A Hoby print revisited

Composite portrait of the Hoby family, New Plymouth, c.1866
Image courtesy of Philip Duke
In part 5 of my biographical sketch of George Hoby, photographer of New Plymouth and Nelson, I included this image of a composite photograph of the Hoby family, taken around 1866. It was sent to me by Hoby descendant Philip Duke, who told me that it was scanned from an original at the Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth.


Taranaki Museum photo index card with "Hoby composite portrait"
Image courtesy of Puke Ariki
I subsequently received a series of images from Kate Boocock, Pictorial Technician at Puke Ariki. The first image, taken from "file card drawers in the research centre," appears to be a Taranaki Museum (succeeded by Puke Ariki in 2003) photo index card with a very similar version of the "Hoby composite image" either printed on or affixed to it. Handwritten in the relevant spaces on the card are a File Number P.2.1436, Negative Number LN 672, the names of the subjects in each of the cameo frames, the number E.C.385 and a note "storage album 2, pg 37." The final note may refer to the location of an "original," but of course this location reference may no longer be valid.


Mounted photographic print of "Hoby composite portrait"
Image courtesy of Puke Ariki
Of much greater interest was a scan of "a black and white copy photograph, mounted on card that was on display in the old Taranaki Museum." I have made the following observations:
- the buff-coloured card mount measures approx. 234 x 296 mm
- the b&w photographic print, slightly smaller than the mount, measures approx. 231 x 293 mm, has three small pin holes at top right, top left and bottom centre, and slight flaking damage to the photographic emulsion at edges and corners
- part of a white rectangular passe-partout frame with rounded corners is visible, internal dimensions approx. 199 x 265 mm
- series of 10 elliptical-shaped cut-out vignetted head-and-shoulders portraits (each approx. 57 x 73 mm) arranged in 2-3-2-3 pattern, and overlapping from bottom to top, on a darker background


Edge of "Hoby composite portrait" frame, compared with typical 1850s/1860s ambrotype frame
The passé partout frame appears to be very similar in design to those sometimes used for ambrotype (collodion positive) photographs in the 1850s and 1860s (example here), probably somewhat more expensive than the standard wooden cases lined with velvet, with the glass positive image mounted behind a brass matt and pinchbeck surround (example here).

The largest format glass plate negative in general use during the 1860s was the full plate, measuring a standard 6½" x 8½" (or 165 x 216 mm). Since the internal dimensions of the frame visible in the photographic print are substantially larger than this, the print is most likely to have been an enlargement. This fact, in combination with the appearance of the photographic emulsion, suggests to me that the print was made some time later than the original composite was produced. It is possible that it was produced when the Taranaki Museum either acquired the original, or had it on loan, perhaps from a family member. The appearance of light and dark patches within the darker background may be due to reflections from a glass behind which the original was mounted.


Detail of "Hoby composite portrait" print
Image courtesy of Puke Ariki
The overlapping nature of the vignetted cameo portraits, as well as the appearance of shadows at the edges of the cameos (see detail above) suggests that the individual head-and-shoulders portraits were originally printed separately using the vignetting techniques that Hoby displayed in other portraits (see Hoby Part 4). They were then cut out and arranged on a plain, darker backgroundbefore being mounted behind glass and in the ambrotype-style frame.


Reverse of "Hoby composite portrait" print card mount
Image courtesy of Puke Ariki
The reverse of the card mount shows a series of label remnants, inscriptions and annotations, obviously created at different times and by a variety of hands, as follows (and not necessarily in the order they were created).
(1) The remnants of a rectangular label are visible close to the top of the mount, its approximate original extent visible from the
(2) What may be the earliest extant inscription is handwritten in pencil:

Mr + Mrs Geo Hoby + family
Mr + Mrs H + the elder members
of family arrived in N.P. from
London, of which they were citizens,
by the "Fatima" in 1851.
The names of family starting from
second row from top + from left to right
Oliver, Amy (Mrs Keeling), George
Clara (Mrs Merridge) Lilla,
Arthur, Percy, Hubert

(3) Handwritten in pencil at the top, probably in several different hands, different again from that of (2) above, is the text "EARLY SETTLERS: groups and reference numbers, "P2/1436" and "LN 672."
(4) Handwritten in black ink, possibly felt tip, at top right, is the number "25."
(5) The list of subjects has been re-written, by a different hand, in black ink.
(6) The reference number E.C. 385, handwritten in black ink, has been added.
(7) A purple stamp, "TARANAKI MUSEUM," is at the bottom of the mount.
(8) A number, possibly "26," is handwritten in black ink close to the bottom edge of the mount, appearing to have been crossed out in slightly different black or brown ink.
(9) A thin, irregularly trimmed rectangle of white paper, measuring roughly 289 x 129 mm and with typewritten text (image above), has been glued by its left hand edge to the back of the card mount. The text - relating to George Hoby junior rather than his father, who died in 1882 - reads as follows:

