{{Short description|New Zealand photojournalist (1887–1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Arthur Breckon | image = portrait_1913_arthur_breckon-macquarie_island.jpg | caption = Breckon in 1913 | birth_date = 24 February 1887 | birth_name = Arthur Ninnis Breckon | birth_place = Hamilton, New Zealand | death_date = 1965 | death_place = | occupation = Photographer | website = | imagesize = | years active = }}
'''Arthur Ninnis Breckon''' (24 February 1887 – 1965) was a New Zealand-born photojournalist. Breckon was the first person from New Zealand to be published in ''Life Magazine'', with his photo of a tuatara.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Museum collections|url = https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/exhibitions/2012/camera/museum-collections|website = Auckland War Memorial Museum|access-date = 12 February 2016| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220131819/https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/exhibitions/2012/camera/museum-collections |archivedate=20 February 2016}}</ref>
==Biography==
Breckon started his career under the mentorship of H.E Gaze in 1904<ref>{{Cite news|title=When the Shutter Clicks|date=14 October 1937|work=The New Zealand Observer}}</ref> and was eventually appointed the position of Chief Photographer for ''The Weekly News'' and ''The New Zealand Herald'' for over twenty years.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=Three Veteran Journalists Retire|date=12 June 1940|work=The New Zealand Journalist}}</ref> Breckon's press photography captured the conflict and tension present in early 20th century New Zealand. Most notably, Breckon captured the police attack on Maungapōhatu in April 1916.<ref name=":1" /> This event resulted in Rua Kēnana and some of his followers made to stand trial for sedition.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Into the Light: A History of New Zealand Photography|last = Eggleton|first = David|publisher = Craig Potton Publishing|year = 2006|location = Nelson, New Zealand|pages = 59}}</ref> He was the only photographer present at the time.
Another important moment that Breckon captured in photographs was the expedition of Douglas Mawson to the sub Antarctic Macquarie Islands.<ref name=":1" /> The crew were running low on food supplies so a rescue mission was despatched.<ref name=":1" /> This mission, which Breckon was a part of, ran into trouble of its own when their landing boat capsised in the surf.<ref name=":1" /> Breckon and the team struggled to shore in the icy cold water to eventually make their way to Mawson's men.<ref name=":1" /> Breckon photos captured much of the wildlife on the islands.
Other honourable mentions in Breckon's work was his photographs of the wreckage site of the SS Wiltshire off Great Barrier in 1922 and pictures of the Napier earthquake.<ref name=":1" />
Breckon had also photographed both the First and Second New Zealand Expeditionary Forces before their deployment to war.<ref name=":1" />
David Eggleton describes, "Breckon's on the spot reportage was a demonstration of photography as a form of social control, serving to isolate, classify and document anomalous behaviour for everyone's edification."<ref name=":0" />
==Personal life==
Breckon's son Aubrey Arthur Ninnis Breckon was a photographer for the ''New Zealand Herald'' and the ''Auckland Weekly News'', and during World War II travelled to England, becoming a pilot with the Royal Air Force.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C35316 |title=Aubrey Arthur Ninnis Breckon |author=Online Cenotaph |website=Auckland War Memorial Museum |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22380185 |title=Breckon, Arthur Ninnis, 1887–1965 |website=National Library of New Zealand |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Victoria Street Hamilton, 26 March 1907, 1110560.jpg|Victoria Street in Hamilton (1907) File:Whatipu, 1030634.jpg|The barque ''Njord'' at Whatipu (1909) File:Helvetia Ostrich farm showing aspects of farming, plucking, dressing and finished products, 1086491.jpg|The Helvetia Ostrich Farm (1910) File:Manurewa, close up with Vivian Walsh at controls on ground, 1087240.jpg|Vivian Walsh piloting the biplane ''Manurewa No. 1'', which made the second successful flight in New Zealand (1911) File:Flax milling, Pokeno, 1042427.jpg|Flax milling at Pōkeno (1930) File:Great Barrier timber, 1129281.jpg|A kauri logger working on Great Barrier Island (1934) File:3rd Echelon in Queen St, 1079886.jpg|The third echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force marching in Queen Street, Auckland (1940) File:Red Cross Transport Driver. May 1943, 1128970.jpg|A Red Cross worker refueling a car (1943) </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collections-research/collections/search?pht=True&k=%22Breckon%2c+Arthur+Ninnis%2c+1887-1965%2c+photographer%22 Works of Breckon] are held in the collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Breckon, Arthur}} Category:1887 births Category:1965 deaths Category:New Zealand photographers