Is it Real or Composite?

Molson Wedding, St. George's Church, 
Montreal, QC, 1878 Notman & Sandham 
© McCord Museum

My last post, Composite Photography of William Notman, introduced you to the world of William Notman, his use of composite photography, and touched on some 19th century photograph techniques. As a very brief recap, I'll say that photography gave people a physical image of something they wanted to remember, and even pass on down through the years. But often it wasn't feasible - for reasons stated in my last post.

For an example, I'll use the Molson family. As a politician, philanthropist, and businessman, John Molson (1763 - 1836) played a large role in Montreal history. In 1786 he formed the Molson Brewery which is presently the 2nd oldest company in Canada. (Only the Hudson's Bay Company is older.)  So when John's son, William Alexander Molson, married Esther Shepherd, daughter of R.W. Shepherd, owner of the Ottawa Navigation Company steamship line, the wedding was a big deal. With Bishop William Bond presiding, the ceremony was performed on October 10, 1877 in St. George's Anglican Church, Montreal. The photograph of the huge social event was a composite made possible by the artwork of the Notman & Sandham Studio.

The Bounce, Montreal Snowshoe Club, QC, 1886, 

Wm. Notman & Son © McCord Museum

A famous Notman photograph shows the Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley de Preston, namesake of the Stanley Cup, being "bounced" by members of Montreal Snow Shoe Club (MSSC) in 1886. Wearing outfits reminiscent of the original voyageurs, the MSSC members performed a unique activity called bouncing to show respect and camaraderie to new members, race/tramp winners, and special guests. 

You can find information about MSSC being the first snowshoe club in North America, a detailed description of their outfits, and more at the Montreal Snow Shoe Club wiki page.

And yes, The Bounce is a composite created by individual photographs of the members standing, and one with Lord Stanley de Preston lying on a table. 





The Montreal Snow Shoe Club participated in races of all kinds including this hurdle race. Wait - a hurdle race on snow shoes? Look close - is this photograph real or a composite? 

Hurdle Race on Snowshoes, Montreal, QC, 1892 Wm. Notman & Son © McCord Museum

I have to admit that I thought Hurdle Race on Snowshoes was a real photo when I added it to one of my Historic Winter Sports posts on another group blog. And then I discovered that it was a real photograph after all, and taken in 1892 no less. I wonder what type of camera they used, because clearly, the detail of the racers is wonderful.

J. Beattie's Snowshoeing Group, Montreal, QC,
1869-70 William Notman © McCord Museum

On the right, you see J. Beattie's Snowshoeing Group which I had also added to the Historic Winter Sports post thinking it was real. I mean, it looks like a typical eastern Canada setting in the foreground as well as the background. And the falling snow adds such a wintery effect.  

Similar sets were also used in photographs of people on snowshoes or on toboggans, like this one...

R. Stevenson and Friends on Toboggan, Montreal, 

QC, 1870 William Notman © McCord Museum

But are these real photographs or composites? 

They are real studio photographs taken of posed people using props to hold their positions. The effect of the falling snow was done by the art department before releasing the photograph. 

Many families wanted a group photograph taken in their own home, like this 1904 photograph showing the Phillip Simpson Ross family of Montreal in their own living room. What do you think?

Philip Simpson Ross family group, Montreal, QC, 1904 William Notman (1826-1891)© McCord Museum

According to the McCord Museum's online exhibition, The Photographic Studio of William Notman, "...where each person was photographed individually with a posing stand at the head to prevent movement, a clear portrait with a pleasing expression and a good pose was guaranteed. Photographing even a small group, such as a family, indoors in a single picture was impossible. Most families wanted their own living-room or parlour as a setting for the family group, but the exposure to record the room would have been up to an hour long at least. Therefore a photograph of the room only was taken, enlarged, and the figures added later."

