Alfred John Tattersall

Who was Alfred John Tattersall?

Alfred John Tattersall was a New Zealand photographer who lived in Samoa for most of his life and contributed a significant collection of images of the Pacific Island country and its peoples during the colonial era. Tattersall lived in Samoa from 1886 to 1951, including the volatile era when Britain, Germany and the United States were vying for control of the Samoa Islands. Many of his photographs are significant in the history of Samoa and covered eras such as German Samoa followed by the country's administration under New Zealand which saw the rise of the pro-independence Mau movement.

Tattersall went to Samoa in 1886 to be an assistant in the photography studio of British photographer, John Davis. This was the era of colonial photography in the South Pacific when the tropical landscapes and indigenous people provided 'continual fascination' for foreign photographers.

In 1891, another New Zealander, Thomas Andrew joined Davis and Tattersall. In 1903, Tattersall took over the business when Davis died.Postcards were a popular part of his business which distributed the images around the world.