These photographs were taken and collated as an in-house collection to document the activities and facilities of Wellington City Libraries (formerly known as Wellington Public Libraries). They date back to the late 19th Century and the establishment of the first Wellington municipal library in 1893. Though some were taken for publicity purposes, many of the photographs were only ever intended for internal use, to document library activities or to be used to illustrate annual reports & similar City Council publications.
You can read more about the early history of municipal libraries in Wellington here.
