Māori maidens & warriors : postcards from a bygone age / William Main.

"Maori maidens and warriors is a collection of picture postcards dating from 1900 to the present. Prior to the advent of this novelty, artists had shown Maori as a noble and proud race. Postcard photographers expanded this vision with countless images as we headed into the new century, with millions of postcards being circulated around the world in a collecting frenzy that involved families from all walks of life. These images helped to establish a representation of us as a country that was rich in scenic resources and populated by indigenous Maori and European immigrants. Maori maidens and warriors comprises a hundred postcards which were chosen from the thousands that were on offer years ago. They give a valuable impression of what was evolving as we began to take the first tentative steps towards nationhood.--Back cover.