September 24, 2007

REGINALD KENNETH ‘REG’ GRAHAM
3 October 1930 – 29 August 2007

The Dunedin theatre community has been shocked and saddened by the loss of one of our greatest treasures, Reg Graham, the outstanding photographer for ten years of Fortune and Globe productions.

Reg had been at the Globe Theatre on the night of Tuesday 28th August, a familiar, well-loved and quietly professional presence, photographing the current production, which happened to be Fugard’s The Road To Mecca.  He died suddenly the next morning, in the process of selecting from his marvellously atmospheric shots.

Reg’s obituary in the Otago Daily Times, written by great friend and colleague, Keith Harrison, traces his career from King’s High (to which he was to return as an inspirational teacher) to Otago University, where his interest in theatre flourished, and from which he gained a Fulbright Scholarship. Throughout a career in education, culminating in the Directorship of the Secondary Division at Christchurch Teachers College, Reg continued to explore photography, and retirement opened new doors.

Keith Harrison writes: "It was not long before he developed a busy and satisfying career as a photographer, his reputation spreading by word of mouth and personal recommendation up to the time of his death.

His association with the Dunedin publishing firm Longacre Press Ltd started more than a decade ago when he assisted with the illustrations for his wife Judith’s book, Breaking the Habit. Work with famous literary figures such as Michael King, Janet Frame and Hone Tuwhare blossomed into the publication of Click! Portraits of New Zealanders last year, a pictorial record of New Zealanders who had made a significant contribution to the arts.

Several friends have this last week recalled memories of Mr Graham in productions by John V. Trevor, such as Tamburlaine for the Otago University Drama Society (OUDS) and an uncut version of Hamlet produced by Patric Carey for the Globe Theatre, both major works for the stage in which he played the title roles. This richness of theatrical experience led to his involvement as a photographer for the city’s amateur and professional groups. He was as generous at imparting his knowledge of photography and providing advice as he was in recording the lives of other people.

His multifaceted life – with experience of acting, stage production, teaching, reading, lecturing, photography – embraced other interests in his love of cooking and the enjoyment of good food accompanied by lively conversation…He would talk cogently and entertainingly on almost any subject, which made encounters with him particularly rewarding. He was modest, considerate and wise…a multi-talented man with substantial personal attributes and a special gift for friendship."

– Terry MacTavish (September 2007)