Harris, Emily Cumming
Production date
1841-1891
1840-1849
1850-1859
1860-1869
1870-1879
1880-1889
1890-1899
Description
Emily Harris, artist and teacher, arrived in New Plymouth in 1841 in the ship William Bryan with her parents, Edwin and Sarah (nee Hill), and brother and sister. The family ran schools in New Plymouth before moving to Nelson about 1860. In 1890 some of her paintings were issued in three parts of twelve plates each, 'New Zealand Flowers', 'New Zealand Berries' and 'New Zealand Ferns'.
The collection comprises letters to various members of the family (1860-1863), letters from her mother (1841) and Angus Dobson (1844) and a scrapbook with publications and original plant sketches. Her diaries (1885-1886) contain notes on social life and affairs in Nelson, on her work as an artist, and a visit to New Plymouth in 1890. A journal contains copies of correspondence for 1888.
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Object detail
1840-1849
1850-1859
1860-1869
1870-1879
1880-1889
1890-1899
Box 1
Folder 1. Typescript. Diaries of Emily Cumming Harris 1885 - 1890. Made in 1964 by Mrs M Jeffery, Wellington. (Carbon copy of transcript held in the Alexander Turnbull Library MS-Papers-3761)
Folder 2. Typescript. Diaries of Emily Cumming Harris 1885 - 1891. Corrected typescript by Jeanine Graham, 1979.
Folder 3. Manuscript diary of Emily Harris, December 1860 to February 1861 plus typescript copy transcribed by Sue Needham, 26 January 1999
Book. First New Zealand Christmases ; Tasman, Cook, Marsden. 1933. On inside front cover 'Wishing you a very happy Xmas from Gretchen'
New Zealand Floral Autograph at Home book produced by Emily C. Harris
Folder 6. Typescript. Left for New Zealand November 19th 1840. Written by Sarah Harris, it describes the voyage and the first years at New Plymouth; Typescript. Letter from Sarah Harris (page one missing); Typescript. Notes on the Moore Family, abstracted from a volume "Chronicle of the Crompton-Smith Family of New Zealand'.(Original Chronicle held at the Alexander Turnbull Library Ref: 88-362)
Folder 7. Index to Emily Harris diary.
Guitar music book.
Box 2
Diary of Emily Cumming Harris 2 August 1885 - 20 November 1886
Diary. 20 August 1888 - November 1890 plus letters to 26 February 1891
Scrap book. Notes on Harris family history, includes newspaper obituary for Emily Harris, transcriptions of newpaper articles and a letter written by Aunt Ellen, Nelson.
Folder 4. Letter to Edwin Harris from his sister Ellen Harris 1842; Letter to Father and Sisters, from Sarah Harris. 20 April 1841 ; Letter to Edwin from Angus Dobson, Plymouth. 28 April 1844 ; Bill of lading for one case of private effects, on board the ship Arabella for Mr W. A. Moore. 1881
Folder 5. Rent book 1875 - 1879 for monies received from Mr Moore; Manuscript notes on family history of Frances Emma Harris, daughter of Edwin and Sarah Harris; Manuscript notes entitled Letters, Scraps of Diary etc. September 1860 - 1863 ; Letter of enquiry from H. O. Ledger, Regent's Park, London to The Connoisseur. 13 June 1910 ; Letters to Frances 24 Dec. 1861 and 29 March 1863 ; Notice of birth of Catherine Harris, written on the back of an envelope ; Invitation to Mr and Mrs Harris and Misses Harris to a Ball at the Barracks, 1850 ; Invitation, Amateur Harmonic Society. 15 June 1859 ; Embarkation order for Mr A. W. Moore. 23 August 1856 ; Photographs. St. Mary's Church, New Plymouth, Catherine Moore (nee Harris ), A.C. Moore 1867.
Music book. Fifty songs for the voice and guitar.
Music book. Chappell's instruction book for the guitar by G. Luigi. On inside cover 'This book belongs to Edwin Harris lent by E. G. Hobbs
Folder containing books; 'New Zealand Flowers', 'New Zealand Berries' and 'New Zealand Ferns'. E. C. Harris. 1890. Some plates have been hand coloured and have annotations. Set of ten single handcoloured plates of N Z Berries (proofs?) plus six original ink and wash sketches (mainly alpine herbs) and two watercolours of plants (Arthropodium?and Carpodetus).
Digital file
PDF. Scanned transcripts.
Digital files
PDF. Diary of Emily Cumming Harris, 2 August 1885 - 20 November 1886.
PDF. Diary of Emily Cumming Harris, 20 August 1888 - November 1890. Including letters to 26 February 1891.
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