Dressed in their best, Mere Cowan (née Whakamairu) and her husband Alexander, from the Wairarapa area, sit for their portrait in 1870 with their new baby, Pita (or Peter). It was a time when Māori were declining in numbers and were widely expected to disappear altogether. Little Pita Cowan therefore represents a way for Māori to survive and, eventually, increase their numbers again.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, Bennett Iorns Collection
Reference:
PA1-q-131-32-1
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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