Photographers of Vancouver
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This is a collection of information on early photographers of
Vancouver. Although these companies typically did commercial types of work,
they also did fine art photography, and some of their employees were fine artists
as well as production artists. Thus, it seemed to make sense to start compiling these
logos and advertisements if only to provide a place for other information to be added.
Refer also to DIR (provincial and city directories) for
additional information on names, dates, and addresses.
Editor's note: the businesses are listed alphabetically. The list is not intended to
be complete and comprehensive, but is simply information that the Editor has compiled.
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TONY ARCHER PHOTOGRAPHER
Tony Archer worked as a self-employed portrait photographer until his death.
ARTONA STUDIOS
Studio credit in 1914-1915 Provincial Normal School Annual.
The Artona Studios was founded in Vancouver in 1909, and is still in business in 2024.
See website at artona.com.
Artona Studio portrait of Maud Rees Sherman c1920.
Percy Rowe (q.v.) was born in England, and became a member of the Royal Photographic
Society. He arrived in Vancouver c1919, and by 1926 had his name on the Artona Advertisement.
Advertisement in the VSDAA 1925-1926 School Annual.
ARTRAY PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD.
Scan of stamp on photograph.
Art Jones and Company Vancouver. Photograph courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery Library.
See also PHG02.
JACK BOWMAN PHOTOGRAPHER
Stamp of Bowman logo on envelope.
Front cover of Friendship Album, Terms and Conditions of Friendship Album.
Scan of Dec. 9 1959 photograph of Gary Sim.
John (Jack) A. Bowman is noted in the 1950 Henderson's City Directory for Vancouver
and New Westminster as an employee at Leonard Frank's Studio. His residence was at
1430 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, his wife's name was Rita J. In 1952 he was listed
as an assistant with Frank, residence 1539 West 8th Avenue.
The photograph above was taken in 1959, by which time he had his own company
"Jack Bowman Photographer" at 1325 Commercial Drive, Vancouver 6. The company motto
as printed in a Friendship Album (number 538) was "Pride in our Service, Pleasure in our Pictures."
A receipt for the album was signed by Arnot Hill.
The Friendship Album cost $4.75 plus tax, which entitled a family to have five studio
portraits taken, one per calendar year. Proofs were issued for approval, and
the approved proof would be provided in an 8 x 10 size. Unfortunately, the Editor's family
only took advantage of one photograph. I wonder if I could still get one.
THE BULLEN PHOTO COMPANY/BULLEN & LAMB
1910 advertisement
The Bullen Photo Company, also Bullen & Lamb, a partnership of Harry E. Bullen
and R. Lamb, advertised in the 1910 Vancouver City Directory. For some unknown reason
the photographer in the illustration has a devil's tail.
CAMERA AND ARTS LIMITED
J. CANDLISH PHOTOGRAPHER
Scan of 1924 advertisement.
J. Candlish advertised as a school photographer in the
November 1924 issue of School Days
magazine.
DOMINION PHOTO COMPANY
The Dominion Photo Company was founded in Vancouver by Percy
Bentley, a member of the British Royal Photographic Society, when he arrived from
England around 1912. The company was noted for their picture postcards. In 1927 the
company photographed a series of paintings titled The Epic of
Western Canada that were painted by John Innes.
DUNNE & RUNDLE LTD.
Scan of framing label.
This framing label is not dated. Dunne & Weeks were in business together in
1915, and Rundle was noted as an art dealer at 531 Granville St. in the 1931 Directory.
Dunne & Rundle went out of business c2014, at
which time they were located in the Bentall Centre, downtown Vancouver.
An early picture envelope noted that they were "B.C. dealers for Bell & Howell
silent and sound movie equipment, Ansco amateur and professional photographic
supplies, fine pictures and quality picture framing."
W.G. DURYEA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Scans of 1914 and 1919 advertisements.
W.G. Duryea advertised in the 1913-1914 and 1918-1919 school annuals of the
Provincial Normal School in Vancouver.
EASTMAN PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS LTD.
Scan of label.
Photograph of undated framing label courtesy Bob MacIntyre, Burnaby.
JACK V. LONG PHOTO SERVICES
Scan of stamp on back of photograph.
Refer also to Jack Long biography file.
Photograph courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery Library.
PHOTO-ARTS LTD.
Scan of label on back of photograph.
Photo-Arts Ltd. first appeared in the 1928 City Directory, Stephen J. Thompson
was Managing Director. They did "Kodak Finishing, Commercial Photography, Pictures
and Framing" at 771 Dunsmuir Street. By 1929 the store was at 573 Hornby, with
S.J. Thompson listed as manager. The store was listed in the business directory under
"Photographic developing and printing." In 1935 C. (Cecil) Thompson was listed as manager, in
1936 B.C. Thompson. By 1939 the store had relocated to 569 Hornby Street. By 1950 the business opened a
branch office at 1154 Robson Street. In 1955 the business was still in operation in
both locations, the Robson Street branch was listed as "Portrait Studio."
STEFFENS-COLMER STUDIO/STEFFENS-COLMER LTD.
Framing label c1944-1951
Steffens-Colmer Studio was a Vancouver photographic business. Don Coltman (1898-1963)
managed it from 1941 to 1944, then purchased it and operated it as
Steffens-Colmer Ltd. until 1951. The City of Vancouver Archives has
digitized over 10,000 of Coltman's photographs. Refer to:
https://www.vancouverarchives.ca/2019/02/07/don-coltman-photographs-now-available/
1922 advertisement in Wrigley's BC Directory
STUART THOMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Stuart Thomson was born in England, then moved to Australia with his family.
After he arrived in Vancouver, be became one of the most important photographers in
Vancouver history. Beginning in 1910, he took about 1,000 photographs a year until
his death in 1960, leaving behind a legacy of 50,000 historic photographs.
He was the official UBC photographer from 1925, and the official PNE photographer
from the 1930s on. He photographed Sun Yat Sen, Winston Churchill, President
Harding, and many other famous visitors to Vancouver.
He hired June Sherman as his assistant around 1940, and later made her his
business partner. She inherited the business in 1960 when he died. Thomson
lived with the Sherman family (R.S. Sherman,
Maud Rees Sherman) at 3642 Dundas Street
from 1940 until his death.
THE VANDERPANT GALLERIES
John Vanderpant had his photographic business in an old
house on Robson Street, Vancouver. Years later the house became La Cote D'Azure
Restaurant, with the tables set in the original living and dining rooms, complete
with functional fireplace.
WADDS BROTHERS/GEO. T. WADDS
The Wadds Brothers were in business in Vancouver from at least 1900 to 1946. In 1900
they were Wadds Brothers, by 1924 George T. Wadds had his own studio in
the Vancouver Building. In 1946 he was at 1318 Granville St.
CHARLES WEST STUDIO
Charles West was a Vancouver photographer, active at least in
the 1940s, advertising in 1946 with a studio on Hastings Street (see bio). He was the
brother-in-law of artist Harold Faulkner Smith.
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