Lake Manapouri and the tourist market

Lake Manapouri and the tourist market

Lake Manapouri was a drawcard for tourists and photographers. The two industries were closely linked. Photographers' products helped the tourist industry to promote the region's scenic attractions. At the same time, photographers also depended on the tourist market for sales.

Photographs were often collected and bound in albums as mementoes of trips and holidays. In this example, pressed flowers have been used as a decorative border for the photographs, emphasising how tourists saw the lake as a site of natural wonder and majesty. The border also echoes the way the photographer framed the Cathedral Mountains in this shot with trees and shrubs.

Tourists and photographers were not always so closely attuned. C Smeaton White documented her excursions around Lake Manapouri in the 1920s. She describes her disgust at encountering rubbish left behind by photographers, busy creating images of an untouched scenic wonderland.

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga a Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image

Find Out More