Charles D. Barraud's illustrations are regarded as some of the most important early images of New Zealand landscapes. He was an English artist who emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 and traveled widely in NZ sketching the beautiful scenery, usually in water color. Twenty four of his best paintings were published as lithographs in 1877 in London. The lithographer was the excellent C. F. Kell. Many of the lithographs are of considerable historic interest and are now very rare, particularly that portraying the Pink and White Terraces which were destroyed in the Tarawera eruption. Barraud was a founder member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and its first president.