Camera Workers: The British Columbia, Alaska & Yukon Photographic Directory, 1858-1950 - L - Volume 1 (1858-1900)

© 1999-2001 By David Mattison

Updated: 2001.07.22.

NAME: La Roche, Frank.
LIFE DATES: 1853 06 20-1936 04 15.
BIRTHPLACE: Philadelphia, PA.
PLACE OF DEATH: Sedro Woolley, WA.
WHERE ACTIVE: Chilkoot Pass Trail ; Bennett ; Yukon Territory ; Alaska.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR: Seattle, WA/1888-ca. 1914 ; Sedro-Wooley, WA/ca. 1914-ca. 1928.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: same as business address.
WORK INTERVAL: 1897 08-1898 (Klondike Gold Rush) ; 1901 (Alaska).
STATUS: Commercial (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A prolific landscape photographer, he reputedly made over 100 round trips to Alaska. His only trip into the Yukon interior was in the late summer and fall 1897. Although photohistorian Marnie C. Coleman suggests La Roche left before winter, the images themselves reveal he likely travelled out after the Yukon River ice broke up in 1898. There are several winter scenes which Coleman must have missed that could not have been taken after 1898 since the book was published that year in serial form (six parts) as well as in a single edition the same year. Since there is no evidence La Roche went to the Klondike any earlier than 1897, it seems obvious that he wintered there, probably at Dawson. He may also travelled the surrounding countryside by dogsled and reached the Bering Sea by the time the water there was open for ocean navigation.
While E.A. Hegg received much attention from modern writers, La Roche views of the trails and settlements were equally impressive, as were those of another Seattle competitor, Asahel Curtis. Views from his sumer 1897 journey were copyrighted that year and published in an 1898 souvenir album, one of the earliest printed works to depict the harrowing trip faced by the gold-hungry hordes. Only Veazie Wilson's 1897 pictorial album documenting the same route appears to be earlier.
La Roche was also an important portrait photographer.
COLLECTIONS: UWL Photograph Collection 283 (negatives and prints).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: print surface usually numbered, captioned and marked "Copyright, 1897, La Roche, Seattle, Wash."
REFERENCES: La Roche (1898); Seattle Mail & Herald, 1901 04 20/4 ("planned several trips into Alaska again this year"); Cohen (1977; calls him Henry LaRoche); Coleman (1995); Telephone conversation, University of Washington Library, Special Collections, 1985 01 31; University of Washington Libraries, Frank La Roche Photograph Collection.

NAME: Landerkin, George M.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Juneau, AK.
WORK INTERVAL: 1891-1893.
STATUS: Commercial.
SUMMARY: Partner with L.V. Winter in Landerkin & Winter.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: see Winter & Pond.

Landerkin & Winter see Landerkin, Geroge M.

NAME: Lane, T.R.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Bennett, BC; Yukon.
WORK INTERVAL: 1898.
STATUS: Amateur.
SUMMARY: Yukon Archives photo no. 1387 is a portrait.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: YWA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Cohen (1977).

NAME: Lang, William Russell.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Kamloops.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Victoria St. (over Slavin's store)/1897.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: Victoria St., N. side/1894-1898.
WORK INTERVAL: 1893-1898.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He purchased Mina Gale's studio in 1893 and ran it as the Royal Studio. Involved in the Kamloops Music and Athletic Association and the Knights of Pythias, he left for Nelson in 1898. He was listed in the 1900 List of Voters as still living in Kamloops.
COLLECTIONS: BKM.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; LOV97; HEN98; Voters List, 1894; 1900; Letter, Kamloops Museum-Archives to Mattison, 1981 11 03.

NAME: Langevin, Edward A.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Salmon Arm.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1890.
STATUS: Amateur?.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A photo in the City of Vancouver Archives with his name shows the Lambley Bros. hotel under construction at Enderby in the spring 1890. He was listed as a foreman on the Canadian Pacific Railway and was living at Salmon Arm in the 1891 directory.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: HEN91; BVAA photo no. OUTDOORS P. 383.

NAME: Langlois, Albert.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
WORK INTERVAL: 1900.
STATUS: Amateur?.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The photograph in the City of Vancouver Archives is dated July 28, 1900 and shows him to be from Windsor, Ontario.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: BVAA photo no. VANCOUVER SCENERY P. 84.
NAME: Larkin, George W.
VARIANT: Adams & Co.; Adams & Larkin.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Bennett, BC; Dawson, Yukon.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: spring 1898-1901?.
STATUS: Commercial.
SUMMARY: As Adams & Co. they photographed the tent city of Bennett in the spring of 1898.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: BVA; YWA; photo postcards (Adams & Co.).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: negatives titled and marked "Adams & Co." or "Adams & Larkin, Dawson Y.T."
REFERENCES: BVA (Bennett, 1898; YWA photo no. 1980); Bronson (1977); Cohen (1977); Grainger, "Yukon Postcard Checklist" (n.d.).

