Photography: An Art Form Unleashed

Throughout history, documentation of contemporary life was solely reliant on artwork and written sources - until the camera came along. The brilliance of optical technology combined with the sentimental value of remembrance created a medium that would eventually develop into what is arguably the most common art form in modernity. Whether it be on a billboard, magazine, television or social media platform, being routinely confronted by photographic images is inevitable. A good photograph has the power to stir emotions such as nostalgia, love, excitement and intrigue whilst continuously serving the historical record as a great primary source of information for future generations.

Read more to learn about the history of photography within the city of Regina.

“The camera is much more than a recording apparatus, it is a medium via which messages reach us from another world.”

— Orson Welles

The history of photography begins with scientific feats regarding chemical and optical technology. During the Renaissance, the renowned artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci first described an invention called a Camera Obscura which was a device that could project an inverted image onto a canvas where it could then be traced, offering a shortcut in the drawing process for artists at the time. This revolutionary machine, combined with Johann Heinrich Schultze’s experiments with light sensitivity of silver salts in 1727, provided the necessary elements to create a photographic image. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s that innovators were daring and inspired enough to venture into the uncharted territory of photography.

Amidst the radical change that the Industrial Revolution caused for global technological prowess, two photographic processes were announced in 1839, the daguerreotype and the calotype. The daguerreotype, made by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, was an image captured on a silver plated copper plate that was capable of depicting minute detail. Whereas the calotype, made by William Henry Fox Talbot, was a negative/positive process on a salted paper print that was able to emphasize broad subject matter and provide a softer focus. The daguerreotype received more initial success due to it having less patent restrictions. News about these inventions of “sun painting” reached Canada in the spring of 1839. Canadian pioneers of this medium responded by becoming itinerant daguerreotypists who would set up independent studios - the first ones being in the eastern provinces of Montreal, Quebec and Ontario. Daguerreotypists around the world often focused on simpler subject matter such as portraiture of local families and prominent people. This is because they had an extremely hard task of capturing images in this format since it was dependent on the weather and the amount of sunlight there’d be. It was also incredibly time consuming. Many of these daguerreotypes have not survived within the historical record due to their delicate material.

Potentially the first daguerreotype produced in Canada, Niagara Falls [ca. 1840]. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The first photographs taken in western Canada were not until the 1850s when the westward trek began, coinciding with increased immigration due to the gold rush in British Columbia. As this untamed land was explored in the hopes of it becoming a newer area for Canadian settlement under the close observation of the British Empire, the Canadian prairies were photographed for the very first time. These photographs were taken on government sponsored surveying and exploration trips. The most recognized was The Assiniboine and Saskatchewan Exploring Expedition of 1857-58, which was overseen by Henry Youle Hind. Included on the expeditions’ team was Humphrey Lloyd Hime, the first official photographer of a colonial expedition. Their main task was to document Indigenous people within the area to gain knowledge on their people and the land.

Letitia, a Plains Cree Woman [ca. 1858]. Photographed by Humphrey Lloyd Hime. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Sarcee (Tsuu T’ina) people moving camp on outskirts of Calgary, Alberta. Date: [ca. 1887]. Image Source: Flashbak.

When William Van Horne became President of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1888, he implemented the use of photographs for the company’s ad campaigns to promote immigration into western Canada and to document the railway’s construction. This was a significant development for the history of Canadian advertising since most ads prior to this time consisted of art and letter printing. That same year, Kodak had announced their invention of the handheld camera, making it easier for photographers to capture these images for the railway. By this time halftone printing had also been invented, allowing accessibility for advertisements to include photographs as well as printed black & white artwork. For potential settlers, the Canadian prairies were marketed as “The Granary of the British Empire” and images for these ads focused on farm equipment and the flat landscape that was perfect for agriculture.

Once mass settlement was well established in western Canada by the early 1900s, more Canadians grew interested in photography as a potential hobby or career, allowing the medium to evolve into something more personal rather than just commercial. In the city of Regina there were multiple photography studios including; Rossie’s Studio [est. 1904], Johnson Brothers Studio, West’s Studio [est.1918], Butcher & Runnalls Studio, Townsend Photos, and Bird Films [est.1928].

Most Regina photographs from this time were taken for the Photographic Services Still Photography Records under the Photographic Services Branch of the Saskatchewan Department of Industry and Information. Photographs were still primarily seen as an advertising tool rather than an art form, leading to a lack of credit and recording of names of the individuals who took the photos. The Butcher and Runnalls photography studio was owned by this branch. Saskatchewan Archives lists a George Wells as an associate of this studio, but there is no information on him or dates for the studios’ years of operation. Saskatchewan Archives also mentions a Townsend Photos (studio) and a Johnson Brothers Photography (studio) but there is no information in their database on years of operations or the owners. However, photographer Wilfrid West was mentioned to have apprenticed at the Johnson Brothers Studio in 1912, and bought the studio in 1918 - which he later renamed West’s Studio.

