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An exhibition of 40 photographs by world-renowned photographer Brian Brake will be on display at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery in the month of July. 

Born in Christchurch in 1927, Brake spent his holidays in Arthur's Pass in the Southern Alps. When about ten, he helped Charlie Warden, the old Scottish Ranger, make the slides for lectures about the Pass. It was here that his enthusiasm for photography was born.

He gained a solid, classical training as an assistant to Wellington portrait photographer Spencer Digby starting at age 18. After three years he joined the National Film Unit as an assistant cameraman and there he received thorough training in cinematography, editing and directing.

In 1954 Brake left for London and in 1955. When Brake was at the Leica School and factory in Germany to replace his old Leica he met Ernst Haas and Henri Cartier-Bresson by chance. He showed them his colour of New Zealand and black and white of people in London streets. He was invited to join "Magnum".

This group of freelance photo-journalists was headed by Cartier-Bresson and supplied work to the world's magazines - "Life", "Paris-Match", "Sunday-Times", "Epoca", "National Geographic" and the like.

He went to Nigeria to cover a Royal visit. He was the only western photographer in Peking to cover the 10th anniversary of the revolution. He was in New Zealand for "National Geographic" and while in the midst to this job was plucked off to Westminster Abbey to photograph for the world's magazines the wedding of Princess Margaret.

Ideas for photographic essays were discussed between photographers in Magnum and it was here that the idea of "Monsoon" germinated. Brake, like Cartier-Bresson had become involved in the Far East. Brake devoted years to this part of the world and his "Monsoon", published by every major magazine in 1961 has become one of the classic colour essays. It won the Award of Merit of the American Society of Magazine Photographers and was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art.

For "Life" he did a series on Japan, "The Roman Empire", and a six part series on "Ancient Egypt". For the last one, he received the Order of Merit from President Nasser.

This exhibition is a distillation of his work as a photojournalist including his first published photographs.

Exhibition number 170