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  • Writer's pictureBarney Brewster

Sunday Beach Picnic


Family group, Sunday beach picnic, probably South Canterbury; about 1915
Family group, Sunday beach picnic, probably South Canterbury; about 1915

JANUARY from my new calendar illustrates some surprising beachwear, but perhaps a cold wind chilled this church picnic [?], somewhere in South Canterbury. Two girls share a swing on the left, an older couple on the right are in full rig for an afternoon on the sand, while the young girls with Papa show little interest in the picture-taking. The photographer is closer to her subjects than usual, meaning Mama was probably behind the camera.


As the original glass plates typically come without helpful annotations, we are left to guess the date and setting, and the subjects are necessarily anonymous. After a long look at the (surprisingly formal) fashions, I believe this is more likely to be 1917-18. The bowler hat went out of fashion in the 1920s. However with so little turning on the exact date, I have left my original guestimate unchanged. 


Copies of my Vintage New Zealand 2019 calendar are still available for purchase.

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