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Argosy Aerial - Victoria Avenue and Albert Street, Hokowhitu

Description: This aerial shows part of Hokowhitu. The street running from left to right through the centre of the photograph is Victoria Avenue. Albert Street runs parallel to Victoria Ave near the top of the image. Te Awe Awe Street, which connects Victoria and Albert, is visible in the top right corner. To the lower left, Park Road connects to Victoria Ave with a T intersection. Saint James Catholic School, with is playing field and asphalted sports courts, is located on Albert St, to the upper centre of the photograph.

Argosy Studio (Argosy Industrial Photos) was a photography business owned and operated between 1950 and 1980 by Joe Greening (formerly employed by Elmar Studios). Originally located in Broadway, Argosy later moved to Cuba Street on the corner with Lombard Street.

As well as commissioned work (such as photographing the old railyards or aerial shots for the Council) Greening was known to operate as a street photographer, capturing the likenesses of passersby, offering his card with the negative number so they could buy the image if they wished. Many of these images will be in family photo albums.

A fire in 1965 destroyed many negatives in Argosy's collection but this image was one of the 400 or so survivors. Greening donated many of these surviving images to the Ian Matheson City Archives in 1989 before retiring to Kaitaia. He died in 2001.