Part Of

RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript Collection

Creator

Davidson & Gowen

Description Level

Fonds

Accession Number

6-1999

GMD

graphic

Date Range

1912

Physical Description

105 b/w photographs

History / Biographical

Alfred Fowler was born in 1903, in Toronto, Ontario. At the age of 23 he began working for Canadian National Railways (C.N.R.) in the company's telegraph accounting department. He remained employed there for 45 years, with the exception of the years 1940-45 when he served with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II. During his service he was stationed at Shilo, Manitoba, where he met his future wife, Elsie Bowen. They were married late in 1944, and in 1945 returned to Toronto. Fowler remained in Toronto until his death in 1969. Throughout his life, Mr. Fowler was an ardent amateur photographer.

Custodial History

All 105 prints in this collection were created by Davidson & Gowen, a photography business located in Brandon. It seems likely that they were created for display and/or for commercial sale as part of the November 7, 1912 "Harvest" edition of The Brandon Sun. Alfred Fowler acquired a copy of the Davidson and Gowen prints during his stay at C.F.B. Shilo during the Second World War. In 1946 Alfred Fowler left Brandon returning to his home in Toronto. With the death of Alfred in 1969 the collection passed to his wife, Elsie Fowler. Elsie died in 1987, also in Toronto. Her estate passed to her nephew, Byron Forsyth, a Brandon resident. Byron brought the collection back to Brandon and in 1999 donated it to the McKee Archives.

Scope and Content

The prints concern various subjects in Brandon, Manitoba c. 1911-1912 including Brandon residences, store fronts/businesses, streetscapes, churches, the Brandon Fair, parks, hotels, institutional structures (ie hospitals, City Hall) and rail yards (both Canadian Northern and Canadian Pacific) in the city. These images provide a visual record of Brandon in the years just before the Great War.

Notes

CAIN No. 202647. All addresses listed for photographs in the Fowler collection were derived from Henderson's Directories (1911, 1913).

Location Copy

Copies of the photographs are in the green binder on the reference shelf in the reading room. Negatives for CPR photographs have been placed with 6-1999.10 (CPR Railway depot).

Storage Location

RG 5 photograph storage drawer.

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.23

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

1904

Physical Description

4.75" x 3.75" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (8.4" x 6.4")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the men's hockey team from Baldur, MB.

Notes

Writing on the back of the image reads: "Baldur Hockey Bums Abroad 1904"

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.1

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1903]

Physical Description

8" x 6" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (12" x 10")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image shows a view of Baldur, MB with a body of water and train tracks in the foreground.

Notes

12-2004.15 indicates the water was caused by spring flooding.

Subject Access

rural images

Location Copy

Same as 12-2004.15

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.14

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

1903

Physical Description

6.6" x 4.75" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (8.75" x 7")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of Baldur, MB, including grain elevators.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.13

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

September 13, 1903

Physical Description

6.6" x 4.75" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (9" x 7")

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of Baldur, MB with a field in the foreground. The field has a light snow coverng and stacks of hay. Baldur is in the background.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.15

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

1903

Physical Description

8" x 6" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (12" x 10")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of Baldur, MB, with a body of water, possibly from spring flooding, in the foreground.

Subject Access

rural images

Location Copy

Same as 12-2004.1

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.7

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

5.6" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (7.5" x 5.6")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the town of Baldur, MB. Visible is the L. Curtis Block. Canadian Northern rail cars are in the foreground with horse drawn carts and men working on road and town buildings behind.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.6

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

1903

Physical Description

6.75" x 4.75" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (9" x 7")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the town of Baldur, MB. Looking south a body of water is in the foreground.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.17

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

4" x 3" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (6" x 5")

Physical Condition

Some bright spots/discoloration along the top and right side of the photo

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the Bateman house, located in Baldur, MB, in winter.

