What happens when a photographer runs out of storage space, retires, dies or simply abandons his/her negatives? Photograph curator Keith Giles takes a look at why some studio collections no longer exist and how some photographs have miraculously survived into the 21st century.

Keith Giles is Photograph Curator at the Auckland Central Library and has a particular interest in 19th century New Zealand photographers. He is the author of “C H Monkton & W H Reed: Adventures in the history of New Zealand photography”.