Plates - frontispiece and illustrations
One of the factors that really sets this work apart from any other scientific reports previously published in New Zealand up to this time is the rich and varied range of illustrations. Although there is no pretence of presenting a homogenous whole, each one of the plates is true to its origin and serves as a proud representation of the best of old and new printing processes, and the proud traditions and skills of the printing craftsmen who produced them in Christchurch and Vienna.
But before looking at a selection of the plates it will be of interest to consider the sources for these illustrations. Fortunately, for many of the plates reproducing photographs, the original photographs have recently been found to be extant in an important collection of archival material from the estate of Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829-1884).
But before looking at a selection of the plates it will be of interest to consider the sources for these illustrations. Fortunately, for many of the plates reproducing photographs, the original photographs have recently been found to be extant in an important collection of archival material from the estate of Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829-1884).
Frontispiece: "Canterbury Museum"
This is an exceedingly fine example of zincography produced by Rudolf von Waldheim in Vienna.
An extant contemporary photographic print of the original pen and ink drawing that this was based on shows the high level of fidelity Waldheim used in preparing the plate, only using a little artistic license to embellish the aesthetics of the composition, as we can see by looking at the clouds in the printed frontispiece, which are completely absent in the source.
An extant contemporary photographic print of the original pen and ink drawing that this was based on shows the high level of fidelity Waldheim used in preparing the plate, only using a little artistic license to embellish the aesthetics of the composition, as we can see by looking at the clouds in the printed frontispiece, which are completely absent in the source.
The top image shows a detail from the source image, while the above is a detail of the printed frontispiece, which is shown in its entirety below:
Collotypes - 'photographic views'
The collotype plates feature a series of photographic views based on photographic prints Haast sent to Vienna, where Max Jaffé was able to employ the latest developments in the use of collotype printing to produce the photographic views. Working from photographic prints as opposed to glass plate negatives made this process more difficult, while sending glass plates, if they had been available to Haast would have been rather risky given the fragile nature of photographic glass plates.
By taking one of the plates and looking at its source photograph for comparison one can see the qualities of the printing process. The photograph Head of the great Tasman Glacier, was taken by Edward Percy Sealy (1839-1903) and sent to Vienna in 1877.
By taking one of the plates and looking at its source photograph for comparison one can see the qualities of the printing process. The photograph Head of the great Tasman Glacier, was taken by Edward Percy Sealy (1839-1903) and sent to Vienna in 1877.
On close inspection the collotype illustration found in the book features the characteristics of the gelatin reticulation on the glass printing plate, which helps to identify this as a collotype.
This texture is completely independent of the texture of the paper as can be seen when we take a closer look an unprinted portion from the margin.
This texture is completely independent of the texture of the paper as can be seen when we take a closer look an unprinted portion from the margin.
The paper is a machine made smooth surfaced heavy stock. Here we also see the imprint, which was printed separately from the image.
Finally below is the complete plate which is folded in the book, featuring both the Hochstetter Dome and Mount Darwin, as indicated by the labels printed above the image.
Finally below is the complete plate which is folded in the book, featuring both the Hochstetter Dome and Mount Darwin, as indicated by the labels printed above the image.
Photograph by Edward Percy Sealy (catalogue no. 2.16.12) from: Nolden & Nolden (2012), p. 166.