NAME: Larkin, W[ellington?].
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 14 Cordova St. W./1899.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He worked for J.M. White and was listed as a clerk in the 1900-1901 directories.
REFERENCES: WIL99; HEN00; HEN01.

Larson, Edith see Dedman, Henry.

Larson, Per Edward see Larss, Per Edward.
NAME: Larss, Per Edward.
VARIANT: real name: Larson, Per Edward; Sarss, P. E.
LIFE DATES: 1863 03 25-1941 __ __.
BIRTHPLACE: Tjarby, Halland County, Sweden.
PLACE OF DEATH: California.
WHERE ACTIVE: Minnesota ; Pacific Northwest ; Nanaimo ; Washington ; Alaska ; Nevada.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Commercial St./1895.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: Church St./1895.
WORK INTERVAL: 1892-1896.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Claes Jacobson, a Swedish photohistorian, kindly supplied the following chronological summary of Larss/Larson's photographic career. He lived and worked in Minnesota (1883-1889) as a photographer, then moved to Denver where he worked as a mechanic for the Denver City Railway Company (1890). An itinerant period followed the next year which took Larss to three states in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and California). In 1892 he moved to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, where he was a partner with W.C. Pierce as Larss & Pierce. The studio was closed in 1896 and Larss returned to Denver where he remained until 1898. He moved to Washington where he worked for Adams & Pierce and for a brother of E.A. Hegg in New Whatcom (Bellingham).
On March 20, 1898 Larss then sailed on the Utopia to Skagway, Alaska, where he worked with E.A. Hegg and his brother Pete L. Hegg as Hegg & Larss (1898-1899). On April 1, 1899 Larss formed a new partnership with J.E.N. Duclos as Larss & Duclos which lasted until 1904. Larss was also active in mining and prospecting. He was married in 1904, the year he left Alaska; he and his Swedish wife moved to Nevada in the next year where Larss continued as a photographer and ran a stationery shop. He worked under the name of P.E. Larson during this time. He retired from photography in 1908 and moved to Oregon where he ran a hotel. In 1920 he settled in San Pedro, California, and remained in the state until his death.
COLLECTIONS: see Larss & Pierce.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Larss & Pierce.
REFERENCES: WIL95; Letter, Claes Jacobson to Mattison, 1984 11 28; Bailey (1998).

NAME: Larss & Duclos.
WHERE ACTIVE: Alaska ; Yukon.
WORK INTERVAL: 1899-.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Partnership of P.E. Larss and J.E.N. Duclos.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Mattison (1997a); Bailey (1998).
NAME: Larss & Pierce.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nanaimo.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Commercial St./1895.
WORK INTERVAL: 1892-1896.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Partnership of P.E. Larss and W.C. Pierce: their studio was operated under the name Elite Photo Studio.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: WIL95; Bailey (1998); Letter, Claes Jacobson to Mattison, 1984 11 28.

NAME: Lassonde, Paul H.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: New Westminster.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: City Hotel/1890 ; 143 Columbia St./1891.
WORK INTERVAL: 1890-1891.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: HEN91; Voters List, 1890.

Laughlan, M.P. see Coughlan, William P.
NAME: Laursen, Vigo.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Vancouver.
WORK INTERVAL: 1900.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES:

NAME: Le Munyon, C.E.
VARIANT: Great Northern Railway official photographer.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Spokane, WA ; West Kootenays ; Nakusp.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Spokane.
WORK INTERVAL: 1894 06-07.
STATUS: Commercial ; Institutional.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Described as the "official photographer of the Great Northern Railway, with headquarters at Spokane," he took what were probably the last photographs of the sternwheeler Columbia before she was destroyed by fire in early August 1894. He visited the West Kootenays to photograph scenery along the Nakusp and Slocan Railway line.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Nakusp Ledge, 1894 06 28/5; Kootenay Mail, 1894 07 07/3; 1894 08 04/3.

LeBlanc, L.A. see Blanc, Louis A.
NAME: Leckie-Ewing, R.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: late 1890s.
STATUS: Amateur?.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: His photographs were published in the March 1900 issue of the BC Mining Record (p. 81-86).
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES:

NAME: Lee, J.E.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Whitehorse, Yukon.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: by 1902-1903.
STATUS:
SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: AEPAA; YWA (copy prints).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: Print surface may be numbered and signed "J.E.L.".
REFERENCES: Yukon Archives photo no. 895 (APA no. B2071).

NAME: Lee Wah.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Kamloops.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: late 1890s-early 1900s.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Little is known about this photographer; his portraits of Chinese living in Kamloops are preserved in the Kamloops Museum-Archives.
COLLECTIONS: BKM.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Letter, Kamloops Museum-Archives to Mattison, 1981 11 03.

