Leo White's scenic images

Leo White, Waikato River, 1940s

Leo White is best known for founding Whites Aviation, the company he ran from 1945 until his death in 1967. Whites Aviation specialised in aerial photography, documenting some quite dramatic changes in our towns and cities in the postwar era, and also published numerous aviation-related periodicals.

Alongside these projects, Whites also produced large, hand-coloured scenic images which graced the walls of many a home. Hand-colouring, literally adding colour to black and white images by hand, has been done since the days of the daguerreotype. While it fell out of favour once colour film became accessible and easy to use, hand-coloured images often have a beautiful and distinctive, somewhat surreal, look. This photo of the Waikato River is a classic example.