being the final destination of the air race.
Category Winner – People: Gardening with Dad in Woolston, 1958. Contributed by Cheryl Jesson
The judges really liked how this photograph captures a wonderful child and Dad moment of working in the backyard, but not one you would likely see these days! Family photographs such as these are relatable to many Christchurch people and we always look for these moments when selecting for the people category.
People – Highly commended: Murphy Bros Staff Photo, 1940s. Contributed by Vickory Wilson
This photograph was chosen by the judges because it shows the proud staff outside Murphy Brothers which was demolished in the 1980s. It demonstrates part of the strong history of the brickworks on Centaurus Road, while also being special for the contributor as it features both of their grandfathers.
People – Highly commended: Fire engine at the Central Fire Station, 29 October 1964. Contributed by Ron Cone
The judges really liked that this photograph was in colour, taken at the Central Fire Station on Kilmore Street and featured the fire engine and the uniforms of the fire service from the 1960s. We have several images in the collection relating to fire station but most are in black and white so having a colour image is a great addition to the collection.
People – Highly commended: Athletics meeting at QEII Park, 1974. Contributed by Paul Ovington
This photograph of an athletes' meeting at QEII Park was taken in the lead up to the Christchurch Commonwealth Games in 1974. The judges particularly liked that it captures an event leading up to the major historic event in Christchurch of the Commonwealth Games, which contributes a new dimension to our collection around this event. Most of the photographs in our digital heritage collection relating to the Games are in black and white so this is a fantastic addition to the collection and the history of Christchurch.
Category Winner – Places: Lyttelton Tunnel construction, 1961-1964. Contributed by John Hurley
The judges really liked how this photograph shows an angle of Lyttelton we don’t have much of in our digital heritage collection, and depicts a time when major construction to build the Heathcote to Lyttelton iconic road tunnel was taking place. A fantastic addition to our collection of Lyttelton images.
Places – Highly commended: River cleaning in the Avon Loop, 1988. Contributed by Don Locke
This photograph is as relevant today as it was in the 1980s when this was taken, clearing rubbish out of the Avon River featuring well known Avon Loop resident Jack Locke. The judges felt this image was topical because of the current work taking place on the Avon Loop and of the growing need to protect the environment in our communities.
Places – Highly commended: View from the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, 2006. Contributed by Merle Conaghan
The judges really liked how this photograph shows pre-earthquake Christchurch from an angle seldom seen. Although our collection has several of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament this angle is one we didn’t have, so this image is a fantastic addition to the collection.
Places – Highly Commended: Elephants on Rolleston Avenue. Contributed by Alan Tunnicliffe
When the judges first saw this image, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing … 4 elephants walking along Rolleston Avenue?!? This unusual shot of elephants from a travelling circus being exercised adds to our growing image collection of elephants in Christchurch.
Collection - winner: John Lewis Abernethy slide collection, 1950s-1960s (59 colour slides). Contributed by Yvonne Dixon
The judges really liked how these slides depict a range of Christchurch scenes, family life and aerial shots in the 1950’s and 1960s. This collection is special because as well as being in colour, it was a slide collection that by digitising we were able to provide access to a format that needed to be otherwise viewed through a slide projector.
The judges particularly liked the NZR Road Services building slide as we don’t have any images of this prominent building, and it also includes a tram with buggy on the front – something we hadn’t seen before!
Collection – Highly commended: Scenes of central Christchurch, 1980s-1990s (22 photographs). Contributed by P. Gopal and Tulsi Gopal
These photographs capture scenes from the central city including those of family members. These photographs cover the 1980s-1990s and are in colour, which is an area of the digital heritage collection we didn’t have much of, possibly due to people not considering the 1980s to be that long ago.
A particular favourite of the judges was of the intersection by City Mall on High Street as it shows, in colour, the life of the central city in the 1980s.
Staff Pick
Photo Hunt isn’t just for the public. Each year we encourage staff across Christchurch City Libraries and the wider council to enter their photographs. This year we received a total of 38 staff entries on topics ranging from native birds, cultural events, those taken during the Covid-19 Lockdown and of public art.
Staff Pick - Winner: Godwits sculpture. Contributed by Brendon Moir
This simple yet perfectly framed shot inspired the Content team who judged this category. Staff thought there was something beautiful about how the sculpture on Bridge Street, South New Brighton, had been captured.
Sarah
Digital Content
Christchurch Photo Hunt 2020 in the media
Pictures worth a thousand words
The winning photograph from the 2020 Photo Hunt was taken by Barbara Newcombe’s father Peter Basire in October, 1953. It shows a British European Airways Vickers Viscount 701 near the hangar at Christchurch Airport - surrounded by admirers.
Another notable find last year came from Ron Cone, who brought in a box of old photos he had taken of everyday life and work around Christchurch.
Some of Mr Cone’s photos show crowds gathered outside the State Theatre, an aerial shot of Papanui High School in the 1960s and the intersection of High Street and Cashel Street in 1967. They’ve now become an important part of the libraries’ digital collection. “Thanks to Mr Cone we now have precious photos of how Christchurch was, and some really interesting colour photos from the 1950s and '60s,” Ms Robertson says.
Mr Cone’s collection of over 80 images are available to view online at Canterbury Stories.
Family snaps slide into Canterbury history
Family slideshow evenings held in a darkened lounge are a fond, nostalgic memory for Christchurch woman Isabel Tweedy.
Her late father Ian Tweedy was a hobby photographer who took thousands of slide photographs in his lifetime, recording family holidays, picnics and tramping trips.
Some of his images from the 1950s, 60s and 70s have been added to Christchurch City Libraries’ archives and after Ms Tweedy sorted through her dad’s collection and realised some would have a wider interest and historic significance. A selection can be seen on the Discovery Wall at Tūranga.
She has sent 28 slides to the libraries’ Photo Hunt
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