By Michele Leggott and Catherine Field-Dodgson The reporter from the Nelson Evening Mail is more than usually enthusiastic about the work on show at Emily Harris’s studio in Nile St East. Under the heading ‘Some Exquisite Paintings’ the range and ambition of Emily’s latest project is described in detail: Miss Harris has undoubted talent in Read More…
Tag: emily cumming harris
Thomas Kirk at Te Papa: the Campbell Island flora
By Michele Leggott and Catherine Field-Dodgson 14 January 1890 The Colonial Government Steamship Hinemoa reaches Campbell Island with botanists Thomas Kirk and Frederick Chapman on board. The steamer has visited the Snares and the Auckland Islands, travelling ever further south into the brief sub-antarctic summer since leaving Bluff 8 January on her periodic tour of Read More…
Groundwork: Emily Cumming Harris, Artist and Writer
By Michele Leggott With many research materials uploaded to the website 2019-21, our thoughts are turning to plans for a book about Emily Harris and her world that might utilise some of these online resources. I would like to write a book about Emily that introduces her work to a general audience, rather as she Read More…
Three Paintings from 1906
By Michele Leggott Among the artists and photographers listed in the Nelson, Marlborough and Westland volume of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand (1906) is an entry for Emily Harris: Harris, Miss Emily Cumming, Artist, Nile Street, Nelson. Miss Harris was born at Plymouth, England, and is a daughter of the late Mr. Edwin Harris, one Read More…
Emily Harris and Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull
By Michele Leggott The Turnbull Library in Wellington holds a letter from Emily Harris to Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull (1868-1918), the collector and bibliophile whose name and collections were given to the library when it was established in 1919. Emily’s letter in the file of inward correspondence is accompanied by a clipping of her obituary in Read More…
NZ Mountain Flora goes live!
By Michele Leggott Botanical historian F Bruce Sampson thought Emily Harris’s illustrations of New Zealand mountain flora showed the artist’s concern for fine botanical detail as well as pleasing composition: The pen, ink and watercolour originals for the unpublished New Zealand Mountain Flora (PLATES 33 and 34) are superb examples of botanical illustration. They are Read More…
Drawing Lines: Emily’s diaries go live
By Michele Leggott Drawing Lines is the title we’ve given to our full transcription of Emily Harris’s diaries 1885-1891, to point out a connection with Writing Lines, the section devoted to Emily’s letters and diary excerpts 1860-1863. In 1860, Emily at 23 was an accomplished writer of lively prose and two fascinating poems, sole remnants Read More…
I do not like to burn: Emily Harris video goes live
Toyah Webb is our Summer Research Scholar for Summer 2020-21. Today she takes us on the journey of making ‘I do not like to burn’, a new creative project for the Emily Cumming Harris website. Making I do not like to burn was a creative, technical and – at times – physical challenge: How to Read More…
Treasure Hunting on Trade Me
Treasure Hunting on Trade Me By Catherine Field-Dodgson At the end of June this year, a friend alerted me to one of Emily Cumming Harris’s botanical prints for sale on the Trade Me website. I knew that the Alexander Turnbull Library had issued some print editions of Emily’s works in 1968, so I quickly jumped Read More…
Sisters at a Glance #1 Emily Cumming Harris
By Michele Leggott and Brianna Vincent Emily Cumming Harris 28 March 1837-5 August 1925 In March 1837 my little daughter Emily Cumming was born. She was a very pretty child with large blue eyes, could read easy words at two years old. She was born in England, Plymouth, Devon. (Sarah Harris, A brief account of Read More…