By Sorrel Hoskin

Back in the middle of last century it would have been difficult to find a New Plymouth home that didn't have a Swainson's Studio photograph hanging proudly on its walls. 

Joe and May Swainson taken around the time of their world tour in 1952. Photographer: Norman Squire. Image: Mark Birch.

Over the years thousands of families, sports teams, servicemen and wedding parties would make the journey up in the rattley old lift to Joseph (Joe) Swainson's studios on the first floor of the King's Building.

The New Plymouth photographer became a bit of an institution.

Described as a thickset man of average height, Joe always wore a cap. "Nobody wore a cap in those days," recalls his great nephew Mark Birch. "But he wore one everywhere - it became his trademark."

A photographic future

Joe was born in Windermere in 1891. The town was on the shores of the beautiful Lake Windermere, in northern England, near the home of the children's author Beatrix Potter.

According to his obituary in Taranaki Daily News the young man had shown an interest in photography so his parents paid a premium of 100 pounds to put him in an apprenticeship. His initial salary was a lowly 2s6d a week rising to 10s a week for the fourth and final year of his apprenticeship.

It was while an apprentice that he saw the production of a half-plate coloured transparency - which he believed was the first attempt at colour photography in the world.

At the age of 21 Joe headed to the bright lights of London to further his photography skills. While there he joined a pierrot troupe, "they used to put on seaside concerts. They dressed themselves up as black and white minstrels - that sort of thing," says Mark. "Whether he did that as part of his work or in his spare time I don't know."

War and Winston Churchill

But a brief two years later the dark clouds of war hung over Britain as World War I loomed.

Like most young men Joe responded to the call-up to help protect his country and was assigned the job of dispatch rider. "That meant he rode a motorbike to the front taking messages to the trenches and back, "says Mark. "He used to boast that once when Winston Churchill visited the trenches he had the honour of carrying his overcoat!"

After serving in the First Battle of the Somme Joe was injured - likely receiving a dose of "gas" - an injury to his lungs that was to plague him for the rest of his life.

The young man was reassigned to the Royal Flying Corps as a photographer. "His job was to sit in the back of one of those terrible old aeroplanes, fly over the enemy lines, lean over the edge and take pictures." Joe also spent time at an aerial machine-gunnery school where observers and gunners were trained.

From photography to farming?

After the war he and new wife May made the big decision to emigrate to New Zealand. "I don't know what prompted him to come to New Zealand," says Mark. "Land of opportunity and that sort of thing I suppose. He was supposed to go and work on a farm - but he knew nothing whatever about farms!"

Joe had obtained work at Onehunga so when the ship berthed at Auckland he asked for directions to the little settlement. "He knew nothing about Māori pronunciation and went to people and asked "where's One Hunger?" laughs Mark. "They eventually got to their destination and somehow or other he survived being on the farm."

The Swainson's moved to New Plymouth in the mid 1920s where Joe returned to what he knew best - and set up a photography studio.

Swainson's studio - photographer

Soon, with May's help, Swainson's Studio was thriving. The business moved to the first floor of the King's Building on the corner of Brougham and Devon Street in the centre of the town, where it would remain for more than 30 years.

"You went up in a terrible lift," recalls Mark. "It was so old that it had to be staffed by this poor woman - soul destroying work! She used to sit there with her knitting."

The studio was a big rambling place with large windows. "There was a place for customers with a desk and that sort of thing. There was a great big workshop filled with flowers and pictures and what have you and two or three other little rooms."

Hundreds of Taranaki homes had Jo's work hanging on their walls as the photographer was kept busy taking pictures of the district's weddings, sports teams and portraits. During World War II he took many photos of servicemen and their families - keepsakes for those who went off to war and those left behind.

"They were all black and white," remembers Mark. "Even much later when my mother and I came out in 1953 they were still using black and white, and pictures were being hand coloured. I remember he had a camera he was very proud of - it was an immense wooden thing that stood on a tripod and he used to disappear under a black cloth to take the photo. He was still using it in the 1960s."

Joe gained a reputation as a respected photographer and businessman. At one stage he got a commission from the High Court to take pictures of scenes of crimes. "Like what police photographers do today," says Mark. "He had the bright idea of putting together a booklet of these things which was unheard of during those days. A High Court judge complimented him on it - he was quite proud of that."

A New Plymouth entity

The Swainson's settled easily into New Plymouth society. May was a shy woman but Joe had a high profile in the town, joining many clubs and associations.

He was a founding member of the New Zealand Professional Photographers Association and served many years on the committee where he was known as "the Taranaki Agitator". He became president - then a life member. Joe was also member of the Ngamotu Masonic Lodge, Star Rugby Football Club, the Taranaki Jockey Club and the Taranaki and Hawera Trotting Clubs.

"He used to say that several times he'd been asked to stand for mayor but he never would," says Mark. "He had all sorts of ideas for changing New Plymouth but I don't think they ever got traction anywhere."

"He was very disgruntled with the newspapers because they wouldn't let him use a nom de plume. He would say he was a businessman and didn't want to upset his customers because they might stop coming to the studio."

Around the world

In 1952 the Swainson's went on holiday - flying around the world. A photograph album tracks their progress Hawaii, San Francisco, New York, London…

They ended up in Windemere where Mark, a youngster at grammar school, and his mother Lucy lived. He convinced the pair that New Zealand was the land of milk and honey.

"He suggested that we come out to New Zealand to live. Britain was just about broke after World War II, and things weren't looking good. He said 'there's no future here, come out to New Zealand.'"

A new life in New Zealand

So they did, arriving in New Plymouth in 1953. Lucy was given a job working at Swainson's studios. "He had a staff of four or five at that time. My mother did colouring and retouching and spotting of the photographs."

Mother and son would often go for drives with Jo around the mountain. "In Opunake and other towns he had photos on shop walls, every month or so he'd go around and change these pictures - it was one of his forms of advertising."

New Zealand beckons: Lucy Birch (left) and son Mark, Joe Swainson and an aunt, Elsie Smeddles in England. Image: Mark Birch.

The young Mark and his great uncle didn't really see eye to eye. "He and I were completely opposite personalities so there was a bit of friction between us. He was a very practical person, or liked to think he was. He used to say 'I've never read a book in my life' I don't know whether that was true or not. He hated to see me reading. Central School had this motto over their gate: 'learn by doing'. He said 'that's right - you don't want to go reading books!'"

Mark eventually ended up in the world of journalism - working for The Taranaki Daily News. His great uncle had other ideas for his nephew's career. "He wanted me to join a Government department: 'absolutely safe - you'll never get sacked!'"

Retirement beckons

Joe had intended to retire on the couple's return to New Plymouth but joked that they had spent too much on their holiday and he couldn't retire. Eventually he sold the studio to Bernard Woods in the mid 1960s.

On their world tour Joe had been impressed by the illuminations at Torquay - coloured lights that lit up trees and statues. He set about illuminating his Devon Street West garden, making it a Christmas tradition. "He also had recordings of church bells ringing out every evening", laughs Mark. "The neighbours complained bitterly - but he took no notice whatsoever!"

May died in 1972 and not long after Joe moved into Tainui home. He died in September 1976 at the age of 85. His memory lives on in the thousands of photographs hanging in Taranaki homes…

The Swainson collection is in the process of being catalogued and is not available for public use.