The oldest mentioned photography studio of Regina in Saskatchewan Archives is Rossie’s Studio, owned by Edgar Charlotte Rossie (1875-1942). Rossie was born in London, England but immigrated to Winnipeg in 1899 where he established himself as a prominent photographer in the area. In 1904, he was commissioned by the Royal North-West Mounted Police for a photography project in Regina. After the work was complete he chose to permanently move to Regina to establish his own photography studio. Rossie's photographic works are historically valuable because they document the rapid growth in Regina during the first two decades of the twentieth century. His portraiture of royalty, politicians and First Nations leaders were recognized throughout North America and western Europe. His work was exhibited in galleries in England, France, Canada, and the United States. He is also reported to allegedly be the first person to create moving picture films in Saskatchewan.

Bird Films Limited - Original Location in Downtown Regina. Image Source: University of Regina, Department of Film.

Dick Bird (1892-1986), a prominent photographer & filmmaker, established Bird Films Limited in Regina in 1928. The business sold cameras, film and accessories while also housing a studio and film lab. Bird was around to document many historically significant moments including the opening of the Albert Street Memorial Bridge in Regina in 1930, the Regina Riot of 1935, the opening broadcast of Saskatchewan's first radio station CKCK in 1922, the first drilling for oil and gas in the province, and the visit of Prince Edward of Wales, on his 1919 Canadian tour. He was also a well travelled man who captured photographs and film on a global scale including filming newsreels in the 1930s of the Spanish Civil War and Hitler Youth Rallies.

After that, his work took a focus on nature which involved wildlife photography and the filming of commercials for the Boy Scouts of Canada and the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. In 1937 he created a weekly radio program in Regina on CKCK Radio called “Camera Trails” along with a published newsletter called The Camera Trailer that was illustrated with his own photographs for his radio audience to view. Through his photography, he sought to promote wildlife conservation and inspire the next generation to care for nature, as he founded a nature club for children and encouraged youth to explore and appreciate the rural environments of Saskatchewan.

His work gained such acclaim, that he was able to capture the attention of Walt Disney Productions. From 1952-1955, Bird shot film footage for the Walt Disney Productions True Life Adventure Series. His photographic and film skills were well respected as he and his wife Ada Bird, who was also a talented photographer for Bird Films, travelled to give lectures on photography to audiences such as Harvard University, the National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Institute. Bird was an associate of the Royal Photographic Society and in 1950 he became the second Canadian to become a Fellow of the Photographic Society of America. In May 1976 he was gifted an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Regina and he was also honored as Saskatchewan’s Pioneer Cinematographer at the Yorkton International Film Festival in 1979.

In 2024, Bird Films is still in business! It is in its third generation of family ownership - although they are no longer located in their original downtown location. They have been serving the Regina photography community for 96 years!

Regina photographer who worked for the Leader Post - Charles Lord, early 1900s. Image Source: REM Collection.

Rising in popularity during the 1860s and lasting throughout the first decade of the 20th century, the Pictorialism movement provided an imminent shift into how photography was to be viewed by the public. Photography was praised as a credit to the innovative power of the late 1800s, but the Pictorialism movement sought to expand society’s perception of the medium from its scientific form into an artistic avenue of personal expression. Before Pictorialism, photography was strictly confined to a role of documenting reality. The initial goal of photography was to capture subject matter exactly as it were, such as clear portraiture, so that descendants may view their likeness. Photographers in support of Pictorialism wanted to transform photography into a true art form, but there was a philosophical debate about what could truly be considered ‘art’.

In Canada, Pictorialism was spearheaded by Sidney Carter, who gathered a group of Canadian pictorial photographers in Toronto. He went on to organize Canada’s first major exhibit of pictorial photographs at Montreal’s Art Association. This photography movement inspired photographers in Canada to move past stark reality and explore creativity.

*Yvette Guilbert* by American photographer Alice Boughton, early 1900s. An example of Pictorial Photography.

While Pictorialism was inspiring the photographic artists of the early 1900s, there was no shortage of promotional documentary style photography that was sponsored by the government. Photographs were used in government advertising and tourism departments to promote how Canada was a great place to live and raise a family. There was a mass production of photographs on products such as postcards, often depicting images of the social life and culture that could be found in the area.

The Regina Exhibition, early 1930s. Image Source: REM Collection.

Even though Regina has been a part of the photography scene in Canada since the early 1900s, the Regina Photo Club wasn’t established until 1978. Their founding coincided with the revitalization of the sentiments from the Pictorialism movement that photography was an art form. This dispute over the potential that photography had to convey aestheticism and emotion came to an end in the 1970s when the first debuts of commercial galleries in Canada exclusively for photography occurred. Photo clubs have been around in Canada since the daguerreotypist era with the oldest being the Toronto Camera Club, founded in 1888. Camera clubs consist of groups of local photographers who wish to share and gain knowledge on photographic technique and ideas with other photographers in their community. The Regina Photo Club is still a safe space for local photographers to gain insight 46 years later!

Nellie and Charles Lord hanging photos on a wall for his first photo competition at the Regina Exhibition. Image Source: REM Collection.

From the late 1800s until the 21st century, photography in the city of Regina has progressed into an influential art medium that continues to inspire generations of Canadians. Photography has evolved past it’s origins as a tool of documentation into a form of artistic expression that conveys all the emotions of the indomitable human spirit and the everlasting effects of nature. Today, photographers in Regina are free to investigate their inner eye and share how they perceive our community and the world around them to create timeless photographs that capture our love for one another and our lives.