Alfred James Tattersall (29 March 1866 – 25 November 1951) was a New Zealand photographer,[1] who lived in Samoa for most of his life and contributed a significant collection of images of the Pacific Island country and its peoples during the colonial era.
Tattersall went to Samoa in 1886 to be an assistant in the photography studio of British photographer, John Davis.
This was the era of colonial photography in the South Pacific when the tropical landscapes and indigenous people provided 'continual fascination' for foreign photographers.
Apart from landmark historical events, Tattersall also photographed hundreds of landscape scenery and studio portraits of Samoans posing in traditional attire.
In 1920 Tattersall was appointed as one of the three unofficial members of the new Legislative Council of Western Samoa.