NAME: Leeson, Benjamin W.
LIFE DATES: 1866 __ __-1948 03 15.
BIRTHPLACE: Coventry, Warwickshire, UK.
PLACE OF DEATH: Vancouver.
WHERE ACTIVE: Cariboo District ; Winter Harbour (Quatsino Sound).
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Winter Harbour/1894-1900+.
WORK INTERVAL: 1887 or 1889-1900+.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to Eleven Early British Columbian Photographers 1890-1940, he emigrated to Vancouver in 1886 and began taking photographs in the Cariboo in 1887; his negatives were destroyed there by fire. In 1894 he moved to Quatsino Sound where he ran a store with his father (J.L. Leeson & Son) and engaged in a number of pursuits. He was especially noted for his portraits of brooding Indian figures and was fascinated by the flat-headed Kwakiutl women of the area. He retired in 1939 and moved to Vancouver.
COLLECTIONS: BVA (glass negatives); BVAA; BVAUS.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: WIL95; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; Province, 1948 03 16/15 (obit.); Vancouver Art Gallery (1976).

NAME: Lehman, Bertie.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Ashcroft?.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1893.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: This photographer was awarded honourable mention for a collection of photographs at the Ashcroft fall fair.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: World, 1893 10 16/3.

NAME: Lemon, F. L.
VARIANT: Lemon, T. J.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Revelstoke.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Douglas St./1899.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1897-1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The BVIPA print is captioned "Freight lying at Thompson Landing, B.C. ; Neg. No. 1530[?] ; Taken by F.L. Lemon, July."
COLLECTIONS: BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see above.
REFERENCES: WIL97; HEN99; WIL99; BVIPA photo no. 30825.

Lemon, T.J. see Lemon, F.L.
NAME: Lempriere, Arthur Reid.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: B.C.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: New Westminster.
WORK INTERVAL: 1859.
STATUS: Institutional.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was the Superintendent of Lands & Works, Quartermaster General, and also in charge of the photographic department of the Royal Engineers, Colony of British Columbia. There are a few references to photography in his diary according to Frances Woodward.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: BVIPA GR-1372, Colonial Correspondence (no references to photography located); Letter, Woodward to Mattison, 1981 10 02.

Light, Erastus A. see Ford, G.W.

Lomen, Alfred see Lomen Brothers.

Lomen, Carl J. see Lomen Brothers.

Lomen, Ralph see Lomen Brothers.

NAME: Lomen Brothers.
NAME: Lomen, Alfred.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
NAME: Lomen, Carl J.
LIFE DATES: 1880 __ __-1965 08 16.
BIRTHPLACE: Caladonia, MN.
PLACE OF DEATH: Seattle, WA.
NAME: Lomen, Ralph.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Juneau, AK; Nome, AK.
WORK INTERVAL: 1908-1934.
STATUS: Commercial.
SUMMARY: Carl J. Lomen arrived in Nome in 1900 and was president of the Lomen Reindeer Corp. and the Lomen Commercial Co. See his 1954 autobiography for further information on his business careers. The Lomen Brothers also operated the Lomen Transportation Company.
The Lomen Brothers photographic firm is important because, according to Grainger (1992), they purchased the studios and glass negatives of earlier Nome photographers, including B.B. Dobbs, Charles H. Milot, A.B. Kinney and F.H. Nowell. A disastrous fire in 1934, however, destroyed their business and only 3,000 negatives were salvaged.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: Glenbow Archives (glass negatives); UAlaska (Fairbanks) (prints and albums, MS-205).
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Glenbow Archives (1968); Bronson (1977); Grainger (1992).

NAME: Lowe, Skene.
LIFE DATES: 1856 __ __-1920 11 27.
BIRTHPLACE: England.
PLACE OF DEATH: Essondale.
WHERE ACTIVE: Winnipeg, MB ; Victoria.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Government St. (over London House)/1885-1887 ; 63 Government St./1889-1892 ; 61 ½ Government St./1891-1900+.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 45 Carr St., corner Simcoe/1889-1900.
WORK INTERVAL: 1885-1918?
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A partner with J.D. Hall in Hall & Lowe, Lowe was operating the Victoria branch of their Winnipeg operation by June 1885. The partnership was dissolved in May 1892 when Hall became sheriff of Vancouver. Lowe continued to use the name Hall & Lowe until at least the turn of the century and was in business for several years after 1900 under his own name; his last listing in the Victoria directory was 1918. He was buried in Victoria.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA; BVICA; BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: "Skene Lowe, 63 Government St., Victoria, B.C." on front of print mount. See also Hall & Lowe.
REFERENCES: WIL85; MAL87; WIL89; HEN90; HEN91; WIL92; WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; WIL99; HEN00; Colonist, 1885 06 03/3; 1896 04 05 (Special Edition); BVIPA GR-1304, file 82/1921 (probate); Dempsey (1978).