Burton Brothers (fl. 1868-1898) (photographers)
Dates
- Existence: fl. 1868 - 1898
Biography
Alfred Henry Burton was born in England in 1834. In circa 1868 he joined his brother Walter Burton in Dunedin, New Zealand, where Walter had established a photographic business (Turner 1996, p.282). Walter advertised as being 'of the firm of John Burton and Sons, of Leicester, Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, and Burton-upon-Trent, England, Artist and Photographer' in Mackay's Almanac for 1867 (Knight 1971, p.46). Trading under the name 'Burton Brothers', Alfred and Walter remained in business together until 1876, when their partnership was dissolved (Turner 1996, p.282). Initially the company seems to have been primarily involved in selling fancy goods, engraving and hiring out masonic regalia. They later became successful publishers of photographic views, employing photographers to take topographical views and photographs of special events and expeditions (Knight 1971, p.47). Walter died in 1880. However, Alfred continued to trade under the name 'Burton Bros' until 1898, apparently appointing Thomas M.B. Muir to take over the portrait work ( Knight 1971, p.51). In 1898 Alfred sold his remaining interests to Muir and Moodie. Alfred was most famous for his trip up the Wanganui River in April and May 1885. His photographs from this trip form one of the most important records of Maori life. He spent his last years teaching elocution at Knox College. Alfred died in 1914 (Turner 1996, p.282; Knight 1971, pp.46-52).
Publications:
Burton Brothers (1884), 'The Camera in the Coral Islands'.
Burton Brothers (1884), 'New Zealand through the Camera'.
Burton Brothers (1886), 'The Maori at home: a catalogue of a series of photographs illustrative of the scenery and of native life in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand', Dunedin: Burton Bros.
Burton Brothers (1889), 'Wintering on Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri'.
Sources:
Turner, Jane ed. (1996), 'The dictionary of art'. Volume 5. New York: Grove.
Knight, Hardwicke (1971), 'Photography in New Zealand. A social and technical history'. Dunedin: John McIndoe.
Found in 11 Collections and/or Records:
American Gatling gun, Point Mulinu’u, 1899
195 x 145 mm. A view showing a row of armed American sailors standing behind a Gatling gun team at Mulinu’u Point.
Apia. The spot where Freemen fell late war, 1899
200 x 124 mm. A view looking over a copra plantation, with a cross marked on the print in the middle of a clearing. Angel Hope Freeman was a senior Lieutenant on HMS ‘Tauranga’, which arrived in Samoa on the 24th March 1899. Freeman’s grave can be seen clearly in Y309C/53. Copyright registered 21 Aug. 1899.
Ceremony, Apia, 1899
201 x 146 mm. A view showing a circle of dancing Samoans with European spectators in the background. This page of the album also contains two paper clippings concerning German reactions to the Anglo-American action in Samoa, and demanding compensation for the bombardment of Apia.
Copra making, Samoa, 1899
195 x 139 mm. A view showing three Samoans removing the kernels from a large pile of coconuts.
‘Fuia’ Samoan girl, 1899
139 x 192 mm. A full length portrait of a Samoan girl, wearing a mat skirt and standing in front of a palm thatch house.
Near R.C. [Roman Catholic] Mission, Apia, Samoa, 1899
192 x 146 mm. A view showing three Samoans in rough country in a creek, with two in a rowing boat and one standing in the water.
New Zealand and the Pacific Islands
Papaseea Falls, 1899
146 x 198 mm. A view of the rock and waterfall, with a party of men at the top of the falls, and two men in the water below.
Papiloa falls, Samoa, 1899
145 x 198 mm. A view of the waterfall also known as the 'sliding rock.'
Reception on arrival, 1899
175 x 140 mm. A view looking down on Samoan boats and canoes drawn up alongside a steamer in Pago-Pago harbour (Tutuila Island). Copyright registered 28 Aug. 1899.
Warships at Apia, Samoa, 1899
196 x 143 mm. A view looking across the harbour at Apia, with Samoan craft in the foreground, and three unidentified men-of-war at anchor beyond. Probably taken during the 1899 crisis.
Filtered By
- Subject: Samoa (nation) X
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 10
- Collection 1
- Subject
- American Samoa (dependent state) 1
- Apia (inhabited place) 1
- Europe (continent) 1
- Fiji (nation) 1
- France (nation) 1