This painting by William Mathew Hodgkins depicts a group of men entertaining themselves by making music, probably around the 1880s. In an age before gramophones and radio, informal singing and playing musical instruments was a major form of entertainment, particularly in rural areas. In these settings folk songs were learned by ear and passed on through performance.
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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
A-213-013
Watercolour by William Mathew Hodgkins
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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