Fonds F0307 - Oliver B. Buell fonds

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Identity area

Reference code

CA ACU GBA F0307

Title

Oliver B. Buell fonds

Date(s)

  • 1873-1905 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

208 photographs.
13 cm of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

(1844-1910)

Biographical history

Oliver Brown Buell, 1844-1910, was born in Henry County, Illinois, the son of a photographer. From 1873 until at least 1905 he made his living primarily through travelling lantern slide and lecture shows, which he called "entertainments". Two of his shows were entitled "A Tour Around the World" and "Views of Two Continents". During his career he travelled through twelve American states, nine Canadian provinces and Newfoundland.

Although he was largely based in eastern Canada and USA, in 1884 he and his Canadian wife, Alice, travelled to western Canada to photograph views along the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In 1885 he photographed the Riel Rebellion and Riel's trial. In May 1886 he was provided with a special photographer's car by CPR, and during the summer he travelled to the British Columbia coast. CPR used some of his photos for advertising purposes. In late 1886 he returned to Montreal. He made two later trips to western Canada, in 1904 and 1905. He died in Montreal. Oliver and Alice Buell had one daughter Frances Louise (Steward), 1887-1963. Frances and her husband Samuel George Steward had three children, William Buell Steward, 1914-1991, Virginia Alice (Shannon), 1917-1963, and Joseph Steward.

For further information see Professor Oliver Buell, 1844-1910, Photographer / David W. Monaghan. - Montreal : Concordia Art Gallery, 1984.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Purchased from R.C.W. Dodd, 1975 and William B. Steward, 1980.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The fonds consists of photographs of Riel's trial (1885), scenes along the CPR (1886), Alberta's inauguration (1905), and the Buells; letters from people who attended his entertainments (1873-1905); and newspaper reviews of his shows (nd).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

No restrictions on access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      The material is in English.

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Other O. B. Buell photoprints are held by Exporail (The Canadian Railway Museum) in Saint-Constant, Québec, in the Charles Worthington Spencer fonds (PA018) and the William Cornelius Van Horne fonds (PA022).

      See also Isaac Kendall Kerr fonds, Richard Burton Deane fonds, Richard C. Hardisty fonds, Julien Nash fonds. A.E. Cross fonds for related photos

      Notes area

      Note

      Title based on contents of records.

      Note

      NA-4967 (6469n), copies of 147 original Buell photoprints held by Exporail (The Canadian Railway Museum) in Saint-Constant, Quebec, were removed from the Archives Photographs online database in July 2011, at the request of Exporail.

      Note

      The letters and newspaper reviews (M-5830) are also available on microfilm.

      Note

      NA-1432 is also included in the Isaac Kendell Kerr fonds
      NA-3668 is also included in the Richard Burton Deane fonds
      NA-4216 is also included in the Richard C. Hardisty fonds
      NA-2172 is also included in the Julien Nash fonds
      PA-3709 is also included in the A.E. Cross fonds

      Alternative identifier(s)

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      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Thursday, August 25, 2016

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Digital object (Master) rights area

          Digital object (Reference) rights area

          Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

          Accession area