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

© 1999-2001 By David Mattison

Updated: 2001.04.14.



NAME: R.H. Trueman & Co.
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver ; Revelstoke ; Sandon ; Kaslo ; Grand Forks.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR: see Trueman, Richard Henry.
WORK INTERVAL: 1894-1910.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: After his partnership with Norman Caple was dissolved, Trueman ran his own studio. There are, however, no listings in the Vancouver directories between 1895-1898 to confirm this. Trueman did travel extensively during this period (the Medicine Hat News contained several mentions of visits). R.H. Trueman & Co. in Vancouver was first listed in 1899. Trueman frequently staffed the Revelstoke and Sandon branches himself. The Sandon branch was established by 1899 and Trueman was present in May 1900 when the city burned down.
COLLECTIONS: BVA (glass negatives); BVAA (prints); BVIPA (prints).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: print surface numbered, captioned and marked "R. H. Trueman & Co., Photo., Vancouver, B.C." or "R. H. Trueman & Co., Vancouver, Kaslo, Sandon & Revelstoke."
REFERENCES: HEN99; HEN00; Letter, Hugh Dempsey to Mattison, 1980 04 09; McDougall (1981-82); Hadley (1984); BVIPA Visual Records Photographer File.


NAME: Randall, Edwin M.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Skagway, AK; White Pass & Yukon Railway route to White Pass City, YT.
WORK INTERVAL: summer 1899.
STATUS: Amateur.
SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: UWL.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: UWL.

NAME: Rappertie, Arthur Stewart or Stuart.Image Courtesy of BC Archives - Call Number: G-03300.
VARIANT: Raffertie, Arthur S. ; Rafferty, A.S.
LIFE DATES: 1854? __ __-1923 11 13.
BIRTHPLACE: Pennsylvania?.
PLACE OF DEATH: Jacksonville, FL.
WHERE ACTIVE: Victoria.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Douglas St., corner of Johnson St./1877?-1889 ; 99 Douglas St./1890-1892 ; 41 ½ Pandora Ave./1892-1900?.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: Blanshard Ave., between Cormorant and Fisgard St./1882 ; Bay St./1885 ; Douglas St./1887 ; 163 Cook St./1889-1890 ; 268 Yates St./1891-1892 ; 227 Pandora Ave./1893 ; 20 Henry St./1894-1895 ; Layton St., corner of Cadboro Bay Rd./1897-1898 ; 150 Fort St./1899 ; 8 Avalon Rd./1900.
WORK INTERVAL: 1877?-1900+.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: See also Camera Workers, vol. 2. He worked for Hannah Maynard (Mrs. R. Maynard). His obituary (Victoria Times) states he worked for her for 34 years. The 1881 census shows him to be age 24, Episcopal, and from the United States. In 1881 he lived with his mother or aunt, age 61, who was a teacher. Her death is not recorded in the Vital Events index on the BC Archives Web site which means she did not die in BC or her death was not registered. A carte-de-visite portrait taken by S.A. Spencer (BVIPA call number G-03300) is believed to show A.S. Rappertie at work timing an exposure.
Given the coincidental timing of his appearance at Mrs. R. Maynard's studio, possibly even as early as the mid to late 1870s, Rappertie must be considered a candidate as the author of the various experimental and trick photographs credited to his employer. The annual Gems of British Columbia series, for example, was produced between 1880 and at least 1895. The various living statute portraits and the multiple exposure tableaus featuring Mrs. Maynard and living and deceased family members may well have originated with Rappertie. Certainly the complexity of the poses in the multiple exposure place him or someone else behind the camera or in the darkroom.
Rappertie appears in several Maynard family photos, some of which are found in Wilks' book.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: see Maynard, H.H. and Maynard, R..
REFERENCES: WIL82; WIL85; MAL87; WIL89; HEN90; HEN91; WIL92; WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; HEN00; Dominion Census, 1881 (OOA microfilm reel no. C-13,285, Johnson St. Ward); Victoria Times, 1923 11 23/13 (obit.; incorrectly cites death date as November 16); Wilks (1980).


NAME: Rattenbury, Francis Mawson.
LIFE DATES: 1867 10 11-1935 03 28.
BIRTHPLACE: England, UK.
PLACE OF DEATH: England, UK.
WHERE ACTIVE: Bennett, BC; Lake Bennett, BC/Yukon.
WORK INTERVAL: 1898 02-05.
STATUS: Amateur.
SUMMARY: The architect most identified with Victoria's charming identity today as a relic of English colonialism and imperial splendour was also an amateur photographer and enthusiastic investor in the Bennett Lake and Klondyke Navigation Co. He personally inspected the Bennett southern terminus for the three Victoria-built steam vessels that traversed the lake and connected with Whitehorse and Dawson. Rattenbury brought back photographs from his trip which were published in the BC Mining Record.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: BC Mining Record (September 1898):16-21; Reksten (1978); Barrett & Liscombe (1983).


