A collection of 1.5 million negatives representing an Ōtorohanga photographer’s entire career is being transferred to the town’s museum.
The collection of black and white negatives and prints provides a record of more than half a century when Richard and Ruve Wallace ran a photographic business in town.
King Country News August 22
The couple have announced plans to move to western Australia.
Plans are underway to store the negatives in a fireproof facility at the museum.
Richard Wallace has been chosen as the featured artist for the town’s Art Beat Festival on the weekend of November 23 and 24.
Ōtorohanga Museum director Liz Cowan said the collection was unique. The couple were willing to donate their archive free, but the museum insisted on a token payment.
A grant from Trust Waikato helped to secure the negatives, which were taken from 1963 to the mid-2000s when the Wallaces stopped using negatives.
“The collection comprises a comprehensive record of weddings, births, community events and significant people in the community,” Cowan said.
“It’s such a slice of life, representing so many people, places and events – very few towns would have an historic record of this sort. The collection has been meticulously catalogued by Ruve; considering that not all photographers from this era kept their negatives it is quite unique.”
A selection of prints from the collection will be on display during the Art Beat festival.
Richard and Ruve Wallace
