One of the photographers that has greatly influenced my work is the late Barry Crump. Better known as a writer this Kiwi icon also took a few photos here and there. Many of his favoured subjects are also mine. For example, he appreciated the beauty of a good fencepost. I think he liked things that were built with integrity, built to last, and a good, thick, lichen-covered fencepost was evidence of such a thing.
"The macrocarpa was stringy and twisted and it was hard work wedging and axing the posts out of it. Finally we trimmed a big strainer out of heartwood. Eight feet long and two feet square. Dave believed in building things to last."
Crumpy's Campfire Companion - "The Post"
(photo by Barry Crump - from the book "Back Down the Track")
(photo by Barry Crump - from the book "Back Down the Track")
"The hand that felled and split the tree
and sank the posts in sand and scree
and strung the wire and battened up
Now raps the saucer with the cup."
Barry Crump - "Journey"
Another of Crumpy's favourite photographic subjects was letterboxes...
(photo by Barry Crump - from the book "Back Down the Track")
"The amount of care taken in the construction of the postbox tells us something of the constructor. Some postboxes are carefully designed and built to receive regular hand-written airmail letters from friends or family, while others have obviously been knocked up by people who never write letters and never receive anything but bills, brochures and bad news."
Barry Crump, Forty Yarns and a Song - "The Kiwi Postbox"
I have begun my own collection of wacky kiwi postboxes. I'll be posting them here from time to time. Here's the first. One photo just wasn't enough to bring you all the cool detail in this one-of-a-kind letterbox, which is just over the hill from my place. It kind of reminds me of Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas".
2:14:04 PM 
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