Taranaki & Maori Portrait Engraving – Illustrated London News, London 1851

A scarce and highly collectible original page from the Illustrated London News dated February 8, 1851, featuring detailed wood engravings of New Plymouth, Waitara River, and striking Maori portrait studies from the Taranaki region.

Details:

• Date: February 8, 1851 (original issue)
• Publication: Illustrated London News, London
• Subjects include:
• “North Bank of Waitera River, Near New Plymouth”
• “View from the Town of New Plymouth” (Mt Taranaki prominent)
• Three Maori portraits: Tamati, Tamati’s Wife, Tahana Honi
• Size: Full page (approx. 39 × 27 cm)
• Condition: Very good for age — clean, strong impression, light toning only. Excellent for framing.

*Historical Significance This engraving captures early colonial Taranaki just over a decade after Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The detailed Maori portraits and settlement landscapes reflect early European representation of Aotearoa. Illustrated London News engravings are prized by historians, collectors, and institutions.

Ideal for

• Collectors of early NZ history
• Taranaki regional heritage enthusiasts
• Maori portrait & ethnographic illustration collectors
• Home, office, or gallery display

Rare 1851 Illustrated London News engraving of New Plymouth & Waitara River with Maori portraits. Original antique page in excellent condition.

*Free combined postage available (no limit), if won another engraving auction with postage paid.

*See my other similar auctions of rare and historic New Zealand items from the 1700s onwards.

Keywords Taranaki, New Plymouth, Waitara River, Mt Taranaki, Maori portraits, Tamati, Tahana Honi, 1851, Illustrated London News, antique print, engraving, New Zealand history, Aotearoa, colonial NZ, ethnographic illustration, framed print, rare, collectible, heritage