The Perfect Moment

ExhibitionsOn now

A magician poising for a photo. In his left hand area lit cigarette lighters between each finger. In his right handle, lit candles are held between each finger

The Perfect MomentTe Whakaahua Tika

These photographs are a glimpse into The Spencer Digby - Ronald D. Woolf Collection.

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He kitenga ēnei whakaahua ki The Spencer Digby - Ronald D. Woolf Collection.

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When | Āhea

Sat 4 Nov – mid 2024

Where | Ki hea

Toi Art, Level 5

Cost | Te utu

Free entry

From 1931 to 1985, Spencer Digby Studios captured the lives of Wellington’s people – from dances to dog shows, from posed portraits to spontaneous moments. Located on Lambton Quay, the popular studio was known for its specialised services and modern equipment.

This group of over 250,000 images from Spencer Digby Studios was donated to Te Papa by Ronald D. Woolf in 1975.

Digitising the collection

Over the last two years, a dedicated team of Te Papa specialists has digitised thousands of photos from The Spencer Digby - Ronald D. Woolf Collection. This project was funded by the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board.

Discover moreKia kitea ake

A woman and child on a stage. The woman is dressed as a mountain with a star for a headdress.

The Digby/Woolf Project is wrapping up…

For almost two years, Te Papa has been digitising the Spencer Digby / Ronald D Woolf collection of photographic negatives. Now that this stage of the project is winding down, here are some statistics and highlights from the current team members.

A head and shoulders portrait of a man in a dark suit and glasses.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s most famous photograph?

Photography curator Athol McCredie reflects on a famous photograph discovered in 2020 amongst our huge Spencer Digby / Ronald D. Woolf portrait collection of negatives.

A split black and white photo of the same man in uniform

Digitising studio photography: The Spencer Digby – Ronald D Woolf Lotteries project is underway

In 2021, Te Papa received a grant from Lotteries NZ towards the digitisation of the Spencer Digby / Ronald D Woolf Collection of around 250,000 photographic negatives shot between the 1930s and 1980s. The project is now well underway. Athol McCredie, Curator Photography and Melissa Irving, Senior Imaging Technician tell us about the project.

A man in a suit stands between stage lights and has an old-fashioned camera on a tripod next to him

Studio portrait photography in Aotearoa New Zealand

Studio portraits taken in a professional photographer’s studio – often making use of backdrops or props – were for formal, posed portraits, as well as informal, candid photographs of people, and sometimes their pets.

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