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tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 2-3 16/8/10 3:06:58 INTRODUCTION ATHOL McCREDIE

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 8-9 16/8/10 3:07:10 FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES 1945—1954 LISSA MITCHELL

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 20-21 16/8/10 3:07:41 36 BRIAN BRAKE LENS ON THE WORLD FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES 37

Thoughtful rest c. 1946 Gelatin silver print 338 x 278 mm

Moy moy (Little miss) 1946 Gelatin silver print 360 x 289 mm Collection of Wai-man Lau

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 36-37 16/8/10 3:08:04 THE ROVING PHOTOJOURNALIST 1954—1959 JOHN B TURNER

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 42-43 16/8/10 3:08:16 THE ROVING PHOTOJOURNALIST 99

Jordanian soldiers parading for the visit of King Hussein of Jordan, Bethlehem, West Bank 1958

Procession of Arab sultans, Say’un Wadi, Hadhramaut, Yemen 1958

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 98-99 16/8/10 3:09:51 108 BRIAN BRAKE LENS ON THE WORLD

Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, 1957

Flower seller, Srinagar, Kashmir, India 1957

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 108-109 16/8/10 3:10:10 THE ROVING PHOTOJOURNALIST 137

May Day celebrations, Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China 1957

Girls in May Day celebrations, Beijing, China 1957

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 136-137 16/8/10 3:10:53 THE ROVING PHOTOJOURNALIST 155

Borobudur at dusk, 1971

Jim Thompson’s house, Bangkok, c. 1968

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 154-155 16/8/10 3:11:23 THE COLOUR PHOTO ESSAY 191

Monsoon girl From the ‘Monsoon’ series 1960

Jaipur, India From the ‘Monsoon’ series 1960

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 190-191 16/8/10 3:12:15 LOOKING AT 255

colour, mostly in double-page spread. The overall impression When the book first appeared Brake was back in , is of a grand, unspoilt landscape, a human informality and and on 10 September he received perhaps his most interesting quirkiness, and a native people in transition between tradition response to the book in the form of a telegram from : and modernity—an assumed belief in the benefits of fresh air, ‘Snap book beaut all the jokers in the pub say its bonza except formal education and material progress underpinning all—and Firth but dicken on him love Mum and Dad.’28 ‘Dad’ was probably observed with skill, affection and pride. In high contrast to the his former employer and mentor Spencer Digby, then National Geographic essay, it represents Brake’s coherent, in retirement in Auckland, and ‘Firth’ probably Clifton Firth, personal response to his own country. Digby’s photographic equivalent in the Queen City.

In a 1988 television documentary about his work, Brake said, When the sixth, revised impression appeared in 1973, reviewers ‘If you want to earn a living through it [photojournalism] you tended to be a little more critical, but the overwhelming response have to know the needs of the marketplace. Over the years was again positive. Representative of comments about the book’s you establish a reputation. Sometimes you can do what you continuing relevance was that of Alexander Fry, writing in the want to do, in others you must conform to what others want New Zealand Listener: ‘In 1964 [sic] Shadbolt wrote “We still you to do. It’s a balancing act the whole time.’22 Gift of the sea prefer third-rate immigrants from Europe to first-rate people from was probably the project in which he could most do what he Asia.” In the new Gift the phrase is still there, though the tense is wanted to do, where his personal response was neither shaped changing. It should have been left out. Generalisations about first- by others’ agendas nor confined by commercial imperatives. rate and third-rate human beings sit uneasily in the vocabulary Despite his residence overseas from 1954 and his international of a civilised man—especially of one who pleads persuasively for career, he never saw himself as anything other than a New aroha in our multi-racial life.’29 Most reviewers remarked on the Zealander—albeit a seasoned expatriate, frequently worrying fact that 100,000 copies had been sold.30 ‘This alone,’ said the the issue in letters to friends. Nelson Evening Mail’s reviewer, ‘is massive proof of its worth, integrity and attraction, and demand appears to be insatiable.’31 ‘This is not the usual book of New Zealand scenes! It is a Several reviewers reiterated the impression that, compared with book with that rare arresting magic quality of genius which earlier books on New Zealand, Gift of the sea conveyed the real distinguishes a work of art,’ proclaimed the Whitcombe & Tombs New Zealand: ‘I know enough of New Zealand to find it impossible flyer announcing publication. Something of the enthusiasm and to accuse Mr Brake of gilding the photographic lily. The back self-belief of the book’s authors had infected the publishers, and country is as beautiful as he makes it; his Pakeha and Maori once the books hit the bookshops ten weeks before Christmas it portraits do bring you into a New Zealand that really exists.’32 A was clearly contagious.23 Honolulu reviewer, writing of Shadbolt, observed: ‘The result is such a perfect blending of his text with Brake’s pictures that the Reviewers countrywide were uniform in their praise. Commonly two are really one. The words are pictures and the pictures are picked out for comment were the newness of the concept (the words—eloquent, moving and multi-dimensional in their impact, authors ‘seek not merely to give a pictorial survey, but to reveal for this New Zealand, one feels, is THE New Zealand.’33 the nature and character of the land and its people’24); the youth and talent of the authors (‘Together two gifted young ‘THE New Zealand’ seems a never-ending quest, rather like New Zealanders have given us one of the finest books on our ‘the great New Zealand novel’.34 Perhaps the need itself is more country yet published … Imagination matches high inspiration interesting than any attempted resolution—although that in an appeal to the eye, the mind, and the heart’25); and the is another story. The book’s timing was absolutely right, and book’s educational value (‘There is majesty, discovery and Brake and Shadbolt were the men for the job. New Zealand, poetry about this large volume. New Zealanders are going to gift of the sea possibly came as close to ‘THE New Zealand’ as learn a good deal about their country and themselves in it.’26) anyone might get. For Brake, particularly, the project cemented Overall, the consensus was that Gift of the sea was ‘the most his sense of himself as a New Zealander, and the book became outstanding pictorial survey of this country yet published’.27 his love letter to the land of his birth.

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 254-255 16/8/10 3:13:49 266 BRIAN BRAKE LENS ON THE WORLD LOOKING AT NEW ZEALAND 267

Mount Taranaki from Tariki 1978

Akaroa, Canterbury 1978

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 266-267 16/8/10 3:14:06 OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY 297

Hand from an image of the Buddha, National Museum, Bangkok, Thailand 1970

Head from an image of the Buddha, National Museum, Bangkok, Thailand c. 1970

tpa0005-brake-ART-interior_FOTP.indd 296-297 16/8/10 3:14:51 OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY 299

Nikau series, by Neil Grant Taken for Craft New Zealand: The art of the craftsman (1981) c. 1980

Kahurangi Kiwi, by Hepi Maxwell Taken for Kahurangi: Treasures from New Zealand (1984) c. 1984

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