THE CAMERA SLIDES TO A CLOSE AND FOLDS INTO A HARD-WEARING METAL BOX. THE FRAGILE, LIGHT-SENSITIVE GLASS PLATE NEGATIVES ARE KEPT IN A WOODEN HOLDER.

Doctor Ebenezer Teichelmann was a local medical physician who lived in Hokitika from 1897 until his death in 1938. Known as ‘the little doctor’ Teichelmann’s interests were much broader than medicine, notably, he liked nothing better than to spend his leisure time climbing mountains and taking photographs. He was first to climb many peaks in Westland and record the expeditions with his trusty camera which is held in the Hokitika Museum collection. The ‘Teichelmann camera’ is a Premo ½ plate camera made around 1905 in USA by the Rochester Optical Company, later bought out by Kodak.

Doctor Teichelmann is perched on a ridge above Fox Glacier, taking a photo while Alec Graham stands by to assist. Photo by HE Newton, 1907 (Dorothy Fletcher Collection 3943-FG)