Scenes in Maoriland

‘Maoriland’ was a name given to New Zealand from the late 19th century through to the early part of the 20th century. At this time there was a worldwide postcard boom lasting from 1903 until the beginning of World War 1. The postcard boom was inspired by the introduction of cheap postage and technological advances allowing mass production. Scenic images of New Zealand appeared on mass produced postcards both printed in New Zealand and in Europe, in particular Germany. Greetings in Maoriland, Welcome to Maoriland, Scenes in Maoriland and other similar titles were bestowed on elaborately decorated cards to be sent throughout New Zealand and around the world. At the peak of the boom in 1909, 14 million postcards were sent in New Zealand. The idea of re-working these cards came from the irony they displayed both with the time they were first manufactured and contemporary politics of Maori land ownership. The historic photographic inserts of snowy mountains and public gardens have been replaced with contemporary images of politically charged landscapes. The new landscapes were photographed on 4x5 film in order to resonate with early 19th century photography technique.