.LynEve

gallery

The lamp above the door of the Criterion Hotel, Oamaru, New Zealand. The hotel was built in 1877 of local limestone and closed in 1905 when prohibition was brought in. In 1998 it was fully restored to a working Victorian style pub, noted for its authentic beers and pork pies. If if it had a voice this lamp could no doubt tell many tales because in the 1880s Oamaru was the size of San Francisco and the port handled 400 ships a year. Now it has a population of 13,000 and only fishing boats and pleasure craft are seen in the harbour.