1987

Vol. 17 No. 1  January, 1987

Keep the Ball Rolling   Stay Safe in 87

Photo Collection Speaks Volumes By Dave Jones   A welder works on a truck at Angus Shops in Montreal - Bob Kennell.     If a picture is worth a thousand words, the Canadian Pacific Photographic Services collection speaks volumes for the role the company has played in Canada's development.   The depth of this collection may have been what encouraged one publicity man to coin the phrase: "Ask Canadian Pacific About Canada".   A clear day in June and a good vantage point provided the elements necessary for this dramatic shot of the west portal of the Mount Macdonald tunnel - Maurice Quinn.     While the department in its existing form dates back to 1914, Canadian Pacific's involvement with photography has its roots in the 1880s, when the railway was still under construction.   So numerous were the requests from photographers to record the building of the railway that they were often regarded as somewhat of a nuisance, "photographic fiends", John Egan, general superintendent of the day, used to call them.   There were exceptions, however, such as William Notman, Oliver Buell, and Alexander Henderson who were commissioned by the company.   Notman was a well-established Montreal photographer, and was afforded the luxury of a specially outfitted photographer's car during several western trips.   A feeling of solitude created by the contrast of a small man and his black coat against a blanket of freshly-fallen snow inspired this photo of the promenade in Quebec City - Bob Kennell.     The self-styled "Professor" Buell was an itinerant photographer, best know for his lantern slide shows, with which he entertained audiences in Canada and the United States. He, too, was allowed the use of the photographer's car, after William Van Horne, CPR's first chairman and second president, deemed his work to be "of a very high order of merit".   Henderson was one of the first to be placed on salary in the fledgling photographic department of the 1890s. A one-time assistant of Notman, Henderson was provided with his own assistant, the regular use of a photographic car, and the co-operation of the entire railway system, including the assistance of a section man now and then.   The prairie sunset and the haze produced by a huge combine gives a passing CP Rail freight train a ghostly appearance - Bob Kennell.     Concurrently, a number of independent photographers were granted travel passes and the resulting "views" were often purchased by the CPR for advertising pamphlets and collector's portfolios.   Some of the better known of these entrepreneurs were Trueman & Caple, and the Bailey Brothers of Vancouver, Boorne & May of Calgary, and Steele & Co. of Winnipeg.   Filling in a wooden support frame for the CPR mainline on the north shore of Lake Superior in 1885 - Oliver Buell.     Although most of the photographic work was carried out under the auspices of the passenger department, an important photographic survey of all the bridges, stations, and ancillary structures on the railway was undertaken by the engineering department. Company engineer Joseph W. Heckman is credited with producing an invaluable photographic record of early structures between 1898 and 1915.   In 1914, James C. Bennett, a 12-year veteran with the photography department, was asked to re-organize the operation as a responsibility of the publicity department. Canadian Pacific became involved over the years with Associated Screen News, producers of both still and motion pictures, which added greatly to the company's photographic coverage.   Meanwhile, Bennett was expanding the company's photographic operation. In 1932, his successor, Armand Lafreniere continued this process.   By the early 1940s, a suite of eleven rooms at Windsor Station, in Montreal, was devoted to the photography department. These included a portrait studio, enlarging rooms, contact printing room, dark room, finishing room, photostat room, lantern slide room, file rooms, office, and store rooms.   In the ensuing years, Lafreniere was succeeded by Norman Hull, and then by Arnold Harrington, the department's current manager.   A veteran photographer, Harrington oversees a state-of-the-art operation with black-and-white and colour processing on the premises, mural-size mounting presses, a photo studio, and a negative and photo-card library of more than 200,000 images dating back to the 1880s.   His eight-member staff is among the most talented in the business and includes photographers Bob Kennell, Maurice Quinn, and Rick Robinson.   Virtually thousands of prints have been used in magazines and books. Countless others decorate offices, museums, and private homes across the country.   Today, photographic services is an important part of CP Rail's Corporate Communications and Public Affairs department. The company's photographers have been onboard at virtually every important railway event, including the re-enactment of the driving of the last spike in November, 1985.   Nicholas Morant - Date/photographer unknown.     But no review of photographic services would be complete without mentioning the consummate professional photographer, Nicholas Morant.   Now retired after nearly 50 years of service with Canadian Pacific, Morant is responsible for some of the most memorable railway scenes ever captured on film.   To use his own words, Morant "makes", not "takes", photographs.   This photo essay is a tribute to Canadian Pacific's photographers, past, and present.     Today's Team Bob Kennell - Senior photographer for CP Rail. Photography is a personal pursuit as well as a profession. Bob has acquired a collection of vintage cameras and books on the history of his craft.   Marice Quinn - A veteran with the company, Maurice has won a number of industrial photo awards. Many of the Rogers Pass Project photos used in CP Rail News and by outside media were shot by Maurice.   Rick Robinson - With the photographic department since 1974, Rick enjoys "on location" and area photography. His solid background in darkroom techniques makes him a valuable man in the lab.   This CP Rail News article is copyright 1987 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.