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an old photo of a group of photographs of people in a fieldan old black and white photo of a group of people sitting on the grassan old black and white photo of a man kneeling in the grassan old photo of a group of men working in a fielda black and white photo of a group of people in the woodsdrawing of a small village on a small island in the middle of the ocean
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1395 - German New Guinea / Bismarck Archipelago A collection of 12 …
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Estimate €850 - €1,200
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Description
German New Guinea / Bismarck Archipelago A collection of 12 original photographs of views and one original drawing, depicting the local population and group portraits from the colonial territory of the New Guinea Company. German New Guinea, c. 1886–1892. Dimensions: 15.5 x 11 cm, 11 x 15 cm and 11.5 x 17.5 cm (drawing). Silver gelatine. Vintage prints. Mounted on card Extremely rare. The collection documents several of the earliest and most significant bases of the German colonial administration and trading companies in the Bismarck Archipelago and Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land, as well as numerous key figures of the German colonial administration and expeditionary corps: The labelled photographs include, amongst others: “Governor’s House” – view of the official residence of the New Guinea Company in Finschhafen, which served as the seat of government for Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land until the provincial administration was relocated to Stephansort (1892).“Aladang Island near Finschhafen” – a topographical view of an offshore island in the harbour area of Finschhafen. “Market day in Ralum, New Britain” – an ethnographic scene from the trading and plantation centre of Ralum on the Gazelle Peninsula, where Richard Parkinson and Emma Forsayth (“Queen Emma”) were active. “Mioko” – “Mioko” – view of the trading post on the Duke of York Islands (Neulauenburg), the main station of the German Trading and Plantation Company (DHPG) and the historic site of the flag-raising ceremony on 4 November 1884. A large-format group photograph of European colonial officials, planters and company officials in white tropical attire, together with local companions, a dog and a bentwood chair (Thonet-style) outdoors, set against a backdrop of tropical vegetation and a fenced-in garden. Among those pictured, the South Sea explorer and ethnographer Richard Parkinson (1844–1909) has been identified; he was a long-term resident of Ralum and author of the seminal work *Thirty Years in the South Seas* (1907). The locations documented subsequently (Finschhafen, Mioko, Ralum) correspond most plausibly in terms of time with the terms of office of the provincial governors von Schleinitz, Kraetke and Rose (1886–1892), as well as with Richard Parkinson’s main period of activity in Ralum (from 1882, with his most intensive photographic work taking place between 1887 and 1894). The fact that several smaller research and collecting expeditions (Schrader, Hollrung, von Below/Hunstein, Lauterbach) took place during precisely this period also explains why travel albums of this kind frequently combine several company stations in a single collection: Scientists, civil servants and merchants used the same company steamers (including the ‘Samoa’ and the ‘Herzogin Elisabeth’) for round trips between Finschhafen, the Bismarck Archipelago and the trading posts. In addition, there are ethnographic photographs of the Gazelle Peninsula – Tolai and Baining peoples, as well as Bauke/Buka islanders, archers from the Bougainville region, and many others. Included: pen-and-ink drawing: Ralum on the Gazelle Peninsula (New Pomerania/New Britain) – shown from a different perspective and apparently at a different time of year or at a different stage of the journey; this time depicted as a drawn view of the shoreline with a densely built-up coastline, palm trees and outrigger canoes on the beach. - In good condition. German New Guinea – Bismarck Archipelago. – Collection of 12 original photographs, views and an original drawing, depicting the local population and group portraits from the colonial territory of the New Guinea Company. German New Guinea, c. 1886–1892. Each 15.5 x 11 cm or 11 x 15 cm, and 11.5 x 17.5 cm (drawing). Silver gelatine. Vintage prints. Mounted on card. Extremely rare. The collection documents several of the earliest and most significant outposts of the German colonial administration and trading companies in the Bismarck Archipelago and in Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, together with numerous key figures from the German colonial administration and expeditionary forces. The captioned images include, amongst others: “Haus des Landeshauptmanns” (House of the Landeshauptmann) – a view of the administrative headquarters of the New Guinea Company at Finschhafen, which remained the seat of government of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland until the territorial administration was relocated to Stephansort in 1892. “Insel Aladang bei Finschhafen” Aladang Island near Finschhafen – a topographical view of an offshore island in the harbour area of Finschhafen. “Market Day in Ralum, New Britain” – an ethnographic scene from the trading and plantation centre of Ralum on the Gazelle Peninsula, the base of operations for Richard Parkinson and Emma Forsayth (“Queen Emma”). “Mioko” – a view of the trading post on the Duke of York Islands (Neulauenburg), the principal station of the Deutsche Handels- und Plantagengesellschaft (DHPG) and the historic site where the German flag was raised on 4 November 1884. A large-format group photograph of European colonial employees, planters and company officials in white tropical attire, together with local attendants, a dog and a bentwood chair (Thonet type), taken outdoors against a backdrop of tropical vegetation and a fenced garden. Among those depicted, the South Seas explorer and ethnographer Richard Parkinson (1844–1909) has been identified – with reasonable certainty – as a long-term resident of Ralum and author of the standard work *Dreißig Jahre in der Südsee* (Thirty Years in the South Seas) (1907). The stations documented in sequence (Finschhafen, Mioko, Ralum) correspond chronologically most plausibly with the tenures of the Landeshauptmänner von Schleinitz, Kraetke, and Rose (1886–1892), as well as with Richard Parkinson’s main period of activity at Ralum (from 1882, with his most intensive photographic work taking place between 1887 and 1894). The fact that several smaller research and collecting expeditions took place during precisely this period (Schrader, Hollrung, von Below/Hunstein, Lauterbach) further explains why travel albums of this kind frequently combine several Company stations within a single collection: scientists, officials and merchants used the same Company steamers (including the ‘Samoa’ and the ‘Herzogin Elisabeth’) for round-trip voyages between Finschhafen, the Bismarck Archipelago and the trading stations. Also included are ethnographic images of the Gazelle Peninsula – the Tolai and Baining peoples – as well as Buka Islander archers from the Bougainville region, amongst others. Accompanied by: a pen-and-ink wash drawing: Ralum on the Gazelle Peninsula (New Pomerania/New Britain) – depicting the same location from a different vantage point and evidently at another season or another stage of the journey, this time rendered as a drawn shoreline view with a densely built-up coastline, palm trees, and outrigger canoes beached on the shore. Well preserved. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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