Image collection: Ballantynes’ Fire

This is a sample of photographs of the Ballantynes’ Fire disaster of 18 November 1947. You can search the catalogue for more photographs.

• Ballantynes’ Fire factsheet - an easy to read summary of this disaster
• Ballantynes’ Fire resource - transcripts of articles from newspapers and other sources regarding the Ballantynes’ Fire
• Other photographs of Ballantynes Department Store

A Salvation Army worker provides tea for firemen and volunteers battling the fire	Battling the flames: tense firefighters in action	Rescuing Mr K. Ballantyne from the burning building on Colombo Street, Christchurch
Firemen battling the blaze : directing jets on the furniture department	Sailors of the ships Bellona and Arbytus (Royal New Zealand Navy) help to attack the flames	Firemen, servicemen and civilians fighting the fire
Firemen dampening down Ballantyne's building	Firemen dampening down the main entrance of Ballantyne's	Firemen dampening down the main entrance of Ballantyne's building
View of still-smoking Ballantynes after the fire	Aerial view of the gutted shell of the three-storied department building	View of the central area of the gutted building: little remains except for the brick dividing walls and twisted roof iron
Aftermath of Ballantyne’s Fire, view from Cashel Mall 1947	Aftermath of Ballantyne’s Fire, view from Colombo Street	Aftermath of Ballantyne’s Fire, view from crane demolishing wreckage
Soldiers work amongst the debris	A city mourns the 41 victims as they are carried through the streets of Christchurch on the way to the civic funeral