MR G. HOBY AND FAMILY Page 49 Obituaries
He died on the 4th October, 1927.
The death of Mr. G. Hoby, one of the oldest settlers in the Bell Block, occured in the N.P. Hospital yesterday. Mr. Hoby was in his 85th year. He was one of the earliest settlers in Bell Block and there he had his schooling. As youn g man he found himself in the thick of the Maori War. he immediately joined Captain Deveaux's Mounted Corps and served with it from 1861-1866. Mr. Hoby went right through the Maori War, taking an active part in the famous battle of Waireka.
Trooper Hoby gained the reputation of being one of the most daring fighters in the district. He flirted with danger.
After the way, he continued his military duties, being Captain of the Volunteer Corps at Bell Block for some years after Captain Cornwall had retired. Later in life he carried on a contracting firm and then a land commission business. he was a good type of settler, a fine, hard-working man in his prime, and straight in his dealings. he married Miss H. Chapman whose parent emigrated from England, and who predeceased him by about two years. Mr Hoby leaves eight children, Mrs G.E. Grover (Fitzroy), Mts Motteram (Opotiki) Mrs Wood (Whareroa), Mrs Somerville (Okoia), Mrs Addenbrooke (Ngaere), and Messrs G. Hoby (Nelson), P. Hoby (Tataraimaka), and R. Hoby (Bell Block). Another son Stanley, was killed in the Great War.

Not being familiar with the Taranaki Museum and Puke Ariki cataloguing and refencing systems and practices, I can't comment on the several numbers present, except to say that several different number sequences may have been employed over the years. The handwritten number "26" (8) appears to have been partly truncated, which may indicate that the mount has been trimmed at some stage. The pin holes are probably a relict of its being used for display purposes in the old Taranaki Museum.

Conclusions

An anlaysis of a scan of the mounted photographic print of the "Hoby composite portrait" provided by Puke Ariki has revealed that it is a later copy of a pre-existing composite portrait. The mounted copy print appears to have been produced (possibly by Puke Ariki's predecessor, the Taranaki Museum) by photographing either the framed print or a print of that. The "original" may have been constructed by George Hoby senior himself, by photographing and printing portraits of the family members, cutting out the cameos, and mounting them on a darker background, probably under glass, and then within an ambrotype-style frame. What has happened to that "original" is another matter altogether, perhaps best left to Hoby descendants to pursue if they wish. It may well not have survived, which makes the documentation of this print, possibly the best surviving copy, all the more important.

Treatment of the Photograph as an Artefact

Researching this article has been a timely reminder - to myself as much as I hope it will be to the readers of Photo-Sleuth - that thorough examination and analysis of a photograph as a physical object, or artefact, is often just as important as are discussions about the photographer/originator or the subjects. Such a description will provide a firm base on which all future work can be done, and an analysis will often provide very useful clues regarding provenance, photographers, dates and subjects featured in the photograph. To conduct these examinations, it's obviously best to have the artefact in your hand, suitably gloved, or many details and subtleties may be lost. However, when this is not possible much can be deduced from digital scans, provided they are done properly.

I don't intend to provide an exhaustive list of scanning Dos and Don'ts (perhaps in a later article), but these are the most important things to keep in mind. To produce useful, I strongly recommend that the user familiarise his/herself with the scanner control software, and that the scanning operations be carried out from within the software, rather than using the buttons on the scanner. It just isn't possible to manipulate the scanner parameters when using the scanner buttons.

• Scan in full 24-bit (or 48-bit) colour, even if the photograph itself is black and white.
  
• Always include the full extent of the print, mount and any enclosing folders.
  
• Scan the reverse as well, even if there are no obvious marks or inscriptions.
  
• Scan at the highest resolution (optical, not interpolated) the scanner can manage; a minimum resolution 300dpi is just acceptable, 600dpi better, but 1200dpi is best. Note that the smaller the original, the larger resolution you need to use to capture detail.
  
• Save all files in TIF format, and optionally in JPG format at the same time, although you can easily convert them subsequently.
  
• Number and file the scans meaningfully.

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Kate Boocock of Puke Ariki and Philip Duke for their assistance in this project.

George Hoby, Part 5: Hard Times

Continued from Part 4, which dealt with his busiest period as a photographer, catering to the military personnel stationed in Taranaki. Once the soldiers departed, however, he had to look for more clients and come up with new marketing ideas.


