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An irreplaceable photographic collection of All Black rugby history has been stolen from New Zealand's most eminent sports photographer after a courier left a package in his mailbox.
Negatives, photographs and transparencies of matches against the French from 1960 to the mid- 90s belonging to veteran lensman Peter Bush were taken from his Island Bay home in Wellington.
The Weekend Herald understands a New Zealand Couriers driver was supposed to get Bush's signature when delivering the package last year but left it in his mailbox because he was not home. The package was later stolen.
Many of the photographs were used in Paris-based New Zealander Ian Borthwick's recent award-winning book, France/All Blacks: 100 ans de rencontres.
Bush, who began his photography career as a darkroom boy with the Herald in 1948, said the incident was "a real heartbreak".
He could not put a price on the items, many of which were taken in the non-digital era, of what he called "real photography". He fears a chunk of sporting history could be lost forever.
"There are pictures of Graham Mourie and Jean-Pierre Rives swapping jerseys as they're walking off Eden Park after the Bastille Day test in 1979, won by France.
"Of course, there are some great shots of Colin Meads competing against the French in Auckland in 1969 - the All Blacks won that one, I think."
Bush became concerned when he bumped into the book's publisher just before the second test between the All Blacks and France in Paris in November.
"I assumed the publisher still had them but I assumed wrongly and he thought I had got them," said Bush. "That's kind of when my world came apart."
He said he had spoken to the courier company, which admitted it was at fault.
"They're still hoping they can recover it. I think they're hoping to place an advertisement in one or two of the newspapers.
"I still hope remotely that they may turn up," he said. "It is irreplaceable. This was material you could handle - not some abstract digital crap."
New Zealand Couriers was not available for comment.
