Hokitika Museum
Can You Help Us Find Benno Thiem’s Portraits?
A Quiet Eye: The Photographs of Benno Thiem
“Secure the shadow… ’ere the substance fade let nature imitate what nature has made” was the promise of early photography — to hold onto what time would soon be lost. For nearly thirty years, photographer Benno Thiem quietly fulfilled that promise in Hokitika.
Born in Australia around 1879, Thiem arrived in Hokitika in 1906 and took over John Tait’s photographic studio on Revell Street, later moving it to Hamilton Street. From those modest rooms, he recorded the evolving life of a small West Coast town — its people, its streets, its celebrations, and its everyday moments.
Thiem’s photographs capture the warmth and character of early Hokitika. His portraits show both artistry and affection for his subjects — individuals and families who helped shape the town’s story. One surviving hand-coloured image, taken to mark the end of the First World War, shows Eric Raine (aged 10) and Dell Raine (aged 4) dressed in handmade uniforms sewn by their mother Evelyn (Eva) Raine (née Sweney). The children’s parents, George and Evelyn Raine, lived on Revell Street — George worked as a carpenter and builder and played in the Hokitika Brass Band, while Evelyn was a homemaker. Together, they represent the spirit of family and community pride that Thiem so often captured through his lens.
This summer, Hokitika Museum is preparing a new exhibition, A Quiet Eye: The Photographs of Benno Thiem, celebrating his remarkable contribution to the region’s photographic history.
We’re inviting local residents to check their family collections — do you have any portraits taken by Benno Thiem? These may have his stamp or signature on the print or card mount. The Museum would love to hear from anyone willing to loan such photographs for inclusion in the exhibition.
If you think you might have a Thiem image, please contact Hokitika Museum on (03) 755 6898 or email enquiries@hokitikamuseum.nz
Help us bring Benno Thiem’s quiet eye — and the faces of early Hokitika — back into the light.