The Taranaki Herald, Saturday, 8 December 1866
In early December 1866, Hoby announced that he was offering portraits using the stennotype [sic] process, "combining real permanency with the advantage of colouring." [71] The sennotype process had been introduced to Australia by Charles Wilson, who sold rights to use it in the Australian colonies in 1863 [72]. The London Portrait Rooms in Dunedin, operated by Messrs. Peyman and Irwin, were the first to "purchase the secret" in New Zealand in August 1863, inviting the public to inspect a selection at their gallery [73,74]. In September 1863 William Meluish of Dunedin was offering to divulge the "secrets" of the process for £5 [75], but there is little evidence that the many practitioners took it up. Henry Frith, recently arrived in Dunedin, offered sennotypes in May 1866 [76].


Composite portrait of the Hoby family, New Plymouth, c.1866
This composite portrait of members of the Hoby family shows the parents and eight of their children [77]. They are, from left to right and top to bottom, George Hoby Sr., Hannah Hoby, Oliver, Amy (Hannah Amy), George Jr., Clara, Lilla (Eleanor Mary Ann), Arthur, Percy and Hubert. Percy, shown in the centre of the bottom row, was born in Nelson on 5 February 1863; assuming he was about 2 to 3 years old in this portrait, the sitting was possibly around 1865 to 1866. George and Hannah's youngest child Minna Sarah was born at Woolcombe Terrace, New Plymouth on 12 October 1865, and died on 28 February 1866. Since she does not appear, it is likely that the composite portrait was produced after her death.


Bullock team hauling house along Devon Street, New Plymouth, Unidentified photographer, c.1860s [78]
After the removal of troops from New Plymouth, business for the studio declined drastically, and the Hobys moved back to the farm on the Bell Block, their house from Woolcombe Terrace being moved there in 1868 in sections [4,78]. Although it's unlikely to be the Hoby's house, the unattributed photograph above shows a building being transported in a similar manner [79].

Later that year a fire burnt twelve houses in Devon street to the ground, including the photographic studio, which must have significantly added to their woes [80]. George tried his hand at dentistry from the premises of Keeling & Co., a shop belonging to his son-in-law, while still selling accumulated portraits at a shilling each, but business remained very slow [81].


Nelson Evening Mail, Thursday, 23 September 1869
George Hoby returned to Nelson, looking for customers for his photographic business, and on 15th June attempted to revive the partnership with William Davis, offering free sittings for the first three days [82,83]. To drum up business, they even tried raffling photographs [84] but it soon became clear that partnership would not work and it was dissolved on 10th September [85], Hoby announcing that he was building his own studio on Trafalgar Street [86].


Colonist, Friday, 8 October 1869
By early October he was at the premises of Mr. John in Trafalgar Street, offering cartes de visite at half price for the rest of the month [87].


Colonist, Friday, 24 June 1870
In June the following year, he tried a new marketing tack, offering a subscription lottery, which would entitle a customer to a dozen portraits, presumably cartes de visite, and a chance of winning larger coloured portraits, pictures, etc. [88] Whether or not this strategy worked is unknown, but he continued to place advertisements in all three Nelson newspapers, the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, the Nelson Evening Mail and the Colonist until late October [89,90] when he announced his intention to leave Nelson "shortly" and end the "Art Union" lottery [91].


Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Friday, 3 March 1871
He was still practising in the town in early March when he urged customers not to delay, as he would "positively leave" on 10th March [92]. He actually departed on the 19th March aboard the steamer Phoebe, headed for "Picton and South" [93].


Steamer S.S. Lyttelton at Blenheim Wharf [94]
He probably spent the next eight months in Picton and the Marlborough district [4], before heading back from Wairau, near Blenheim, to Nelson aboard the steamer Lyttelton in mid-November [95].


Nelson Evening Mail, Saturday, 11 November 1871
His marketing skills invigorated, and "photography seeming to have gone mad in Nelson," George offered his cut rates (six pictures for 3/6) in Trafalgar Street "for a few days." [96] By mid-December he'd had enough, travelling by the S.S. Wellington via the port of Onehunga in the Manukau harbour, and arriving home in New Plymouth on the 14th December, after an absence of two-and-a-half years [97].


The Taranaki Herald, Saturday, 16 December 1871
He was not hesitant to advertise his services in both photography and dentistry to residents, in the latter possibly being assisted by his son Arthur [98], and by July 1872 was operating from new premises in Devon Street [99]. In November he had an accident in the street outside the studio, as reported in the Herald [100]:

ACCIDENT TO MR. HOBY. - Yesterday afternoon, as Mr. Hoby was mounting his horse in front of his photographic studio, the animal became restive, and before the unfortunate gentleman could gain his seat, he was thrown violently to the ground, his head coming in contact with the kerb-stone. When picked up, Mr. Hoby was insensible, so he was carried into his studio, and Dr. Rawson sent for. We learn he has received injuries such as will lay him up for some time, but we are happy to hear that no serious consequences are likely to result from his fall.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Monday, 8 September 1873
He must have recovered soon, because by August 1873 he was back in Nelson again, "ready to take portraits at the Gallery, opposite the Masonic Hall, Trafalgar street." [101] His intention was to remain there for a month taking portraits and selling new photographic views of Nelson, as well as offering to take views of houses [102,103], but he was still there in December [104]. On 31st December he set off again, this time aboard the S.S. Taranaki for Wakefield and Spring Grove (Mr Botterell's), near Havelock in the Marlborough Sounds, where he offered to "take portraits, views of houses, animals, etc." [105]

In the final part of this series, George Hoby returns to Taranaki and the family home at Beach Farm, Bell Block for good.

References

[4] Hoby, Arthur (1937) Memoirs of Arthur Hoby, Transcript of original held by Alexander Turnbull Library, Courtesy of Philip Duke.

[71] Stennotype (Advertisement), Taranaki Herald, 8 December 1866, p.2.

[72] Charles Wilson, Dictionary of Australian Artists Online (updated 14 November 2007)

[73] Portraits, &c. (Advertisements), Otago Daily Times, 17 August 1863, p.2.

[74] Rackstraw, Tony (2009) London Portrait Rooms, Early Otago Photographers (including Southland) and their successors.

[75] To Photographers (Advertisement), Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 15 September 1863, p.2.

[76] Frith's Sennotype Gallery (Advertisement), Otago Daily Times, 7 May 1866, p.3.

[77] Composite photographic portrait of the Hoby family of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, Unknown format and size, attributed to George Hoby, Puke Ariki Museum.

[78] Tenders. To Carpenters, Builder, and others, Taranaki Herald, 1 February 1868, p.1.

[79] Bullock team hauling a house along Devon Street, New Plymouth, B/W negative, Undated, Unidentified photographer, ID: 1/2-110547, Alexander Turnbull Library/Timeframes.

[80] Another Great Fire in Devon-Street, Taranaki Herald, 28 November 1868, p.3.

[81] Notice, Taranaki Herald, 6 February 1869, p.2.

[82] Davis and Hoby, Photographers, Trafalgar Street (Advertisement), Colonist, 15 June 1869, p.2.

[83] New Plymouth. Departures, Taranaki Herald, 12 June 1869, p.2.

[84] Notice. Davis & Hoby, Photographers, Trafalgar Street (Advertisement), Nelson Evening Mail, 25 June 1869, p.3.

[85] Dissolution of Partnership, Nelson Evening Mail, 23 September 1869, p.3.

[86] Advertisement, Nelson Evening Mail, 23 September 1869, p.3.

[87] Advertisement, Colonist, 8 October 1869, p.2.

[88] New Advertisements. Photographic Art Union, Colonist, 24 June 1870, p.2.

[89] Business Notices. Photographic Art Union, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 26 October 1870, p. 1.

[90] Photographic Art Union (Advertisement), Colonist, 21 October 1870, p.1.

[91] New Advertisements, Colonist, 28 October 1870, p.2.

[92] Business Notices, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 3 March 1871, p.1.

[93] Shipping Intelligence. Sailed, Nelson Evening Mail, 20 March 1871, p.2.

[94] Photograph of S.S. Lyttelton at Blenheim Wharf, Undated, Mounted albumen print, undated, unidentified photographer, Acc. No. C2152, Nelson Provincial Museum, Courtesy of The Prow

[95] Shipping Intelligence. Arrived, Nelson Evening Mail, 13 November 1871, p.2.

[96] New Advertisements, Nelson Evening Mail, 11 November 1871, p.2.

[97] Port of Onehunga. Arrivals, Daily Southern Cross, 12 December 1871, p.2.

[98] Dentistry. Photography (Advertisements), Taranaki Herald, 16 December 1871, p.3.

[99] Photography & Dentistry (Advertisements), Taranaki Herald, 13 July 1872, p.1.

[100] Accident to Mr. Hoby, Taranaki Herald, 6 November 1872, p.2.

[101] New Advertisements. Photography., Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 21 August 1873, p.2.

[102] Business Notices, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 8 September 1873, p.2.

[103] Photography (Advertisement), Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 17 November 1873, p.1.

[104] Advertisement, Nelson Evening Mail, 22 November 1873, p.2.

[105] Shipping Intelligence. Sailed, Nelson Evening Mail, 31 December 1873, p.2.