A Chinese family running a green grocery in the 1920s by an unknown photographer. [Photo/Collection of Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand]

According to Li, the 100-odd photos on display were selected from nearly 100,000 offerings provided by 16 public institutions in New Zealand, including Archives New Zealand, the National Library of New Zealand and Auckland Libraries, besides private collections.

They cover a wide spectrum, from the mid-19th century onwards.

Li says that typical news photos were culled out in favor of images reflecting people's daily lives, and renowned individuals are highlighted in the exhibition.

Appo Hocton, whose name was spelled in Mandarin pinyin as Huang Heting, was a former sailor who worked on a British ship.