Browse the Archive by Collection
Collections bring related photographs together around a shared subject, journey, event, activity or historical theme.
Unlike suite archives, which organise photographs by project or organisation, collections allow images from different areas of the Picture Library to be explored together through the connections they share.
Collection Categories
Each category can contain individual albums, complete photographic series and material drawn from several MACH BASE suites.
Family and Community
Whānau gatherings, reunions, friendships, neighbourhoods, community life and the relationships that connect generations.
Explore family collections →Journeys and Visits
Travel, international exchanges, visiting delegations, road trips, reunions and shared experiences away from home.
Explore journeys →Land and Work
Farming, machinery, construction, environmental stewardship, trades, industry and the practical work of everyday life.
Explore land and work →Culture and Heritage
Marae, kapa haka, waiata, traditional practices, ceremonies, cultural exchange, family heritage and inherited knowledge.
Explore cultural collections →Homes and Places
Houses, farms, islands, gardens, workshops, landscapes and the places that shape individual and collective identity.
Explore place-based collections →Stories and Characters
Photographs connected with memorable people, personal stories, adventures, humour, achievement and lives worth remembering.
Explore story collections →Music and Creative Life
Musicians, instruments, performance, songwriting, artwork, craftsmanship, restoration and creative projects.
Explore creative collections →Events and Milestones
Weddings, birthdays, openings, achievements, project launches, historical occasions and important moments of transition.
Explore events →Documents and Artefacts
Scanned photographs, letters, maps, certificates, artworks, tools, heirlooms and other objects carrying historical meaning.
Explore documentary collections →Growing Photographic Archives
These collections will expand as photographs are gathered, identified, captioned and connected with their wider stories.
JAG Tour of Japan 2026
The JAG crew’s journey through Japan, including family, friendship, cultural exchange and MACH BASE project visits.
Rangiwaea Living History
Whānau, whenua, marae, community life and the continuing visual record of Rangiwaea.
Toki no Ashiato
Japanese family history, properties, people, restoration, traditions and footprints carried forward through time.
The Story House
Photographic collections connected with personal stories, friendships, characters, adventures and remembered lives.
One Photograph, Many Connections
A photograph may belong to one suite while also appearing within several thematic collections.
An image from the JAG Tour of Japan, for example, may connect with collections relating to travel, friendship, family, cultural exchange, MACH BASE development and a particular place or era.
These connections allow the Picture Library to be explored in different ways without duplicating or separating the original historical record.
Every Contribution Adds Context
Photographs, names, dates, corrections and remembered details can all strengthen an existing collection or become the beginning of a new one.
