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

© 1999-2001 By David Mattison

Updated: 2001.04.08.


NAME: N. Caple & Co.
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR: 329 Hastings St./1894-1896 03; 517 Hastings St. (Ogle Block)/1896 03-1900 03 ; 546 Granville St./1900 03+.
WORK INTERVAL: 1894-1896.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Norman Caple established his own studio after his partnership with R.H. Trueman had dissolved towards the end of 1893. Caple's business address was the former address of C.S. Bailey & Co. As did the Bailey Bros. Caple supplemented or subsidized his photographic income and work with stationery supplies and products unrelated to photography.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA (glass negatives).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: negatives usually numbered, captioned and marked "N. Caple & Co., Photo., Vancouver, B.C."
REFERENCES: WIL95; HOD96; News-Advertiser, 1896 04 03/1 (ad for move to new address); BVAA photo BUILDINGS P. 651 (exterior of N. Caple & Co., 329 Hastings St., circa 1895).

NAME: Nanaimo Photographic Gallery.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nanaimo.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Bastion St., next door to Temperance House/1877 06-.
WORK INTERVAL: 1877 06-.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: This was operated by W.H. Davis who rented the premises formerly used by photographer J.K. Gilbert who died in October 1876.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Nanaimo Free Press, 1877 06 09/2 (ad).

NAME: Neelands, Hamilton George.
LIFE DATES: 1859? __ __-1935 11 __.
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH: Seattle, WA.
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver ; Nelson.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 227 Hastings W. St./1889-1890 ; 176 Cordova St./1890. ; W. Baker St. (Nelson)/1891-1897.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: Seymour St./1889-1890.
WORK INTERVAL: 1889-1897.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A partner in Bailey & Neelands, photographers, he moved to Nelson to establish the Neelands Bros. with his brother James. H.G. was married in February 1897 in Nelson to a Belle Whittet. He later served as mayor of Nelson and also owned mining property in the Nelson area.
COLLECTIONS: see Bailey & Neelands and Neelands Bros.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Bailey & Neelands and Neelands Bros.
REFERENCES: WIL90; WIL92; WIL93; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; HEN00; various Vancouver and Nelson newspapers; Province, 1935 11 16 (obit.).

NAME: Neelands, James F.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Nelson.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: W. Baker St./1891-1897.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1891-1897.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A partner in the Neelands Bros. studio, he later worked for the Kootenay Cigar Manufacturing Co. and owned and/or operated the Athabasca Saloon.
COLLECTIONS: see Neelands Bros.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Neelands Bros.
REFERENCES: WIL92; WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; HEN00; various Vancouver and Nelson newspapers.

NAME: Neelands, Samuel.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Nelson.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: W. Baker St./1897.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1897.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A partner in the Neelands Bros. studio, he later operated a boot and shoe store in Nelson.
COLLECTIONS: see Neelands Bros.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Neelands Bros.
REFERENCES: WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; WIL99; HEN00.

NAME: Neelands Bros.
VARIANT: Needlands Bros. ; Neil Bros.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nelson.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: W. Baker St./1891-1895 ; 21 W. Baker St./1897.
WORK INTERVAL: 1891 06-1897.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: This studio was established by J.F.and H.G. Neelands in June 1891. Samuel was associated with the firm in 1897. The brothers were primarily landscape photographers but probably took portraits as well.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA; BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: print surface usually numbered and captioned, e.g., "No. X355. Vancouver from Hotel Vancouver. Neelands Bros., Nelson, B.C." or "Neelands Bros., Photographers, Nelson, B.C."
REFERENCES: WIL92; WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; World, 1891 05 29/1; News-Advertiser, 1891 05 31/8; British Columbia Commercial Journal, 1891 06 02 /4; (Nelson) Miner, 1891 07 04/2.

NAME: Neill, George W.
VARIANT: Neil, George.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Toronto ; Victoria.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 60 Yates St./1891-1892.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 112 Chatham St./1892.
WORK INTERVAL: 1891 05-1892?.
STATUS: Finisher.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He arrived in May 1891 to take charge of the finishing department of Jones & Co. having worked previously for many years as head of the same department in the Gagen & Fraser photographic firm in Toronto. The 1892 directory listed him as a photographer employed by Jones & Co.
REFERENCES: WIL92; Colonist, 1891 05 19/5.

NAME: Nelkin, J.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Victoria.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 32 Government St./1895.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 171 Pandora Ave./1895.
WORK INTERVAL: 1895.
STATUS: Unknown.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was listed as an artist with the Berlin Portrait Co.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: WIL95.

NAME: Newcombe, Charles Frederick.
LIFE DATES: 1851 09 __-1924 10 19.
BIRTHPLACE: Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK.
PLACE OF DEATH: Victoria.
WHERE ACTIVE: Queen Charlotte Islands.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Victoria.
WORK INTERVAL: 1897-1900+.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: An anthropologist, he was on a collecting expedition for G. M. Dawson and Franz Boas.
COLLECTIONS: BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: BVIPA MS-1077; Low (1982 Spring):32-39; Huyda (1983).

NAME: Newman, Almeron.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: B.C.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1897.
STATUS: Commercial (itinerant) (assistant).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was the partner of N.J. Porter; at the time of Porter's death Newman was reported living in Trinidad, Colorado.
COLLECTIONS: see Porter, Nathaniel Joseph.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Porter, Nathaniel Joseph.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Province, 1953 03 25/3 (obit. of N. J. Porter).

NAME: Nickson, Ralph.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 534 Cordova St./1897.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 1220 Melville St./1897.
WORK INTERVAL: 1897.
STATUS: Commercial (assistant).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was listed as an apprentice with the Edwards Bros.
REFERENCES: WIL97.

NAME: Norgate, T. Burroughes.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: principally northern Vancouver Island.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1894, 1896.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Norgate was an artist living in Victoria who accompanied an exploring expedition sponsored by The Province newspaper of northern Vancouver Island (Province Exploring Expedition). The Rev. William Washington Bolton, leader of this expedition and a subsequent one two years later which included professional photographer Edgar Fleming, kept a journal of the group's travels. Rev. Bolton referred to Norgate's use of a "kodak" at Fort Rupert on July 20, 1894 (BVIPA MS-2777; BVIPA photo no. H-05541). The newspaper published a complete account of the 1894 expedition based on letters and additional writings submitted by Rev. Bolton following his return.
COLLECTIONS: BVIPA (Visual Records accessions 198208-032 [1894 expedition] and 198703-003 [1896 expedition].
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: BVIPA MS-2777 (Bolton papers).

NAME: Norman, Henry.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1888 01.
STATUS: Institutional (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A British correspondent from the Pall Mall Gazette, he was described as
A capital photographer, [who] secured several fine views of the city from the top of the C.P.R. hotel, and some of the hotel itself and the big trees on the Brighouse estate [now Vancouver's West End].
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: News-Advertiser, 1888 01 25/1.

NAME: Notman, Charles F.
LIFE DATES: 1870-1955.
BIRTHPLACE: Montreal, PQ.
PLACE OF DEATH: Montreal?, PQ.
WHERE ACTIVE: BC ; Vancouver.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Montreal, PQ.
WORK INTERVAL: 1889 ; 1897?.
STATUS: Commercial (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A brother of William McFarlane and George R.W., he passed through BC and stopped in Vancouver; he assisted W.M. Notman. C.F. Notman acquired the Notman studio upon W.M. Notman's death and in April 1935 sold the business, along with 400,000 negatives, to Associated Screen News.
COLLECTIONS: see Notman, William McFarlane.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Notman, William McFarlane.
REFERENCES: see Notman, William McFarlane.

NAME: Notman, George R.W.
LIFE DATES: 1868-1921.
BIRTHPLACE: Montreal, PQ.
PLACE OF DEATH: Montreal, PQ.
WHERE ACTIVE: BC ; Vancouver.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: Montreal.
WORK INTERVAL: 1884 ; 1887.
STATUS: Commercial (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A brother of William McFarlane and Charles F., he accompanied and assisted the former on the first and second trips to BC.
COLLECTIONS: see Notman, William McFarlane.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Notman, William McFarlane.
REFERENCES: see Notman, William McFarlane.

NAME: Notman, William McFarlane.
LIFE DATES: 1857 11 01-1913 05 01.
BIRTHPLACE: Montreal, PQ.
PLACE OF DEATH: Montreal, PQ.
WHERE ACTIVE: BC ; Vancouver.
WORK INTERVAL: 1884 ; 1887 ; 1889 ; 1897.
STATUS: Commercial (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A son of famed Montreal photographer William Notman (1826-1891), he visited BC several times before and after the turn of the century. He was accompanied and assisted by one or both of his brothers, Charles F. and George R.W. A full account of his career and that of his brothers can be found in Stanley Triggs' fine study, William Notman: The Stamp of a Studio (1985).
COLLECTIONS: NPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: print surface usually numbered, captioned and marked "Wm. Notman & Son, Photo, Montreal."
REFERENCES: Letters, Notman Photographic Archives to Mattison; Vancouver newspapers; Harper & Triggs (1967); Reid (1979); Triggs (1985); Hall, Dodds & Triggs (1993).

NAME: Nowell, Frank H.
LIFE DATES: 1864 02 19-1950 10 19.
BIRTHPLACE: Portsmouth, NH.
PLACE OF DEATH: Snohomish County, WA.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nome, AK; Seattle, WA.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Central Building, Seattle, WA/after 1911?+.
WHEN ACTIVE: 1900-1908 (Alaska).
STATUS: Commercial.
SUMMARY: Nowell was an official photographer and supplier of Alaska views to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909. His negatives were purchased in 1911 by the Lomen Brothers firm.
According to Jones (1976), Nowell worked at some point with Orville J. Rognon in Seattle.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Jones (1976); Bronson (1977):210, studio exterior; Grainger (1992); Letter, Michael Cirelli, 1996 01 25.