The passage of time

Images I took today at Symonds Street Cemetery, Presbyterian section. Not all the graves look like this: it is actually a pretty remnant of the former extent of the cemetery. But it was the ruins which caught my attention. I was also getting used to the new camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karangahape Rocks in Pigeon Park

I've always just known this as the Pigeon Park sculpture -- but it does have a proper name: "Karangahape Rocks". Surprising fact (for me) number two: it's really a fountain., installed in 1968. The design, by Greer Twiss, features figures sitting amongst river stones smoothede by endless flows of water. Except, the water hasn't flowed for some time now. Some info here (scroll down).

 

 

The land was formerly an unused part of the Jewish section of the Symonds Street Cemetery, until it was vested in the Auckland City Council. Which is why I thought the sculpture was some sort of abstract Holocaust memorial. (This is why, these days, I like to try digging to find out more about things.)

Old occupations

This website listing names for old occupations might be of interest to those wondering what some of the terms found in the newspapers mean.

Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line

A YouTube video of Taumarunui, with the famous NZ folksong as soundtrack.

St Judes Rail Crossing double-tracking

St Jude's Street rail crossing is closed for this Labour Weekend, so that Ontrack can get on with the double-tracking project on this part of the Avondale-New Lynn section.

Out with a friend this afternoon taking shots of the work at hand, and I learn something new -- about ballast tampers. Photos below:

 

 

There's even a video online of one in action, via YouTube.

Here's some more shots of the work happening today.

 

 

 

Mastheads

The Auckland Bell lasted only for a relatively brief time in the 1880s -- but its masthead, featuring progress images and even the royal standard flag, caught my eye on a trawl through some of the early newspapers at the Auckland Central Library.

The Weekly News in its own 1880s incarnation had the same idea -- sumptuous use of engraved illustration.

 

The Observer started out with, I suppose, a pantomime character in 1880 ...

... who grew up and developed a beard by halfway through the decade ...

 

... to be replaced altogether by a gent on a top hat and a shout-out to the more famous Punch magazine in the late 1890s.

Compared with all this, the New Zealand Illustrated magazine of 1899 looked rather anemic.

Before ... and after (rail station on the wall)

 A new mural has been added to the Avondale Streetscape. It shows the first Avondale Train Station from the 1890s. Above is the wall before, and below is the wall after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Lost Photos part 3

More of the lost photos. I think that many of these came from a photo album once kept by a family possibly connected with Northland. Anyway, here's some cows.

 

 

These two shots seem to be an attept to get a photo of the boy and the dog on the horse. In the first shot, the dog doesn't seem too keen on the notion.

 

 Nup ... sorry, boss, I'm outta here!

 

The one above says on the back: "No. 4. Aren't you ready yet?" The other is "No. 8, Thanks, that was quite good." Why, I do not know ...

 

 

Me

I don't like photos of myself much. Not that I'm vain (take a look at the image as a case in point!) -- it just  feels... icky to me, for want of a better term. I'm self-image-phobic, or whatever that word might actually be.

Still, when my friend Duncan took a snap of me today while trying out a new camera of mine (previous one met with a misfortune),  and I took a look at it just now, I decided I liked it.

So, in case there's anyone out there who wonders what this particular local history buff looks like, here I am.

This is me, aka Timespanner.

Looking worried about nothing at all, as per usual.

Old Lost Photos part 2

On the back of the photo, it says, "The Rock (Maungarahoe),  near Dargaville." Maungaraho Rock today.

 

These two may be of the same event. Both were taken by "J. Batchelor, Film Specialist, Whangarei". If that's John Batchelor, then the Auckland City Library photographers database lists him as operating around the years 1925-1932. Which would fit, because the speaker (detail below) sure looks like Gordon Coates.

 What was happening, I don't know.

October '09 Old Lost Photos part 1

I've found some more lost photos, bought from a very cool new shop in Karangahape Road (details below).  This one is likely not to be from the Southern Hemisphere -- on the card to which the photo is glued is written: "Lockrie's Kiln Gang, 1907, Photo by S. F. Piggott." The only S. F. Piggott I've found online is one who took a photo in Canada, so this may well be Canadian too.

How it came to be in New Zealand, let alone in the St Kevin's Arcade on K'Road is a mystery.

If you're in that neck of the woods, do check out "Aunty Mavis", Shop 20, St. Kevin's Arcade. Brilliant wee place. What caught my attention were the Crown Lynn dinnerplates in the front window. It is a retro, Kiwiana-type, collectibles bit of paradise. They haven't been open long, apparently, and I only found them by chance. You can also email them:

crownlynnandvintage@gmail.com. No, they haven't paid me to plug them -- I just reckon they're worth a mention and a visit.

More photos to come as I scan them.