Robin Morrison

Robin Morrison (16 June 1944 – 12 March 1993) was a New Zealand documentary photographer, best known for his unpretentious portrayal of New Zealand countryside, everyday life and quirky architecture. His photos can be described as unearthing memories of his childhood in the process of exploring the place as it is now.^[1]

His entire collection of negatives was bequeathed to the Auckland Museum, which honoured his work in the exhibition Robin Morrison, Photographer (from 28 February to 13 April 1997).

Biography[]

Morrison was born in Devonport, Auckland. His family moved to Palmerston North when he was 10. His father was a portrait photographer and kept art books around the house which played an influence on Morrison as a child.

His career in photography began while working for the underground magazine International Times in London in the 1960s. He was asked to cover an anti-Vietnam War demonstration which prompted him to buy his first camera, a Votigander. While the photographs were never published the event was the starting point of his work as a freelance photographer.

He returned to New Zealand in the 1970s. His first work in the country included portraiture work of Edmund Hillary, Dame Whina Cooper, John A Lee and Frank Sargeson. He also documented historic events such as the Bastion Point protests and the Springbok Tour.^[2]

Selected books[]

• Images of a House (1978)
• The South Island of New Zealand From the Road (1981)
• Readers Digest Book Of Historic Australian Towns (1982)
• A Sense of Place (1984)
• Wild Australia:Reader's Digest (1984)
• The Wines And Vineyards Of New Zealand (1984) text Michael Cooper
• The Historic Country Hotels Of England (1985) text Wendy Arnold
• The Historic Hotels Of London (1986) text Wendy Arnold
• The Irish Village (1986) with
• Homeplaces (1986) with Keri Hulme
• The English Country Town (1987) text Anthony Quiney
• The Historic Hotels Of France (1988) text Wendy Arnold
• Auckland:City & Sea (1989)
• The Bayswater Brasserie Book of Food(1989)
• The Historic Hotels Of Ireland (1989) text by Wendy Arnold
• A Land Apart: The Chatham Islands of New Zealand (1990) with Michael King
• The Historic Hotels Of Paris (1990) text Wendy Arnold
• The Historic Hotels of Spain (1991) text Wendy Arnold
• New Zealand Architecture From Polynesian Beginnings to 1990 (1991) text Peter Shaw
• Sydney In Black and White(1992)text Glenn A Baker
• Coromandel (1993) with Michael King
• A Journey (1994)

References[]

External links[]

• Artist's website
• Works by Morrison in the collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
• Works by Morrison in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa