The Hocken Collections include a significant collection of art and photographs.
See the Art History Sources at the Hocken Collections research guide for details of our holdings.
The Art Collection has more than 18,000 artworks relating to New Zealand and the Pacific, dating from 18th century voyagers through to contemporary artists.This is a magnificent resource for the study of New Zealand art history and provides abundant research material for the history and culture of New Zealand. Artists with works in the collection include:
Dr Hocken's original collection of pictures represents illustrative material intended for use by geographers, ethnologists and natural scientists. Significant additions to the collection include artwork amassed by Charles Brasch, Mona Edgar and Rodney Kennedy.
The Photography Collection includes well over a million historic images from all over New Zealand, the Pacific, early Australia and Antarctica but with a focus on Otago.
Formats range from daguerreotypes, prints, albums, postcards, panoramas, 35mm slides to lantern slides, glass and film negatives and digital files. Historic photographers represented in the collection include:
While the policy in recent times has been for collecting documentary photography (as opposed to art photography housed with the paintings), contemporary photographers spanning the divide include:
Please note that photographs are also held in the archives collection at the Hocken Collections. See the section Archives for details on this material.
For information on referencing photographs and art see the relevant sections in this Libguide under 'Referencing Hocken sources'.
Search for art on Hākena using the simple search or advanced search options
Click on 'Save To Gallery' to see a larger version of the imagePlease talk to desk staff if you cannot locate art relating to your inquiry or email the Curator of Art.
Search for photographs on Hākena using the simple search or advanced search options
. Click on 'Save To Gallery' to see a larger version of the imageHocken Digital Collections has thousands of digitised images from across the Hocken's collections, and still includes material from our original Recollect site Hocken Snapshop. These Snapshop images are of a lower quality and have more minimal metadata than the newly available material, but are slowly being replaced with higher quality images.
You are welcome to use any of the images on this site for your:
You are also welcome to use any images that are out of copyright in:
Further to this you are welcome to use most of the out of copyright images made available on this site for any purpose including publication, without getting a high resolution image or permission from Hocken Collections.
Please check the Conditions of Use and Copying information which displays as part of each object's metadata for details relating to other usage and for use of still in copyright material.
The art and photography area is open by appointment only; visitors can contact art and photography collections staff if they wish to view items.
Most photographic images, and some art listed on Hākena can be requested and viewed in Hocken's main reading room. For further information and assistance, please contact Hocken staff to discuss viewing art and photographs.
The Hocken Gallery hosts a regular programme of exhibitions showcasing collections, artwork by Frances Hodgkins Fellows and travelling exhibits.
The gallery is open to all visitors - see the Hocken website for hours.
Head Curator Pictorial Collections:
Robyn Notman
(03) 479 5600
Curator of Art:
Hope Wilson
(03) 479 9020
Curator of Photography:
Anna Petersen
(03) 479 8870
Sydney Parkinson ca. 1745-1771 and Gabriel Smith 1724-1783,"Knightia excelsa (Proteaceae)", Banks Florilegium, Part 26, Plate 540, Edition 10/100, 1980-1989 after 1769, 2012/16/139. Art Collection, Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
Shane Cotton Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Te Uri Taniwha 1964-, Back Words, 2011, 2011/79. Art Collection, Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
E.A. Phillips, Yvette Williams training for long jump, St Clair, c. 1948-53. P1968-001/4-003. Photography Collection, Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
