The collections of Henry Winkelmann record the transformation of Auckland from a 19th century colonial settlement to a vibrant, modern and self-confident city.

The collections are tied to a specific place and time, essentially Auckland and the Waitemata Harbour from the late 1890s to 1928, a period of deep social change in New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Auckland Libraries’ two thousand glass-plate negative collection is a visual time capsule of Auckland. It provides insight into the city and its life, through his images of the people, their houses, buildings, suburbs, bays and wharves. Winkelmann identified how and where the city changed by rephotographing the same places over time.

The large collection of glass-plate negatives at Auckland Museum were taken from 1894 to 1928. Besides his superb yacht racing shots, Winkelmann’s camera captured sailing ships, steamers, warships, launches, speed boats and rowing events. His photos taken around New Zealand, feature a wide range of topics: people, their houses, workplaces, churches, townships and the natural environment.

Both collections are precisely recorded and dated, a valuable historical resource.