North, Albert James
Dates
- Existence: 1912 - 2008
Biography
Born in Dunedin on 26th August 1912, North and his family moved to Christchurch in the 1920s. He spent most of his working life in the city, and its people, parks, beaches, bridges and streets became the focus of his photographic work.
North enlisted in the 2nd N.Z. Expeditionary Force in 1940 and was captured in 1942.
He spent the rest of the war interned as a prisoner of war, an experience which adversely affected his health, and resulted in him becoming a part-time photographer.
After the war he found solace in his photographic studies, with Lyttelton Harbour becoming his favourite subject matter. North's nephew John Sullivan describes him as 'a perfectionist with a skill for developing wonderful tonal contrasts, particularly of clouds and ocean waves, during the print processing, long before computers came along'. He died on 23 December 2008 and is buried in Bromley Cemetery.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Albert James North photographic collection
The collection consists of 133 photographs, 128 of which are by Albert James North, and 5 by an unknown photographer. Subjects include agricultural shows, bridges, botanic gardens, department stores, hotels, parades, pageants, parks, memorials, P-class yacht racing, shops, railways, a royal visit and shipping.