Edward William Payton (21 May 1859[1] – 2 October 1944[2]) was a photographer and painter in New Zealand.
[5] Starting from the southern coastal town of Bluff he travelled wide and far in the country, making sketches and photos about the countryside and Maori people.
He has seen and painted the Pink and White Terraces before and after the Mount Tarawera eruption.
[4] He became the first director of the Elam School of Art in 1890,[5] a post which he held for 35 years, retiring in 1924.
[3] In 1930, he travelled to Europe and added to the Mackelvie Collection in Auckland Art Gallery by the purchase on behalf of the trustees of 134 paintings and about 100 prints.