Ad perpetuam rei memoriam - 1, W Cook - Basketmaker of Christchurch

W Cook, basket maker, Christchurch, ca1907*

Staff of William Cook, basket maker, 9 Stafford Street, Christchurch. The men are standing outside their workshop supported by their products. Behind them are large hampers with GPO stencilled on them. There are also a variety of cane chairs.

Note also the chairs hanging on the ceiling on the inside of the building.

I love this photo. People going about their work in early Christchurch.

I found some advertisements relating to this business.

1 is for a "smart boy about 15" in 1901 http://tinyurl.com/smart-boy-about-15

2 is for "four youths" in 1902 http://tinyurl.com/4-youths

3 is for "2 smart boys" in 1905 http://tinyurl.com/staff-advertisement

Interestingly enough, these advertisements state to apply to 224 Tuam Street so the business had maybe shifted from Tuam to Stafford Street in the 2-6 years from the advertisements until the photo was taken above in 1907. Other advertisements relating to the Tuam Street address but not to the W Wood business sold items from live birds to mirrors.

Stafford Street does not exist in Christchurch anymore, so was probably absorbed by town planners over the years and renamed something else. I'm sure someone out there will know!

*[Photo source NLNZ: Reference Number: 1/1-024038-G ]