Subject Access

rural images

winter

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Creator

Photographer: E.L. Lane, Glenboro, MB

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.29

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1903-1904]

Physical Description

3.5" x 5.1" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (5.25" x 7.25")

Physical Condition

good

History / Biographical

Benedict Anderson married Millie Goodman on February 21, 1929 (Grund District info from Baldur book, page 435, RM of Argyle)

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Studio portrait of a man, probably Benedict Anderson, from Baldur, MB.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.22

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

7" x 5" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (9.25" x 7.25")

Physical Condition

good

History / Biographical

From the back of the photo: In 1922 to become Canadian National Railway. Building moved to Austin, MB to the Manitoba Agriculture Museum (CNP).

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the station agent inside the Canadian Northern Railway station in Baldur, MB.

Subject Access

rural images

railway stations

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.11

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

5.5" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (6.44" x 4.1")

Physical Condition

Tiny piece of the photo is missing from the bottom edge and there are a few hairline cracks along the top of the photo

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of three men standing in front of a building that appears to be Cleghorn's drug store.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.8

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

5.6" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (7.5" x 5.6")

Physical Condition

good

History / Biographical

The Curtis Block was built in 1900, possibly by Fred Stevens.

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the Curtis Block in Baldur, MB. The Victoria Hall, for public performances, was located on the upper floor. A group of men, one holding a hockey stick, and a dog are standing in front of the street entrance to the building.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Creator

Photographer: J.G. Macdonald, Moosomin, Assa.

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.25

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

2.25" x 5.5" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (5" x 8.75")

Physical Condition

Photo is faded and has some discoloration dots throughout

History / Biographical

Dr. L.M. Cleghorn was born in 1863 and died in 1926.

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Studio portrait of Dr. L.M. Cleghorn, who owned the pharmacy in Baldur, MB.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.16

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

5" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (6" x 5.25")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of two women and a child on the porch of Doctor Cleghorn's house in Baldur, MB.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.35

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

6.75" x 4.9" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (9.9" x 8")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Group portrait of what may be a family reunion or wedding anniversary celebration. There are some potted plants and a coupld of photographs placed in front of the group. The woman seated in the wooden chair towards the centre of the image is wearing a corsage.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.9

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

5.5" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (6.4" x 4.25")

Physical Condition

good

History / Biographical

The Fowler Block in Baldur, MB was built in 1899 by Alex Fowler.

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the Fowler Block in Baldur, MB. On the left is a shoe and harness shop owned and operated by the Fowlers from 1899-1978. On the right is J. Smith & Co. Merchants, a grocery and dry goods store. As of 2000, a grocery store still occupied the premises. Men are standing in front of the entrance to the two stores.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.12

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

6.6" x 4.75" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (9" x 7")

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Image of the west end of Front Street in Baldur, MB. Business and buildings in the photo include (L-R): Cleghorn's drug store, Fowlers, Tom Johnson's John Deer Shop, barber shop, Royal Bank (Odd Fellows Hall upstairs), Lee's Chinese Cafe, Hunters Hardware, Folwer Block, L. Curtis Block, Sexsmith Block - boarding house and sample room.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 1

Item Number

12-2004.24

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

7.5" x 5" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (8.75" x 6.75")

Physical Condition

good

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Studio portrait of a group of men from Baldur, MB. Seated front (L-R): Jack Snydal, Tom Johnson?, Earl Preston?. Back row (L-R): unknown, Simon Desrocher?, Harold Bateman, unknown.

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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Part Of

James Wall collection

Description Level

Item

Series Number

Box 2

Item Number

12-2004.26

Accession Number

12-2004

GMD

graphic

Date Range

[1900-1904]

Physical Description

3" x 4" (b/w)

Material Details

On matting (4.25" x 6")

Physical Condition

Discoloration mark between the two men in the back row

Custodial History

See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.

Scope and Content

Studio portrait of four men from Baldur, MB. Standing (L-R): Harold Bateman, Tom Johnson. Seated (L-R): Jack Snydal, R. ?.

Notes

May have been taken at the same time as 12-2004.24

Subject Access

rural images

Storage Location

2004 accessions

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