NAME: Read, L.C.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Atlin, BC.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: by 1914-ca. 1919.
STATUS:
SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: BATM.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES:


NAME: Reford, Robert W.
LIFE DATES: 1867 08 19-1951 11 15.
BIRTHPLACE: Montreal, PQ.
PLACE OF DEATH: Montreal.
WHERE ACTIVE: BC.
WORK INTERVAL: 1889-1891.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The son of a Montreal shipping magnate, he lived in Victoria for business reasons. He visited several towns along the coast, including the Queen Charlotte Islands (Masset), Port Simpson, Port Essington, and Metlakatla.
COLLECTIONS: PAC.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Koltun (1980); Blackman (1981-82):100-102; Huyda (1983); Koltun (1984).


NAME: Reid, James D.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Kamloops.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1889.
STATUS: Commercial (assistant?).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He arrived in Kamloops from Nicola in 1887 and worked for J.L. Browne. A partnership listing, however, was shown as Reid & Browne.
COLLECTIONS: see Reid & Browne.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Reid & Browne.
REFERENCES: WIL89; Letter, Kamloops Museum-Archives to Mattison, 1981 11 03.


NAME: Reid & Browne.
WHERE ACTIVE: Kamloops.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1889.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: This was the partnership of J.D. Reid and J.L. Browne.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: WIL89.


NAME: Revelstoke Photo Co.
WHERE ACTIVE: Revelstoke.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Douglas St./1898.
WORK INTERVAL: 1898.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: HEN98.


NAME: Reynard, Marmaduke Charles.
LIFE DATES: 1872 06 18-1926 12 28.
BIRTHPLACE: Nanaimo?
PLACE OF DEATH: Vancouver.
WHERE ACTIVE: Victoria.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR: 20 Frederick/1898-1899 ; Foul Bay Rd. near Oak Bay Ave./1899-1900+.
WORK INTERVAL: 1897.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: His father was the Rev. James Reynard (1829-1875) who designed and built St. Saviour Anglican Church at Barkerville. Marmaduke had a photograph published in Western Recreation which was titled "The Harvest Field" and identified as "Photo. by Mr. M. C. Reynard, amateur." John Savannah offered advice on Reynard's effort in the next issue. Marmaduke married Maude Carter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Carter, Victoria, on August 17, 1898. Marmaduke was employed as a postal clerk with the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Co. in the late 1890s.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: HEN98; WIL99; HEN99; HEN01; HEN03; Western Recreation (1897 04 and 05); BVIPA Reference Room VF (file under Mrs. Mary Reynard, his mother); BVIPA Death Registration no. 1926-09-366744.


NAME: Rice, Arthur M.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Greenwood.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He worked for F.D. Rice & Co. and was also shown the same year as working for Hall, Rice & Co. (mining stocks and real estate).
COLLECTIONS: see F.D. Rice & Co.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see F.D. Rice & Co.
REFERENCES: HEN99; WIL99.


NAME: Rice, Frank Dwight.
LIFE DATES: 1881 __ __-1967 02 22.
BIRTHPLACE: Waterford, ON.
PLACE OF DEATH: Kelowna.
WHERE ACTIVE: Greenwood.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR: see F.D. Rice & Co.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to his obituary he arrived in B.C. in 1898 and worked for an uncle and a colleague at Greenwood. Frank operated F.D. Rice & Co., but was also listed the same year and the next as a clerk at the post office. He became a land surveyor in 1907.
COLLECTIONS: see F.D. Rice & Co.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see F.D. Rice & Co.
REFERENCES: HEN99; WIL99; HEN00; Vernon News, 1967 02 27/3. (obit.).


NAME: Richardson, James.
LIFE DATES: 1810 03 29-1883 11 18.
BIRTHPLACE: Perthshire, Scotland.
PLACE OF DEATH: Mantane, PQ.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nanaimo.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1875.
STATUS: Institutional (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was a Geological Survey of Canada officer who photographed coal mining activities around Nanaimo and possibly parts of the Queen Charlotte Island and the mainland. According to David Richeson's essay in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, he was the first to use photography in Canada to record geological features on a traverse of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the west coast of Newfoundland in 1860. Hall notes that most of his field work between 1871-79 was carried out in the far west. Richardson retired in 1879.
COLLECTIONS: OOA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: various references in the Colonist of 1871-72 and 1875; Hall (1967):9-11; Wallace (1978); Dictionary of Canadian Biography (1982): v. XI.


NAME: Risem, A.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 418 Hastings W. St./1899.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He worked at the Excelsior Studio with O. Risem.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: "AR A. Risem 418 Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C."
REFERENCES: WIL99.


