A circa 1900 portrait done by Miss Mary Spencer in her Kamloops studio, capturing a nicely turned-out young gentleman standing in front of a nature-themed backdrop with one arm resting on a twig chair prop. Spencer moved to Kamloops in 1898 and became the only professional photographer in Kamloops after she opened her studio in 1899. Spencer sold her business in 1909, so this image would be no later than that date. Oval shaped matte collodion POP mounted onto Spencer's "Paris Oval", beveled edge studio card stock, measuring 8-7/16 inches tall x 5-3/8 inches wide with her stylized "Miss M. Spencer Kamloops" stamped in blind at lower right corner. Studio card w. a pin hole at top edge, light wear and a few minor bumps, print with a horizontal scratch near midsection. Some of Spencer's most famous documentary work is that of the train robber and "Gentleman Bandit" ; "In May 1906, Spencer was hired by the Vancouver Daily Province to cover the capture and trial of train bandit Bill Miner and his gang, increasing her reputation as a photojournalist. She managed to obtain a series of images of the capture of the gang, even being allowed to photograph the gang during initial questioning and in the courtroom. Her mug shots of Bill Miner, William "Shorty" Dunn, and Louis Colquhuon were published in the local newspaper, the Kamloops Standard. In 1906 Spencer and her sister Isobel purchased an orchard in Summerland, British Columbia, and moved there three years later." wiki. She also masterfully recorded many early residents and events of Kamloops and the surrounding area. See "A Steady Lens : The True Story of Pioneer Photographer Mary Spencer". Seller Inventory # 3785

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Bibliographic Details

Title: [Pioneer Female Photographer] c. 1900 Studio...

Publisher: Miss M. Spencer, Kamloops, B.C.

Publication Date: 1900

Binding: Loose Photograph

Condition: Very Good

Store Description

Harropian Books (harropianbooks.com) is an online bookseller carrying a diverse selection of antiquarian, collectible, rare and out of print items. Our focus is on the interesting & unusual, covering all fields. We are a member of the IOBA (Independent Online Booksellers Association).

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Dennis Ray, J Chasch Ray
752A Lewis Road, Nelson, BC, V1L 6P7, Canada

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