This next photograph shows the children of W. Birks of Montreal. I suspect they are talking about William Birks, son of Henry Birks who started the Birks jewellry enterprise back in 1879 and soon renamed the store, Birks and Sons, in 1893 after going into partnership with sons William, John, and Gerald. Not only is the Birks name synonymous with jewelry here in Canada, but in 2005 they expanded into the US after a merger with Mayors Jewelers Inc. 

Children and Snow Bank for Mr. W. Birks, Montreal, QC, 1896

Wm. Notman & Son © McCord Museum

But is the photograph of W. Birks' children real or composite? Actually, I thought it was real until I looked at the shadows. The hem of the boy's coat is a sharp angle which should have shown as such in the shadow, but it doesn't. Also, the shadow doesn't show the runners or rope of the sleigh. But other than those small details, there's not much to show that this is indeed a composite. 

Miss Allan and Mrs. Stephenson curling, 1876

William Notman, © McCord Museum

And finally, I'll leave you with one of my favourite photographs, that of Miss V. Allan and Mrs. Russell Stephenson enjoying the winter sport of curling. 

This is the photograph that introduced me to the composite world because it was when I accidentally found a photograph showing an individual pose used in this image that I started on the quest that led to William Notman and his studio work. 

At the McCord Museum website, I found the following 6 individual poses that I've placed in a montage for comparison purposes. Although not shown here, there is one more photograph showing a different background, but with Miss Allan bent over preparing to throw the stone instead of Mrs. Stephenson as shown on the right.

This series of images shows how props were used to pose the ladies for the long exposure time. Note also, the skillful artwork necessary to show the reflective ice surface. 

Copies of Individual curling poses of Miss Allan and Mrs. Stephenson, 1876 William Notman (1826-1891) Silver salts on paper mounted on paper - Albumen process, for composite photograph © McCord Museum

Notman's World is a 29 minute film put out by the National Film Board of Canada which shows a wealth of information about the Notman Studio, the maple box created for royalty (mentioned in my previous post), life in early Canada, Kodak cameras, and more. If I've captured your interest in any way, you may want to grab a coffee and take a break to watch it. 

Have you played along with me in this post concerning real and composite photographs? How did you do? If you were living in the late 19th century, is there an image you would have wanted preserved as a composite?



I know it isn't Christmas, but in honour of my short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, being shortlisted for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards, I'm holding a giveaway for the 2-book set my story is found in. 

To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 EDT Sunday, May 10, 2015 with a way of contacting you. One person will receive a copy of A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Volume 3&4, published by Guideposts Books, Oct 2014.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita is pleased to announce that her short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, published in A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Volume 4, Heartwarming Tales of Christmas Present, Guideposts Books, October 2014, is a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at  www.anitamaedraper.com

Early Photos: Outdoor Curling

The winter sport of curling has been enjoyed by enthusiasts since the Scots invented it sometime before 1541. At least that's the first recorded mention of the game in the annals of Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, Scotland. I've curled and enjoy the sport, mainly because, like bowling, it is family oriented and without a distinction between the genders or age unless one reaches the competitive ranks.

Although this isn't a photograph, the following watercolor shows many similarities to the current sport. Actually, not much has changed in the granite stones, but brooms have evolved with the times.

A curling match at Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1860. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

This 1836 watercolor from Library and Archives Canada shows curling on the Don River, Toronto, Ontario. That was back when the city was called York in Upper Canada.

Curling on the Don River, Toronto, 1936, watercolour. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1995-255-2

Thick ice and fair weather in 1897 meant the people of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia could get out for a day of curling and skating on a local lake. Along with the curling match in the foreground, you can see more curlers with their brooms to the right of the main attraction.

Group of people curling on a lake in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, ca. 1897. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Although Banff, Alberta is famous for its healing hot springs and ski resorts, it appears a lot of curling went on as well as this next series of photographs show. About the only thing missing is the beautiful view of the majestic Rockies surrounding the mountain valley.

Curling rink at Banff, Alberta, 1899. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta.

