Leo White, Waikato River, 1940s
Leo White is best known for founding Whites Aviation, the company he ran from 1945 until his death in 1967. Whites Aviation specialised in aerial photography, documenting some quite dramatic changes in our towns and cities in the postwar era, and also published numerous aviation-related periodicals.
Alongside these projects, Whites also produced large, hand-coloured scenic images which graced the walls of many a home. Hand-colouring, literally adding colour to black and white images by hand, has been done since the days of the daguerreotype. While it fell out of favour once colour film became accessible and easy to use, hand-coloured images often have a beautiful and distinctive, somewhat surreal, look. This photo of the Waikato River is a classic example.
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Image courtesy of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Registration No.: O.033066
Title: Waikato River. From the album: Hand coloured views of New Zealand; 1940s
Description: View of a section of the Waikato river surrounded by trees.
Production Details: Whites Aviation
The original black and white negative is held with the Alexander Turnbull Library.
WA-25830-F Waikato River. It is dated Oct 1950 - this date would have come from the Whites Aviation register and negative envelope.
