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Leonard Juda Frank
b.
3 July, 1870, Berne, Germany
d. 23 February, 1944, Vancouver, Canada
Son of one of Germany's
earliest professional photgraphers, Leonard Frank was born in Berne, Germany
in 1870. In 1892 he was struck with gold fever and emigrated to San Francisco,
moving to Alberni on Vancouver Island two years later intending to prospect
for gold. Frank never discovered gold, but by chance won a raffle prize
of a camera which sparked his lifelong passion. While managing a general
store and continuing to prospect, Frank took pictures of the surrounding
country until photography became his chosen profession.
In 1917, Frank moved
to Vancouver and quickly became the leading commercial / industrial photographer
in the city. Frank 's photographs form a unique document of Vancouver
and British Columbia's history between the wars. Whether in woods, shooting
the activities of the lumber industry, or on Vancouver's waterfront, recording
the contents of warehouses, Frank invariably managed to produce photographs
which not only included the required factual information, but also the
most exquisite natural light effects. He was frequently commissioned to
photograph for both the provincial and federal governments, as well as
being the official photographer for the Vancouver Board of Trade. Frank
was an associate member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain,
the first in Vancouver to receive the coveted award.
After Frank's death,
his photographic studio was purchased by Otto Landauer. The Jewish Historical
Society of Vancouver also owns a proportion of Leonard Frank's photograph Collection.
These images will not be scanned by Vancouver Public Library.
> Brief bibliography on Leonard Frank
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