This pencil sketch of Ngaio Marsh's cousin, Hal Baker, was likely made on one of his regular visits to see her in Christchurch and is said to be a very good likeness. Internationally recognised as a writer of crime novels and a theatre director, Ngaio began her career as a painter, attending the Canterbury College School of Art from 1913 to 1919. She was a founding member of the Christchurch Group, exhibiting with them many times.