Many of our images are free to use under a Creative Commons licence. The rights and use options for each image are shown on its Collections Online page.
Our in-house Imaging Team creates and maintains a visual history of Te Papa’s work, documenting the collections and exhibitions, research, field trips, and general goings-on at the museum.
Request an archive search
Ask us to search our offline archive for images relevant to your needs. Cost: $50 per hour (excluding GST)
Commission photography
Ask us to photograph Te Papa Collection Objects according to your specifications. Cost: $100 per hour (excluding GST)
Our photography collection contains over 800,000 rare and beautiful images, including:
Māori and Pacific taonga
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vintage shots of New Zealand’s dramatic history and culture
fascinating photos of New Zealand’s rich flora and fauna
hauntingly powerful images of our people and their land
beautiful studio-photographed artefacts, objects, and fine art, both historical and contemporary.
Caption
Brian Brake, Lakes. Lake Pukaki, 1960s-1980s, Canterbury. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa (CT.030312)
Brian Brake
Te Papa is home to the collection of pre-eminent 20th century photographer Brian Brake, New Zealand’s sole member of the prestigious photo agency Magnum Photos.
Can’t find something? Some Māori images may not be displayed on Collections Online due to iwi restrictions. If the image you wish to license is not currently displayed, contact us.