The Correspondence1 spans
from 1896 until 1930, with the richest information covering the 19
years from the start of the Correspondence until the gift of the
Partridge Collection to the Auckland Art Gallery in 1915. Even
though the Collection grew steadily during that period, the
Correspondence has little information about Partridge's
commissioning habits and there is in fact no direct communication
between the patron and the artist. Instead, its strength is as a
record of public opinion concerning the value of the Collection.
Equally, the Correspondence shows Partridge's growing
responsibility in managing the Collection as interest grew. From
the documents, he emerges as an interested and altruistic
collector.
Fig. 1 Unknown,
Henry Edward Partridge c. 1899. Image kindly supplied by Bruce W.
Graham.
Reserved amongst the Correspondence are many letters of praise
written by prominent early Auckland and New Zealand figures. Such
letters often came after a visit to the Partridge family home in
Grafton where the Collection was on public display.2
Henry Partridge (Fig. 1) seems to have greatly valued such
correspondence, especially in light of his own comparatively
private life. In fact, the earliest document is a letter of this
kind sent in October 18963
from John Logan Campbell and William
Swanson (Fig. 2), a successful logging entrepreneur and
politician.4
Fig. 2 Charles F.
Goldie, The Hon William Swanson MLC, 1901 oil on canvas, Auckland
Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, gift of the artist, 1920
The attitude reflected in that letter is common within much of
the Correspondence: the Collection was prized as a record of
important deceased Māori figures, its value was often mentioned,
and the accurate likeness of the portrait sitters was marvelled at.
Many correspondents also offered biographical information about the
portrait sitters whom they had known, as Logan Campbell did for
Tamati Waka Nene (Fig. 3).5
Partridge also actively researched the portrait sitters himself,
approaching European individuals who had known them. In January
1897 he was offered short biographical sketches
by Charles Nelson, the proprietor of the popular Geyser Hotel in
Whakarewarewa, Rotorua. Nelson had been a staff member in the
Native Land Purchase Department for 13 years previously and had a
personal interest in Māori culture.6
Nelson also encouraged the photographer Josiah Martin to inspect
Partridge's collection, as he knew Martin would appreciate it. In
addition, Partridge received another 20 biographies between 1898
and 1905.7
These came from James Mackay, an influential former Government
Land Agent in the Waikato. The two had met in the 1870s in Thames8
and Mackay apparently took Partridge to Māori settlements in the
course of his work.9
The Partridge family later credited Mackay as being the catalyst
for his interest in Māori culture.10
In 1901, Partridge began exhibiting the collection free of
charge on the floor above11
his business premises12 at
204 Queen Street (Fig. 4).13.
The display area was known as The Lindauer Art Gallery14
and the Correspondence features an elegant invitation card that
was distributed to tourists. Now that he had a dedicated space for
display, Partridge continued to commission portraits from Lindauer
but also increased his commission of large paintings showing Māori
customs. The Correspondence records a discussion relating to this
where between February 1902 and January 1903, James Mackay tried to
arrange the performance of a war dance for Partridge. That event
was to be photographed and potentially reproduced by Lindauer.
Mackay appealed to Partridge to
record the event as he felt that customary knowledge would be lost
as the older generation of Māori passed away; Mackay stated 'So
much for these degenerate days. O tempora, o mores!!!'15.
At the time, Mackay was advancing in years and in a weakened
financial circumstance. Partridge's interest in this matter
may have given him some relief.
The Collection was well known by March 1904 when Thomas Donne of
the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts sent a telegram to
Partridge to ask if he would loan the New Zealand
Government several portraits for display at the 1904 St. Louis
World's Fair in Missouri, United States.16
The St Louis World's Fair was one of the major Fairs of its time,
hosting 62 countries.17
Partridge agreed and chose 10 artworks to send; the portrait of
Tawhiao, the Second Māori King, was chosen along with seven other
portraits and two large scenes titled The Tohunga-ta-moko at
Work (Fig. 5) and The Tohunga under Tapu (Fig. 6). 18
Partridge was later awarded a 'Gold Medal for Paintings of Māori
Types' by the International Jury of Awards at the Fair.19
He accepted the medal and there was no mention of Lindauer as the
artist.
In early 1906, Partridge looked to sell his collection as the
lease was due to expire on his Queen Street store where the
paintings were displayed. He offered the Collection to the New
Zealand Government for ₤10,000, which they refused due to the high
price.20 Partridge justified
the amount in a letter to Augustus
Hamilton, Director of the Colonial Museum in Wellington.21
He believed the entire collection was worth that figure and felt
the value was maintained by his holding the intact copyright for
many of the paintings.22
The matter of copyright plainly meant a great deal to Partridge as
he showed persistence in applying for and gaining the copyright for
70 of his paintings over a period of 15 years. In doing so,
Lindauer and Kennett Watkins, the only other artist represented in
the Partridge Collection, were required to surrender their claim to
copyright. The Copyright Certificates are also held by the E.H.
McCormick Research Library.23
Concerned again in 1912 about another expiry of lease, Partridge
loaned the Collection to the Auckland Art Gallery in 1913 at the
suggestion of the Mayor of Auckland, James Parr. This loan was also
encouraged by Thomson Leys,
philanthropist and editor of the Evening Star.24
The Collection later came to reside permanently at the Auckland Art
Gallery due to Partridge's own great act of generosity. He had been
in Europe during the outbreak of World War I and was moved by the
stand made by the Belgian populace against the advancing German
forces.25
Upon returning to New Zealand, he offered to donate the Collection
to the City of Auckland if the people of that district could raise
₤10,000 for the Auckland Belgian Relief Fund.26
The total amount was raised within seven weeks27
and Partridge was roundly thanked for this huge act of beneficence.
After the donation, a draft text was written for a plaque that was
to be displayed with the paintings. An unknown person stated in a
hand-written note underneath
the suggested text, 'It is desirable to clearly indicate that (the
paintings) value consists in their representation of M(aori).
customs- not as works of art'.28
With the donation completed, Partridge was released from the
management of the Collection. As such, the Correspondence halts in
1915 and only continues again briefly in 1929. Discussion then
relates to the publication by Whitcombe & Tombs of James
Cowan's29 book, Pictures
of old New Zealand: the Partridge Collection of Māori
Paintings, 1930 (Fig. 7). Pressing for the publication of that
book is the last record of Partridge's involvement with his
Collection. He passed away a year later at the age of 83.
Stephanie McKenzie, Marylyn Mayo Intern 2009, Auckland Art
Gallery Toi o Tāmaki