Also at Banff is this photograph of a womens' match being played amongst some towering pines. Note that one team has white sweaters and dark skirts, while the other team is all in dark. I suspect the two throwers are behind the photographer which would complete the normal team of four players.

Women's curling game, Banff, Alberta, 1903. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta.

In this 1901 Banff photo where you can see the mountains in the background behind the clubhouse, note the use of coal oil lamps on either side of the rink enabling the playing of night games.

First curling rink, Banff, Alberta, 1901. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta.

In the final Banff photo taken sometime between 1903-1919, improvements include sidelines, more buildings, more people including women and children, and more rinks in play. Also note the power poles on the right which means electric lights have replaced the coal oil lamps, although the cheapest method of heating the buildings would have still been by way of wood.

Curling, Banff, Alberta, ca 1903-1919. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta.

I love the action in this next photo and can almost hear the men yelling, "Curl!" or "Hur-ry!" although in truth, it's probably too late for either call. But you can tell that something's going down as the skips/thirds in the centre and on the right are ready to brush any errant stones away. Note the guy in the middle with his hands in his pockets...I don't think he's a curler on this day since it looks like he's wearing skates, however, he could a referee. This is a great example of curling on the prairies.

Curling on the Prairies, 1900's. Courtesy of WDM.

This next photo of curling took place in Central Park, New York sometime between 1900-1906. It caught my interest because of the policeman second-man-in on the right. At first I thought he just stopped to watch as a breather while walking the beat. But I wonder if the game was between different precincts? Regardless, he's a nice addition to the image.

Curling in Central Park, New York, ca 1900-1906. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

  .

High Park is to Toronto what Central Park is to New York City, and this next image shows curling in High Park. However, as the ponds in High Park tend to be long and narrow, it seems strange that the rink would cross the width instead of the length. However, I suppose the path in the foreground leads to a clubhouse of some sort because the stones would need to be put away at the end of the day. At first I thought the lines running along the rink were shadows from overhead lines, but on closer inspection, they seem to be tied to markers of some sort. If it wasn't laid out near the centre, I'd suspect they were using it as a sideline.

 Curling in High Park, Toronto, 1913, John Boyd. Courtesy of Archives of Ontario, I0003460
Reference Code: C 7-3 3478

These next 2 photos show the March 4th, 1916 Ross-Hodgson curling match in Woodlands, de Lery, QC in action. Although you can see a lake or meadow in the distance, the rink is located out of the wind in the woods.

The Contest Ground, Ross-Hodgson curling match, Woodlands, de Lery, QC, 1914. Courtesy of © McCord Museum

Without spectators, it's hard to tell how much interest the game held for others, but the matching fur coats of this team show how serious they were about curling. It's interesting to note that their skip appears to be a woman. 

The Contest Ground, Ross-Hodgson curling match, Woodlands, de Lery, QC, 1914. Courtesy of © McCord Museum

Finally, this last photograph might be the only black-and-white Jam-can curling match caught on camera. The photo was taken in a Regina, Saskatchewan backyard in 1948. It seems that around that time, Jam-can curling was part of the physical education curriculum for winter sports in some Saskatchewan schools. Today, our kids head to the nearest indoor artificial ice curling rink to learn how to curl, but old-timers say it's just not the same as Jam-can curling on an ourdoor rink. 

Jam-can curling on a Regina backyard rink, 1948. Courtesy of Saskatchewan Archives.

Jam-can curling can be played strictly with jam cans like you see in the above photo, or you can use tobacco or coffee tins. And although the above cans don't have sticks in them, adding a stick to the centre while the water freezes allows a handle for grip. I won't highlight this video since it's very modern, but if you want to see Jam-can curling in action, check out Jam Can Curling 2012. 

So, any curlers out there - armchair or otherwise? Care to share your thoughts?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita's stories are set, but not limited to the western prairies. She is blessed to be included in Guideposts Books A Cup of Christmas Cheer collection. Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at  www.anitamaedraper.com