author

W. (Wilhelm) Dittmer

1866–1909

Best known for Te Tohunga (1907), this German-born artist and writer brought Māori legends to the page with striking Art Nouveau-style illustrations. His work grew out of years spent in New Zealand, where he painted and exhibited before returning to Hamburg.

1 Audiobook

Te Tohunga: The ancient legends and traditions of the Maoris

Te Tohunga: The ancient legends and traditions of the Maoris

by W. (Wilhelm) Dittmer

About the author

Born in Hamburg in 1866, Wilhelm Dittmer was a German artist who later worked in New Zealand. Library and museum records place him in New Zealand from about 1898 to 1905, with work connected to Auckland, Taupō, Whanganui, and Wellington, and exhibitions noted in the early 1900s.

He is best remembered for Te Tohunga: The Ancient Legends and Traditions of the Maoris (1907), a collection of Māori legends that he compiled and illustrated himself. Contemporary catalog records describe the book's images as imaginative ink-based illustrations, and later library summaries note their strong Art Nouveau character.

Dittmer appears to have returned to Germany around 1905. He died in Hamburg on June 19, 1909. A suitable confirmed portrait image was not available from the pages found during this search.