World War I soldiers - about 100 of them - were photographed as they were about to depart New Zealand to fight in the war.
Now all we have of them is that photograph, and a surname. But who were they? What happened to them in the war? Do they have descendants still alive?
We want to discover the identity of these men, and of the loved ones photographed with them.
On the eve of departure
In the early 1900s, Wellington photographers Berry & Co took on the task of photographing World War I soldiers as they were about to leave Wellington to join the war in Europe. Some men were photographed alone, others with friends or the families they were about to leave behind.
The photos were given to relatives and loved ones, and became a record of a poignant moment, and in some cases, a heartbreaking reminder of a soldier killed.
A historic discovery
In 1998, 3000 glass plate negatives were discovered at Berry & Co's old studio rooms in Cuba Street, Wellington. Among them were about 80 photographs of soldiers. But there was no record of the soldier's full identity on any of them. There was only a surname etched on each glass plate negative.
Identifying the soldiers
In the lead-up to the centenary commemorations of World War I, Te Papa wants to honour these soldiers and their families. We've taken on the task of identifying these men and the people photographed with them. We want to discover what happened to them, and how their lives and the lives of their descendants were affected by the war.
Send us any information
If you know anything about any of the people in these photographs, please contact us. We are interested in names, stories, tiny snippets of information. Even the smallest clue can lead to a trail of information. You can search through the photos alphabetically listed below.
Email us at mail@tepapa.govt.nz or phone us on (04) 381 7000
Or you can see the photographs on Flickr where you can leave us a message.
Progress
Check Te Papa’s blog for updates - just search under ‘World War I’ or read about the lives of the soldiers we’ve identified by selecting an image.
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