NAME: Risem, Ole.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 442 Seventh Ave./1899 ; 418 Hastings St. W./1899.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 536 Homer St./1899.
WORK INTERVAL: 1899.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He worked at the Excelsior Studio with A. Risem.
COLLECTIONS: BVAA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Excelsior Studio.
REFERENCES: HEN99; WIL99.


NAME: Robertson, Lorenzo E.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Chicago, IL ; Glenora ; Dawson, YT.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1898-1903? (BC-Yukon only)
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He worked as a photographer prior to 1898 in Chicago before moving to Dawson. The BVIPA photo is captioned "Glenora, B.C. Showing R.R. Grade. July 3rd, 1898" along with Robertson's name. In October 1903 Herman A. Darms published some of Robertson's photographs of Dawson, including images taken at a horticultural and industrial display the month before.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: AHL; BVIPA; YWA (copy prints).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: pre-Klondike photos may bear credit line "L.E. Robertson Photo. Chicago, Ill.".
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: BVIPA photo HP014130; Yukon Archives photo no. 1992; 1901 Canada Census; Elder & Grainger (1989).

NAME: Robertson, William Francis.
WHERE ACTIVE: Victoria ; Olympia, Wash.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Government St., W. side near View St./1863 08-1864 02 27.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1863 08-1864 02 27.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was a partner in Vaughan & Robertson which worked out of the Victoria Theatre Photographic Gallery. He was working in Olympia from January 1866 to at least August of that year.
COLLECTIONS: see Vaughan & Robertson.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Vaughan & Robertson.
REFERENCES: Chronicle, 1863 12 08/3; 1864 03 04/1 (dissolution of partnership notice); (Olympia) Washington Standard, 1866 01 06/4; 1866 08 04/3.


NAME: Robinson, George. G. Robinson, ca. 1850 (Courtesy of BC Archives, Visual Records call no. G-02871)
LIFE DATES: 1825 __ __-1895 02 19.
BIRTHPLACE: Eng.
PLACE OF DEATH: Inkberrow, Worcestershire, UK.
WHERE ACTIVE: Nanaimo ; Victoria ; Olympia (WA)/1870-1872.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Government St., next door to San Francisco Baths/1864 05-1865 ; Government St., W. side near View St./1865 06-1869 05 ; Main St. (Olympia, WA)/1870 10-1872.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: Nanaimo/1854-1859 ; Esquimalt Rd. (Woodbine Cottage)/1869 ; Olympia (WA)/1870-1872.
WORK INTERVAL: 1858?-1859 (Nanaimo) ; 1864 05-1869 05 (Victoria) ; 1870-1872 (Olympia, WA).
STATUS: Amateur (1858?-1859) ; Commercial (1864-1872).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Robinson came to Vancouver Island in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company who sent him to Nanaimo in 1854 to begin coal mining operations. Robinson's first wife, Ann or Annie, and their two young children accompanied him on the vessel Princess Royal. According to Vickers, a great-grandson, Robinson took up photography just before he left Nanaimo in 1859. Robinson may have purchased photographic equipment during a trip to San Francisco in 1858. After five years in England, he and his second wife, Caroline Dakens, returned to Victoria where Robinson apparently opened his studio in May 1864. By the following year had moved into the Victoria Theatre Photographic Gallery which he would have purchased from J.W. Vaughan or his agent. During part of 1864 the first studio was closed while Robinson was exploring around Pachena Bay for coal. He also left the gallery in June 1865 for the Queen Charlotte Islands where he was to manage the Queen Charlotte Coal Mining Company and "take views of the surrounding country." By 1867 Noah Shakespeare was overseeing the portrait work for Robinson who was reported to be "devoting his attention exclusively to outdoor photography. Robinson sold the Theatre Photographic Gallery in May 1869 to J.A. Craigg and concentrated on his dentistry practice which he had evidently begun in 1868. Robinson relocated his photography and dentistry practice to Olympia, Washington Territory, in October 1870 where he remained until at least 1872 when he returned to England.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: BVIPA (carte de visite portraits).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: "Theatre Photographic Gallery. G. Robinson, Proprietor. Victoria, V.I." on verso of carte-de-visite.
REFERENCES: MAL68; MAL69; Colonist, 1864 05 09/2; 1864 07 04/2; 1867 03 11/2; 1869 03 30/2; Columbian, 1865 06 08/3; The Echo (Olympia, WA), 1870 10 20/18 (fitting up studio formerly occuped by Yantis & Gray); 1870 12 01/66 (Main St. address); 1871 05 25/226; 1871 02 17/3 (street views of Olympia); Puget Sound Daily Courier (Olympia, WA), 1872 03 16/3 (views of Olympia); (Nanaimo) Free Press, 1895 03 13 (obit.); Mattison (1980 Winter):6-7; Vickers (1984).


