Early Treasures

Early Treasures” is a unique and eclectic show of early New Zealand paintings and photographs on exhibition and sale at the Warwick Henderson Gallery.
The exhibition features early photographs and paintings – many which depict Auckland before and during its rise to become a big South Pacific city.
There are some stunning Marine paintings including an outstanding painting by the New Zealand Marine artist Frank Barnes. The paintings include early scenes of Auckland and New Zealand by Charles Blomfield, John Kinder, Louis Steele, J.D. Perrett, Alfred Aldis, William George Baker and other artists.” I feel a lot of these early paintings of New Zealand by lesser known artists are extremely undervalued, and not just in a monetary sense. We have been selling a lot of early works to overseas buyers; many are expatriates who are realising the importance of our heritage. Overseas buyers seem to value their history a lot more and I think the value of these works will increase significantly in the future” says Henderson.
The Exhibition includes two rare paintings, one is a very rare colonial painting by an unknown artist signed with a monogram depicting “The Old Maori Fort at Blockhouse Bay”. “Very few paintings of this area surface and it is quite rare”, says Gallery owner Warwick Henderson. “This painting is of particular interest to me as it is an area I grew up in and enjoyed many summers as a kid at Blockhouse Bay Beach”. The other is a very rare and unusual painting, which is an Oil on Canvas by Scottish Artist Charles Murray, the works is set in a magnificant Carved Wooden Frame.
Other paintings depict the early Auckland waterfront and scenes of New Zealand.
Another feature is an outstanding panoramic photograph of Auckland from Mt Hobson in Remuera before the waterfront was developed. “This is a stunning and rare photograph which shows one tram on Remuera Road and a 1920’s Jalopy, no traffic congestion back then!” Other photos depict Horse Races at both Ellerslie and Avondale during the Second World War and other early photos of Auckland.
This is a show not to be missed for anyone interested in early paintings and photographs. The show runs at the Warwick Henderson Gallery, 32 Bath Street, Parnell from 24th June to 18th July 2009.