Ron Blackmore Collection

In 2012 a fascinating collection of images taken at and for Lincoln University between 1947 and 1966 came to light when a wooden cabinet filled with photos and catalogues was removed from the earthquake damaged West Wing of Ivey Hall.

Since then a number of other sets of images and large sets of black and white contact sheets have been found in various locations, and more than 3000 images scanned in low resolution.  Together they form what has become known as the Ron Blackmore Collection. 

Ron Blackmore was the University’s first Visual Aids Officer at Canterbury Agricultural College and Lincoln College, as Lincoln University was known during his tenure. Previously, photographs had been taken by external photographers. Over a period of almost 20 years Ron took an enormous range of photographs to support and illustrate teaching at the College. He also photographed all facets of campus life and New Zealand agriculture.

Born in Christchurch in 1909, Ron’s career as a photographer included stints as a reporter and photographer for the Otago Daily Times and as a photographer and reporter for the army which he entered in 1941 as a 2^nd NZEF Captain.

In mid-2012 Lincoln University photographer David Hollander, who has been working with the photographs and catalogues since they were discovered, gave a seminar on campus about the collection. This generated a lot of interest with many people from the Lincoln township attending, some of whom had known Ron. “After talking to some of these people I was able to contact Ron's two daughters and tell them about our discovery of their father's collection of photographs,” says David.

In October 2013 Jenny Russell and Rhonda Lash arranged to visit the campus. “I was pleased to meet them and show them around the present-day campus. They showed me where their father's office and darkroom had been (present day Annex B, on Farm Road). Since then we have kept in touch via email as I have tried to keep them up-to-date with progress on my work scanning the collection.”

The sets of photographs are grouped into teaching slides and broader classifications such as campus and buildings, people and events, facilities and interiors. They are partially classified and scanned in groups. One photograph shows Ron holding the 5x4”camera he used. The camera itself was found recently when the Hilgendorf Building was emptied prior to its demolition.