RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Fresh Fields on Wednesday 06 December 17 00:34 GMT (UK)
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Hello restorers.
A different type of challenge, should you choose to take it on. Attached is a scan of a now very poor quality photo, with great historic interest to the Gordonton community where it was situated.
It is one of hundreds of NZ PUBLIC WORKS CAMPS, hastily set up in the depression of the early 1930’s.
Managers scored an unlined timber hut with one door and two windows. The workers were issued tents, to which they progressively added salvaged; wood for flooring; timber framing to support a corrugated iron roof, then walls; but most importantly a corrugated iron open fire place for cooking.
Not great, when the Waikato was known for it’s heavy frosts in winter, and hot humid summers.
Some of the habitations in this shot are on a flood plain, that I have seen flooded many times.
They must have had great faith in the clearing work they were doing for their support payments.
The only mechanical assistance was one dragline machine, ever so slowly carving out what looked like a canal when it made it’s first pass up miles of natural water shed.
The drainage channel created was good for a period, but then encroachment of introduced willows saw flooding when exceptionally wet. In the big ’58 flood, at 9pm one night, flood water reached the top of the bridge hand rails. Our school bus got through, but then locals started towing vehicles across the bridge until it got too dangerous. I have seen the area flooded many times.
- Alan.
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Quite a history here. Two from me
Pat
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Pat.
I wanted to save that photo, and illustrate my pioneers research into this area with it, but I assumed I was giving you [the board] VERY little to work with, and as a lot of the board work appears to be specalized portrait work, at best I was hoping for a sepia illustration with some sharpened up definition. Plus only one, or two to take on the challenge.
Well Pat, I should not have, BUT my first exclamation was [XXX; 3 Capital letters, RC auto corrected] Blimey; when I saw your colouring of the drainage photos, which were just my secondary photos, explaining what that particular camp was all about.
When I got to this camp posting, I was left speachless.
I spent last night writing up about the Maori man, the Rev Hohaia Ngahiwi, who in the 1840's & 1850's was trained up by the Anglican CMS Missions to become a Teacher, then the Otawhao CMS School Principal, plus an Ordained Minister of the Anglican Faith. In 1864 he moved to the Mission at Taupiri, and the Hukanui Maori came under his pastoral care. To reach there he could travel by native canoe, though the last four kilometres, or so, was quite torturous, with many hair-pin bends. They were not bypassed until the dragline formed drainage programmes, of the 1930’s. It straight lined between headlands, regardless of legal property boundaries
That 1930's camp was situated on the WOODLANDS ESTATE land, [www.woodlands.co.nz] within whistling distance from the Homstead, established there in the late 1970's. The Estate was the largest developer of the Waikato County waste lands. Some 90,000 acres over half of which was deep peat bogs. Two Managers ran the estate before it was broken up in 1903. They encouraged regular worship by both Wesleyan and Presbyterian preachers, and with the Anglican Maori on the boundary, Hukanui became a strong Christian Community; without a pub.
I have previously pened an incident report, that fully illustrates the plight of those left with no alternative but the work camps, but as it is too large for this thread, will investigate positing it on a general discussion board. [Now done - link below]
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=783760.0
Thank you for accepting my challenge.
Alan.
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Alan,
Thank you for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated. It is sometimes interesting to have something different to try and improve. Some photos that look hopeless cases at first, can be improved, unfortunately others are beyond restoration, thankfully yours fell into the first category.
Thank you once again
Pat
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Yeah, nice work, Pat. :D :D
I've just added a late black and white version.
Peter.
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Thanks Peter,
it never ceases to amaze me what you restorer's are abe to accomplish. This photo in particular appeared very faded or poorly fixed. Add to that my novice ability with a big new printer's basic scanning deck. A far cry from my daughter's old faithful Cannon [75 to 600 dpi] and multipul scanning options. Unfortunately it will not work with WINDOWS 10 and 64bt technogoly. Which reminds me I must also acknowledge Pat, with a bit more info thereon, when i can make time.
Not enough hours in a day at the moment, too many PHD's on the go. [projects half done]
Thanks,
Alan.
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Thanks Peter,
it never ceases to amaze me what you restorer's are abe to accomplish. This photo in particular appeared very faded or poorly fixed. Add to that my novice ability with a big new printer's basic scanning deck. A far cry from my daughter's old faithful Cannon [75 to 600 dpi] and multipul scanning options. Unfortunately it will not work with WINDOWS 10 and 64bt technogoly. Which reminds me I must also acknowledge Pat, with a bit more info thereon, when i can make time.
Not enough hours in a day at the moment, too many PHD's on the go. [projects half done]
Thanks,
Alan.
OOp's an apology due as in my haste I typed Pat instead of Carol [Treetotal] - Alan.