Thelma Kent

Thelma Rene Kent (21 October 1899 – 23 June 1946) was a New Zealand photographer.[1]

Thelma Kent
Self-portrait panning for gold in the Arawhata River, Westland, 1939
Born
Thelma Rene Kent

(1899-10-21)21 October 1899
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died23 June 1946(1946-06-23) (aged 46)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Known forPhotography

Biography

Kent was born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 21 October 1899. She attended Christchurch Technical College.[1]

Kent traveled around New Zealand by car, horseback and foot to find photographic subjects. She had an affinity for the New Zealand landscape, with a particular interest in the South Island high country. Around 1937, Kent met the legendary Arawata Bill (William O’Leary). She took several photographs of him, which have been regularly reproduced.[1]

Her photographs and articles were published in the Auckland Weekly News and the New Zealand Railways Magazine.[2] Her photos were in the British annual Photograms of the Year 1939.[1]

Through experimentation, Kent became adept at microphotography.[1]

Kent never married and died at the age of 46 in Christchurch on 23 June 1946.[2]

Legacy

Her collection of negatives and prints is held by the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.[1]

In 2017, Kent was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "150 women in 150 words", celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.[3]

References
  1. McCracken, Joan. "Kent, Thelma Rene". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. "Thelma Kent: Biography". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. "Thelma Kent". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
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