The photographer, her siblings and biographical misattributions: Jessie Buckland and P. Gay

Abstract

From 1903–1934 Jessie Buckland worked as a professional photographer in Akaroa on Banks Peninsula. Biographers have identified the origin of this career with a successful series of photographic competition entries made in the 1890s under pseudonym P. Gay, a pastime enjoyed with her talented siblings. However, recently discovered archival evidence suggests that pseudonym was her sister Susan’s. This article supports that revision with additional evidence, indicating a reappraisal of the Buckland siblings’ photography as well as Jessie’s biography is required. Buckland did have a pseudonym, Annis McLeod, previously unacknowledged by biographers, who have also understated the extent to which she supplied photographs to national weekly newspapers during her career.