Burton Brothers
Encyclopedia
Burton Brothers was one of New Zealand's most important nineteenth century photographic studios and was based in Dunedin
, New Zealand
. It was founded by Walter John Burton
(1836-1880) in 1866 as the Grand Photographic Saloon and Gallery and was situated in Princes Street, Dunedin
.
Burton was a member of a prominent family of printers, bookbinders and photographers based in Derby
, England
, whose firm (John Burton and Sons) was founded by their father John Burton, and also included his other brothers, Alfred Henry
(1834-1914), Oliver (b. 1841), and John William Burton (b. 1845). In 1856, Alfred emigrated to New Zealand, where he worked initially as a printer in Auckland
before moving to Sydney
in 1859 and from there back to England in 1862.
In 1866, Walter followed his brother's lead, moving with his wife Helen to Dunedin, at that time prosperous from the recent Central Otago Gold Rush
, and founded a photographic business. The business proved successful, so in 1868 Walter asked his brother Alfred to join him in the venture. Alfred travelled to New Zealand with his wife Lydia and daughter Oona, and the two brothers formed a business partnership under the name Burton Brothers. The firm proved a major success, with Alfred travelling throughout the country to take landscape photographs while his brother Walter concentrated on portraiture in Dunedin. The firm became very successful, providing both a studio portraiture service for the settlers and images of New Zealand landscapes and scenes of ethnogragraphic interest including Maori portraiture, which were in high demand by tourists and travellers to New Zealand and by other collectors around the world. Images were sold individually as prints and postcards and also as series in albums through agents and distributors.
The Burton Brothers pioneered the use of travelling darkrooms, commissioning a special photographic van to be built in 1869 whichserved both as a mobile darkroom and as a safe method for transporting their heavy and delicate equipment.
Despite the partnership's success, it ended as early as 1877, largely through personal differences caused by Walter's heavy drinking. Alfred was joined by his younger brother John and employed other talented photographers such as George Moodie and Thomas Muir, while Walter set up an independent studio. In 1880, Walter committed suicide, and John, saddened, returned to England. Alfred Burton continued to business with Moodie and Muir as his partners until retiring in 1898. He died in Dunedin in 1914. Moodie and Muir contuned to run the firm under the same name until its eventual closure in 1916.
Alfred Burton, in particular, is considered one of 19th century New Zealand's most notable photographers, and his seres of imagees of Maori in the southwestern North island is of major significance. This series, "Through the King Country with a camera: a photographers diary", was published in the Otago Daily Times
in 1885. His spectacular images of Fiordland
were in part responsible for the New Zealand Government naming the region as a National Park.
During the 1880s Alfred travelled extensively through the South Pacific, photographing scenes of village life in Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga. He also produced a series of images of the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera
, rephotographing locations which he had previously visited some years before the eruption.
Many of the Burton Brothers' works and much of their original equipment was collected by Dunedin photographer and historian Hardwicke Knight
, and are now housed in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
in Wellington.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was founded by Walter John Burton
Walter John Burton
Walter John Burton was a New Zealand nineteenth century photographer.Burton was born in Leicester, England. His father, John Burton, was a prominent photographer and his firm was patronised by Queen Victoria and other members of the Royal Family....
(1836-1880) in 1866 as the Grand Photographic Saloon and Gallery and was situated in Princes Street, Dunedin
Princes Street, Dunedin
Princes Street is a major street in Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs south-southwest for two kilometres from The Octagon in the city centre to the Oval sports ground, close to the city's Southern Cemetery...
.
Burton was a member of a prominent family of printers, bookbinders and photographers based in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, whose firm (John Burton and Sons) was founded by their father John Burton, and also included his other brothers, Alfred Henry
Alfred Henry Burton
Alfred Henry Burton is considered one of New Zealand's most important nineteenth century photographers.Burton was born in Leicester, England...
(1834-1914), Oliver (b. 1841), and John William Burton (b. 1845). In 1856, Alfred emigrated to New Zealand, where he worked initially as a printer in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
before moving to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1859 and from there back to England in 1862.
In 1866, Walter followed his brother's lead, moving with his wife Helen to Dunedin, at that time prosperous from the recent Central Otago Gold Rush
Central Otago Gold Rush
The Central Otago Gold Rush was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand...
, and founded a photographic business. The business proved successful, so in 1868 Walter asked his brother Alfred to join him in the venture. Alfred travelled to New Zealand with his wife Lydia and daughter Oona, and the two brothers formed a business partnership under the name Burton Brothers. The firm proved a major success, with Alfred travelling throughout the country to take landscape photographs while his brother Walter concentrated on portraiture in Dunedin. The firm became very successful, providing both a studio portraiture service for the settlers and images of New Zealand landscapes and scenes of ethnogragraphic interest including Maori portraiture, which were in high demand by tourists and travellers to New Zealand and by other collectors around the world. Images were sold individually as prints and postcards and also as series in albums through agents and distributors.
The Burton Brothers pioneered the use of travelling darkrooms, commissioning a special photographic van to be built in 1869 whichserved both as a mobile darkroom and as a safe method for transporting their heavy and delicate equipment.
Despite the partnership's success, it ended as early as 1877, largely through personal differences caused by Walter's heavy drinking. Alfred was joined by his younger brother John and employed other talented photographers such as George Moodie and Thomas Muir, while Walter set up an independent studio. In 1880, Walter committed suicide, and John, saddened, returned to England. Alfred Burton continued to business with Moodie and Muir as his partners until retiring in 1898. He died in Dunedin in 1914. Moodie and Muir contuned to run the firm under the same name until its eventual closure in 1916.
Alfred Burton, in particular, is considered one of 19th century New Zealand's most notable photographers, and his seres of imagees of Maori in the southwestern North island is of major significance. This series, "Through the King Country with a camera: a photographers diary", was published in the Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times
The Otago Daily Times is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand.-History:Originally styled The Otago Daily Times, the ODT was first published on November 15, 1861. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving daily newspaper - Christchurch's The Press, six months older, was a...
in 1885. His spectacular images of Fiordland
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...
were in part responsible for the New Zealand Government naming the region as a National Park.
During the 1880s Alfred travelled extensively through the South Pacific, photographing scenes of village life in Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga. He also produced a series of images of the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera is the volcano responsible for New Zealand's largest historic eruption. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua in the North Island, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured down the middle by an explosive basaltic eruption in 1886, which killed over...
, rephotographing locations which he had previously visited some years before the eruption.
Many of the Burton Brothers' works and much of their original equipment was collected by Dunedin photographer and historian Hardwicke Knight
Hardwicke Knight
Frederick Hardwicke Knight was a prominent author and photographer from Broad Bay, New Zealand...
, and are now housed in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
in Wellington.