Elizabeth Pulman

New Zealand photographer (1836–1900)

George Pulman

(m. 1859⁠–⁠1871)

John Blackman

(m. 1875⁠–⁠1893)

Elizabeth Pulman née Chadd^[1] (1 August 1836 – 3 February 1900)^[2] was a British-born New Zealand photographer. She was regarded as being the country's first female professional photographer.

Biography

Pulman was born in Lymm, Cheshire, England in 1836, and arrived in New Zealand in 1861.^[3]

She owned a photographic studio in Auckland along with her husband George Pulman that was opened in 1867.^[4] George Pulman died in 1871 and Elizabeth continued the business on her own. They business was known under the names E. Pulman's Photographic Room, Pulman's Photographic Room and Pulman's Photographic Gallery from the 1870s to the 1890s^[5]

Pulman raised nine children on her own after being widowed.

Twice widowed, Pulman kept the studio afloat, specialising in scenic photographs and portraits.^[2]

Many of her works included important Maori tribe members including Chief Paul Paora Tuhaere, King Tawhiao, and Tawhiao's daughter and second wife.

New Zealand artist Gottfried Lindauer used Pulman's photographs as a basis for some of his paintings. For examples, his 1879 portrait Anehana, is based on a photograph taken in Pulman's studio sometime between 1867 and 1871.^[5]

Pulman died on 3 February 1900 in Auckland, New Zealand.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Jackson, Phillip D. "Pulman, Elizabeth". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Elizabeth Pulman". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^ Jackson, Phillip D. "Elizabeth Pulman". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
^ "Elizabeth Pulman Maori Portraits". New Zealand Archives. AEGA PC4 File: 1889/14. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
^ ^a ^b Mitchell, Lissa (2023). Through shaded glass: women and photography in Aotearoa New Zealand 1860-1960. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-9951384-9-0. OCLC 1374563763.