NAME: Roche, Richard.
LIFE DATES: 1831 06 16-1888 05 06.
BIRTHPLACE: England, UK.
PLACE OF DEATH: Isle of Wight, UK.
WHERE ACTIVE: BC.
WORK INTERVAL: 1858-1860.
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A lieutenant on H.M.S. Satellite, he was stationed at Esquimalt and took photos there, in Victoria and on San Juan Island. Some photographs previously credited to F.G. Claudet are now known to be Roche's work and may include some of the earliest photographs of British Columbia Indians.
COLLECTIONS: BVAUS; BVIPA; YUL.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Greenhill (1979); Koltun (1984).


NAME: Rocky Mountain Portrait Co.
WHERE ACTIVE: Vancouver.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Hastings St., corner of Homer St. (Metropolitan Block)/1894 03 15.
WORK INTERVAL: 1894 03 15.
STATUS: Studio (itinerant).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The newspaper ad said the company would occupy a store on the lower floor of the Metropolitan for one day, March 15.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: News-Advertiser, 1894 02 27/8.


NAME: Rodier, George.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Victoria.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 52 Government St./1898-1899.
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1898-1899.
STATUS: Commercial?.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He was a partner in Blake & Rodier.
COLLECTIONS: see Blake & Rodier.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Blake & Rodier.
REFERENCES: HEN98; WIL99.


NAME: Ross, Alex J.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: BC.
WORK INTERVAL: 1885 11? ; 1886 09-11.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Berton says he photographed the driving of the last spike at Craigellachie on November 7, 1885. A Vancouver paper reported him leaving Winnipeg in mid-September 1886 for a two-month tour along the CPR and into BC. Dempsey contains further biographical information.
COLLECTIONS: AEPAA; ACG.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Berton (1971):45; Dempsey (1978); Vancouver News, 1886 09 16/4.


NAME: Ross, Helen (Miss).
VARIANT:
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: New Westminster.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: 620 Columbia St./1897-1900.
HOME ADDRESS/YEAR: 961 Queens Ave./1900.
WORK INTERVAL: 1897-1900.
STATUS: Retoucher.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: She worked for S.J. Thompson in 1897 and E.F. Easthope in 1900.
REFERENCES: WIL97; HEN00.


NAME: Rothwell, E.L.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Somenos.
BUSINESS ADDRESS-YEAR:
HOME ADDRESS-YEAR:
WORK INTERVAL: 1895.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: WIL95.


NAME: Royal Engineers.
Arms of the Royal Engineers (Courtesy of BC Archives, Visual Records call no. PDP05368)WHERE ACTIVE: B.C. ; Esquimalt ; Victoria.
WORK INTERVAL: 1858-1863.
STATUS: Institutional (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The first Sappers were taught photography in 1856 by Charles Thurston Thompson (1816-1868) at the Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). A survey team of Royal Engineers arrived at Esquimalt in July 1858 to establish the 49th parallel and among their numbers was one photographer who deserted in the spring of 1859 to the U.S. Also with this group was a civilian photographer, Arthur Vipond, who had trained in 1857-1858 under Thurston Thompson. Two more Sappers trained in photography arrived as replacements in October 1859 and practiced with the equipment by photographing in and around Victoria. Charles Wilson, in the field near Chilliwack, mentions taking photographs in October 1859. Most of the photographs taken in 1860-1861 were made in the Fort Vancouver, Cascades and Dalles area of Washington and Oregon.
In addition to the boundary survey team, the Columbia Detachment of Royal Engineers was stationed at New Westminster, Colony of British Columbia, from December 1858 to 1863. Lieutenant A. R. Lempriere was in charge of the photographic department of this detachment. His work included copy photography of maps along with documentation of survey and roadbuilding work. The photographic department also took general landscape views and portraits. Joseph Davis and Henry Bruce were two other Sappers who practiced photography; the former after he resigned and the latter before he arrived in BC. Both men sailed with the Royal Engineers as carpenters.
COLLECTIONS: BVIPA ; OOA ; V&AM; YUL.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Woodward (1974-75); Birrell (1975); Birrell (1981-82); Mattison (1989); Letter, Frances Woodward to Mattison, 1981 10 02.


NAME: Royal Studio.
WHERE ACTIVE: Kamloops.
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Victoria St. (over Slavin's store)/1893-1898.
WORK INTERVAL: 1893-1898.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: This business was operated by W. R. Lang.
COLLECTIONS: BKM.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Letter, Kamloops Museum-Archives to Mattison, 1981 11 03.


NAME: Ryder, _________.
LIFE DATES:
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE ACTIVE: Alaska.
WORK INTERVAL: 186_.
STATUS: Commercial? (visit).
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: