Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1873-1905 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
208 photographs.
13 cm of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
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.
Repository
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
Digital content is available: https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/Package/2R3BF1S39MOTR
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)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Riel, Louis (Subject)
Genre access points
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