Wellington City Council Archives, AM001-18

“Wellington City Archives hits 20 million digitisation mark” read the headline (a while back) with a link to archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz where people can search for material.  

Last time I consulted the archives I searched a database, requested the archivist, made an appointment to visit the archive, travelled to a building in Newtown (from memory), was ushered into a room and shown the object of my interest, an “Ambrotype or Collodian glass negative (underexposed) in a protective case” of H Barber butcher Lambton Quay, in front of his shop. A search today and there it is, an image of the shop and an image of the object that houses the image. Admittedly not the same thrill as seeing the real thing – exquisite – but brilliant for research. And there is no known copyright, so it can be reproduced.

The Barber butchery continued on Lambton Quay well into the twentieth century. You can see a picture of Lambton Quay, with Barber & Co (butchers) [ca 1903-1904] in the collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library. Barbers had a retail shop as well as a busy trade supplying meat to ships. 

Thank you @wcc_archives