James Ring’s West Coast

James Ring (1856-1939) was born in Camberwell, Surrey, and trained as a photographer in the 1870s with Allen & Rowell in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ring arrived in Wellington New Zealand on the ‘Pleione' on 1 April 1879. He established a photography studio in Greymouth in November 1879. The West Coast afforded him many subjects, including spectacular scenery, the gold and coal mining industries, and the development of the area, especially the building of railways.

This selection of Ring’s photographs samples from these topics, including images of the Franz Josef glacier, the Dillmanstown gold settlement, and the construction and opening of several railway lines.

You can see more of Ring’s photographs by searching the Timeframes website, using ‘james ring’ as your search term and selecting as ‘exact phrase’ as your search type.

These images were added to The Commons on Flickr in November 2008.

27 photos | 1,849 views

items are from between 1870 & 1912.

Denniston Incline, ca 1880s-1890s by National Library NZ on The Commons

Greymouth and Kumara Tramway, ca 1881 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Opening of the first section of the Hokitika-Ross railway, West Coast, ca 22 Jan 1906 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Premier Seddon arriving at the opening of the first section of the Hokitika-Ross railway, West Coast, ca 22 Jan 1906 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Opening of the Midland Railway at Jacksons, Westland, ca 1880s by National Library NZ on The Commons

Opening of the Midland Railway, Stillwater junction, 1889 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Scene in bush at Patara, West Coast, with a bush railway and a horse drawn tram from the Stratford and Blair sawmill, ca 1904 by National Library NZ on The Commons

View of the Brunner bridge and mines, 188-? by National Library NZ on The Commons

Group including the Governor, Lord Normanby, visiting a coal mine at Brunner, 1875 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Brunner bridge and coal mines, ca 1900 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Mitchell Falls, Lake Brunner, between 1900 and 1905 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Miners' Hall, Runanga, ca 1910 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Hokitika township, ca 1870s by National Library NZ on The Commons

Cable tram across the Taramakau River, ca 1890s by National Library NZ on The Commons

Dillman Town by National Library NZ on The Commons

Dillman town, with fluming by National Library NZ on The Commons

Photograph of gold sluicing at Dillman Town, West Coast, 188-? by National Library NZ on The Commons

Greymouth-Karoro bus service, 1912 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Huge sunfish thrown up on beach at Awatuna, near Hokitika, ca 1910 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Brown Terrace, Cape Foulwind, between 1879 and 1929 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Cape Foulwind, showing rock formations by National Library NZ on The Commons

Caves at Cape Foulwind by National Library NZ on The Commons

Steeple, Cape Foulwind, between 1879 and 1929 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Francis Joseph Glacier, 1906 by National Library NZ on The Commons

Franz Josef Glacier, ca 1879-1892 by National Library NZ on The Commons

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