Skip to main content

Image / Portrait of South Sea teachers, Papua New Guinea, ca. 1890

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Portrait of South Sea teachers, Papua New Guinea, ca. 1890
Creator
Lawes, William George
Date Created and/or Issued
circa 1890
Publication Information
University of Southern California. Libraries
Contributing Institution
University of Southern California Digital Library
Collection
International Mission Photography Archive, ca.1860-ca.1960
Rights Information
Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Division, The Library, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Council for World Missions
University of London. School of Oriental and African Studies. Library
docenquiry@soas.ac.uk
http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/archives/services/
Description
"Group of South Sea Teachers."
Many of the teachers and evangelists used in the Papuan field by the LMS were Christians converted by LMS missionary work in the South Sea islands. W.G. Lawes had previously served as a missionary in Niue. A large number of these South Sea teachers died as a result of illness contracted in their new location.
One of 113 albumen prints mounted in an album by W.G. Lawes. Formerly the first resident missionary on the South Sea island of Niue, Lawes transferred to Papua New Guinea in 1874 until his retirement in 1906. Lawes was a pioneer missionary photographer, and the first permanent non-indigenous resident of Papua New Guinea. He created the first photographic images of the islands and its peoples as well as images of missionary work, which were distributed commercially through Henry King of Sydney. Lawes' knowledge of, and role in, Papuan life was also of paramount importance to other photographers, particularly those of colonial government and expeditionary parties, such as the Australia-based professional photographer J. W. Lindt, who acknowledged the decisive role that Lawes played in facilitating his visit to Papua New Guinea and the photographic work he was able to carry out.
Type
image
Format
albumen prints, 15.4 x 20.2 cm.
photographs
Identifier
impa-m816 [Legacy record ID]
IMP-SOA-CWM-19-10-001-019
http://doi.org/10.25549/impa-m816
http://thumbnails.digitallibrary.usc.edu/IMP-SOA-CWM-19-10-001-019.jpg
Subject
Indigenous populations
Education
London Missionary Society
Lawes, William George 1839-1907
Group portraits
Time Period
circa 1890
Place
Papua New Guinea
Source
SOAS/CWM/LMS/PNG/PHOTO/01/001/019 [File]
Relation
Council for World Mission/London Missionary Society
International Mission Photography Archive, ca.1860-ca.1960
Photographs of the Archives and Manuscripts Division, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, ca.1860-1950
School of Oriental and African Studies
impa-m971

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.

Explore related content on Calisphere: