Queen Street, looking north-east toward Shortland Street
ca.1905 (Muir & Moodie) - 2025

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ca.1905 image: [Queen Street], Dunedin, by Muir & Moodie. Te Papa (C.010858)

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The corner of Shortland Street is at centre. Te Papa does not give a date for this picture; a search of the National Library's Papers Past site reveals that the first mention in newspapers of the day of WH Woollams, chemist (whose signage can be seen—in the high-resolution original, and in the details below—just right of centre) at this Queen Street location was in 1904. The same goes for the firm of Wildman & Arey whose signage can be seen on the far side of Shortland Street. The last mention of the firm of Kirkman & Denison (two doors above Woollams) was in 1909.

(One could be forgiven for believing that this scene was in Dunedin after reading the caption supplied by Te Papa; but no, it's just that the firm of Muir & Moodie was based in that city.)

Below: Three details from the Muir & Moodie picture.





Below: A face-on view of the group of buildings seen foreshortened at right in the Muir & Moodie image.



At left is Blacketts Building (1878-1879; a fourth level was added in 1912, after the Muir & Moodie image was made). The middle building (94-96 Queen Street) was built in 1882 for Messrs Chapman and Goldwater, as a pair to the Italianate façade of Craig’s Building next door (from the Auckland Coucil brochure Auckland city heritage walks - downtown, midtown, uptown). At right is Craig's Building (constructed in 1882 as St Mungo Café).