The little known life of Frank Stewart
By: Freya Elmer
Tags: New Zealand, Aviation, Photography, Whites Aviation, Photographer

<C> Frank Stewart. Nov 1934. [de Havilland 89 Rapide “Tainui” ZK-ACO crew at dinner in Palmerston North], 11–0348. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).

After landing in Melbourne, the Tainui team continued onto New Zealand in an attempt to demonstrate the feasibility of an England to New Zealand air route. Hewett, Kay and Stewart flew from Richmond, Sydney directly across the Tasman Sea to Palmerston North, New Zealand, where they were welcomed with a crowd and celebration dinner.

At the time this was the first direct flight from England to New Zealand, and set a number of records, including being the first New Zealanders to fly the Tasman, and set the crossing record at 12 hours and 9 minutes which stood for several years.

Stewart and White Limited

With the completion of the MacRobertson Air Race, Frank returned to Auckland and continued with aerial photography, this time setting up a photography studio called Stewart and White Limited. The firm opened in 1935, and was co-owned by Frank and well known aviator and photographer Leo White.

Leo White would later go on to establish photography and magazine studio Whites Aviation Limited with Frank’s son, Clyde ‘ Snow’ Stewart. Author Peter Alsop notes, “…in Stewart & White, a photography company that, in practical effect, Whites Aviation reincarnated after the war”.

Stewart and White Limited. Maurice Clarke, Manager, Union Airways, c 1930, 13–0342. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).

Success for Stewart and White came from the combination of Frank’s business acumen from previous ventures and White’s reputation and contacts in aviation. Their offices were located in His Majesty’s Arcade on Queen Street, the firm specialised in aerial photography, capturing aviation related commissions — like accompanying the Imperial Airways Short S23 flying boat Centaurus during a survey flight around New Zealand in 1937–1938, or photographing key events in New Zealand for publication in serials such as the Weekly News.

Stewart and White Limited. 03 Apr 1940. [Crew after arrival of Awarua], PHO-2018–6.8. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).

In 1940 when the firm was in full swing, Snow Stewart, who had left school at 13, was employed at his father’s firm on the day of the arrival parade of HMS Achilles in Auckland on 23 February 1940. While Frank and Leo White were capturing aerial images of the ship in the harbour, and of the parade, Snow was back at the Stewart and White Ltd offices on Queen Street. By sneaking out of the dark room windows to a balcony overlooking Queen Street, Snow captured an image of the 100,000 strong crowds and confetti celebrating the Achilles parade. Snow describes how he developed and printed the image before his father and White returned to the office. The photograph was published as a full page image in the Freelance newspaper.

Unidentified. 23 Feb 1940. [Crowds welcoming return of HMS Achilles], 15/043/005. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).

Stewart and White Ltd continued until the advent of World War Two, when the banning of civilian aerial photography and scarcity of photographic materials during the war forced the firm to close. From there, Leo White joined the RNZAF as a photographer capturing images which furthered his reputation in aerial photography.

Frank remained in Auckland, where he continued practicing photography. Including photographing capacity-plans for American Liberty cargo ships when docked in New Zealand. For a time during World War Two, Clyde Stewart joined his father in his photography work. In his oral history Clyde describes how Frank would collect the plans from the port, rush back to his home on the limited petrol allowance provided by the government to image the plans, then drive back to the ships with copied plans.

The Liberty ship is a hive of industry from the moment the keel is laid. Prefabricated parts are brought to the assembly point from inland factories. Supplement to the Auckland Weekly News 11 November 1942 p015, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19421111–15–1,

In many ways Franks legacy was continued on by Snow, who, after working with his father, re-joined the RNZAF to work under Leo White as a photojournalist. This working relationship continued post war with Snow becoming an integral part of Whites Aviation as colourist, production manager and chief photographer.

Portrait of Clyde (Snow) Stewart, Production Manager for Whites Aviation, holding a K 20 aerial camera in front of a Tiger Moth biplane. Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs. Ref: WA-00867-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/30654500

Frank Stewart’s career in cinematography and aerial imagery meant he was an influential figure in early New Zealand photography. However, except for a few excerpts and bylines, his cinematography work has largely been forgotten by the general public, and his involvement in aerial imagery has been poorly documented in comparison with his contemporaries.

Searching through archives held by MOTAT, National Library of New Zealand and other institutions, I have been able to illustrate Frank Stewart’s role in New Zealand’s history of film and photography. But, it is by listening to the oral history of his son that we can gleam an idea of him as a person. As described by Snow he was “a character with a charming manner… but a terrible car driver, bit erratic …but a good photographer.”

References

https://www.noted.co.nz/culture/culture-arts/whites-of-our-eyes-how-hand-coloured-aerial-photography-came-to-define-the-new-zealand-landscape

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BOPT19231222.2.5?items_per_page=10&query=%22Frank+Stewart%22+cinematographer&snippet=true&sort_by=byDA.rev

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FRTIM19341203.2.11?query=%22Frank+Stewart%22&snippet=true

https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/collections/catalogue/catalogue-item?record_id=67715

https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/cyril-morton/biography

https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/collections/catalogue/catalogue-item?record_id=275807

https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/collections/catalogue/catalogue-item?record_id=65125