Woman seeks to reunite photos from Taranaki in 1919 with family members

The autograph book was gifted to Esther in 1919, and her daughter Doreen has had it in her posession for the past 50 years.

Doreen Hoskin would love to reunite some old photographs with their rightful homes.

Doreen’s mother Esther Gibbs, née Rogers, grew up in the Stratford district and Doreen says a small autograph book and album of her mother’s has piqued her interest.

“I would love to be able to get these photos to family members of the people in them.”

Doreen with her mother's autograph album and some of the photos it contains, along with a cutting of a letter to the editor Doreen herself wrote to the Stratford Press back in 1992.

The album was a gift to Esther from her sister Ivy for Christmas in 1919 according to the inscription inside.

“Mum would have been 14 years old then.”

The dedication on the first page of the autograph book shows it was a gift from Esther's sister Ivy, for Christmas 1919.

The photos and autographs must be from Esther’s friends, Doreen says, and capture a moment in time of their lives.

“I think their relatives would love to have these photos and see their writing.”

There are a few clues contained in the pages, one photo is definitely of Doris Smith, for example, but the photo has two women in it and Doreen isn’t sure which one is Doris.

This photo features a woman called Doris - but which one is Doris?

“And there’s one photo with three ladies in it, I know Rita Tuck is one of them, and I think she is the one on the right, but I am not sure.”

Esther and her sister Ivy went on to marry brothers, says Doreen.

“Mum, Esther, married Wilfrid Gibbs and Ivy married Campbell Gibbs. Ivy and Campbell’s grandson lives in Taranaki still.”

Doreen has had the autograph album for 50 years, since Esther died, and says she always felt it needed keeping.

One of these three women is Rita Tuck - but which one, and who are the other two?

“I didn’t want to throw it out, these photos will be important to someone. Mum always used to talk about Rita Tuck, and I would love to know who she was in these photographs.”

Another photo and caption makes reference to “cabbage tree lake” and features someone called Flora, but Doreen doesn’t know who the small child in the photo is or whether the child is related to Flora.

“All of these photos will mean something to their families though, so I would really love to be able to give each photo to the right family.”

This picture must be of a friend of Esther's called Flora, but who is the child in the photo?

While the album captures some of Esther’s happy times in Taranaki, Doreen herself also has happy memories of time spent in the region.

“I actually wrote a letter to the editor which the Stratford Press printed about our family holidays to Te Popo. I have a copy of that article I wrote, and I showed it to the people at Te Popo now, they loved it and gave me a voucher to stay there.”

Doreen as a child at Te Popo with a cousin. Doreen later wrote about her memories of time spent at Te Popo in a letter to the editor in the Stratford Press.

That was a couple of years ago, says Doreen.

“I planned to go for my birthday, but Covid shut everything down, but they have been kind enough to let me use it now instead, so a friend and I planned a visit from Whanganui, we came to see Cirque Olio at the theatre in New Plymouth and stayed at Te Popo.”

Doreen's letter to the editor about her memories of childhood holidays spent at Te Popo was printed in March, 1992.

When the letter to the editor was published, back in 1992, Doreen only used her initials on it, but family members still spotted it was her.

“There were a few things I mentioned that meant my cousin guessed it was me.”

Anyone who recognises the people in the photo or thinks they can help can contact Doreen via the Stratford Press. Please email us: editor@stratfordpress.co.nz with the word Doreen in the subject line. In the email, include all the information you have and your contact details (phone or physical address) and we will pass everything on to Doreen.

A note from Doris Smith references Cabbage Tree Park as opposed to lake.