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This special gallery is dedicated to Arnold's skills with a camera. It covers many subjects, and provides a look at Napier in the 1930s; from the 1931 earthquake on to just before the outbreak of WW2. Many are aerials, that present Napier before it became a city with suburbs... at a time when it was almost small enough for folks to know each other... a period some locals describe as "the Golden Days."

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Arnold ran a meanswear shop, Reardon & Wright, (situated Cnrs. Emerson & Market Sts. Napier). There were always unusual window displays. Each Friday night, customers would arrive to see the latest comical dog cartoon, (drawn by a very talented taxi-driver/cartoonist called 'Simmonds'),on display. Supporting the 'dog' theme, special tin troughs were placed on the corner - one for lady dogs and one for the boy dogs.

Arnold was a noted aviator and member of the Napier Aero Club. He was also a mad keen photographer. If an aircraft was in the offing, he would capture it with his lens. His aerial shots portray a rich, historical archive of Napier from above, the famous planes and visitors operating from the old Embankment Aerodrome, the original gliding club and much more.

He was the very first aviator in the country to use his talent in a special way. He made the first-ever air drop of printed leaflets, which generated terrific attention. Each leaflet was numbered, and those on the ground were challenged to enter shops all over town to find the one which displayed the number printed on the leaflet they had retrieved. This won them a prize.

Arnold had a brother, Robert, who distinguished himself over many years as a singer and stage performer in groups such as the Napier Operatic Society. His mother was a prominent citizen also, noted for her involvement with many community organisations. The Wright family is commemorated in the Marine Parade, bearing their name.

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