John Crosby Faulkner (25 April 1843 to 16 February 1932) worked in Sundridge between 1889 and 1907, and is also documented there between 1914 and 1920. He operated a photography studio and fancy goods store on Main St. and is listed in the 1895 Gazetteer and Directory pubished by the Might Directory Co. of Toronto. He was married to Jennie (née Stewart), whose name is spelled Jannie in the census but Jennie on her headstone. Mrs. Faulkner was born on 13 April 1846 and died on Christmas Eve in 1918. They had no children. Both are buried in the Strong Cemetery in the Parry Sound District. The cabinet card to the left dates from approximately the 1880s. Cabinet cards were popular from the 1860s through the 1890s. On the reverse is a pencilled notation saying “Mrs. Howse.”

J. C. Faulkner’s younger brother, William J. Faulkner, Jr., operated a bakery and confectionary store on the west corner of Paget and Main Sts. in Sundridge. (John Faulkner’s photography studio was a few doors west on Main St.) William, Jr. was listed as a baker in the aforementioned Gazetteer. Sadly, his bakery burned in 1903. In the 1891 census, William, Jr. (age 40) and his wife, Saphronia (age 38) are listed as having three children: Louis, age 10; Henrietta, age 5; and Lillian, age 2. Lillian (Lilley) became an excellent photographer under her Uncle John’s tutelage. By age 17, she was producing notable images such as the nicely detailed 1906 real-photo postcard of the Baptist Church seen at top left. The fascinating 1906 postcard at bottom left of an early settler places a photographer in Sundridge as early as 1881; however, it’s not known if John Faulkner lived there at the time and Lilley was unborn when the original image was made. A notation on it says: “A Native of Sundridge 25 Years Ago.” The photographer’s 1881 negative was apparently recycled as a postcard in 1906. Postmarked in Sundridge, this antique postcard was sent by W. McFadgen to Miss G. Murdock of Toronto.

In the 1950s, Forder operated as the Maple Leaf Photo Service, as seen in the advertising postcard to the left which shows a Lake Nipissing beach scene. In the 1940s, he also apparently sold label dispensers, as seen in the PECO images to the right. More biographical information is sought. Did he receive formal photography training? If so, where?

Documented in Sturgeon Falls, 1922-1925. Mr. Fox was born in Medonte, Ontario on 2 August 1882. He grew up in Victoria Harbour, near Midland, moving to Niagara Falls, Canada in Spring 1908 to pursue a photography career. According to the Niagara Falls section of a 3 April 1908 edition of The (Welland) Tribune, he had accepted a position with the Slater & Miller studio. One of his jobs was to photograph tourists at the Clifton Incline Railway, or funicular, which carried tourists to the “Maid of the Mist” tour boat landing. Slater & Miller probably had the contract with the railway, although the 1910 Niagara Falls City Directory (NFCD) lists Fox as being directly employed by the Clifton Incline Railway. This elegant formal portrait was taken in February 1920 at the Fox Studio at 7 Centre St. in Niagara Falls. The top hat adds a nice touch to the composition.

Fox worked at Slater & Miller until at least 1911, when this Azo real-photo postcard, or RPPC, was made picturing Fox in a humorous moment, dressed in drag and posing against a Niagara Falls backdrop. In 1919, Fox opened his Centre St. studio, where he would work until his 1922 move to Sturgeon Falls. The 1923 NFCD shows that “The Fox Studio” has changed its name to “The Centre Studio” and the Fox family no longer appears at 43 Bender Street (see below). The second image shows photographer Fox against a studio backdrop of the frozen Niagara Falls. Studios of the time offered a variety of backdrops from which customers could choose when having their portraits made. The frozen falls were a dramatic and logical choice for local studios.

Until his 22 June 1910 marriage to Mary Jane Mohan of Victoria Harbour at St. Patrick’s Church (on Victoria Ave. in Niagara Falls), it’s believed that Fox boarded at 15 Walnut St. The couples’ two children were born at home, in their apartment in the Brookfield Block at 8 Centre St. (The building later housed “Horror Manor” and now is home to “The Spicy Olive” restaurant.) Their children were daughter Miriam Agatha (mother of Frank Foley, referenced below), born on 16 September 1911, and a son, Ernest Francis Shirley, born on 1 March 1913. In 1915, the family was living at 19 McGrail Ave., where Mrs. Fox operated a dressmaking shop out of the home. The 1921 NFCD shows them at 43 Bender St.; only the Bender St. home is gone. In this 1913 Slater & Miller Azo Tri 1 real-photo postcard, we see Mrs. Fox holding the baby stroller with 16-month-old Miriam in it, and two of Ernest Fox’s sisters, including Gladys Fox. The photo was taken in Victoria Harbour.

Several Fox family relatives pose on the front steps of the family home in Victoria Harbour, in this c. 1908-1911 Azo Tri 1 RPPC. It, too, bears the Slater & Miller imprint from Niagara Falls. We show these as interesting documentation of the fact that just because an RPPC indicates a town name for the photographer, it does not necessarily mean that the subject photographed was anywhere near the photographer’s studio.

Here’s a 1919-1922 real-photo postcard of two of Fox’s sisters, Greta and Gladys, included because the card bears the imprint of Fox’s own Niagara Falls studio on the reverse (above the scrapbook remains).

We believe that Fox may have bought out photographer Irmand LeBel, who left for New York, circa 1922, the same year that Fox arrived in Sturgeon Falls and opened his King St. business. Fox’s modest studio is shown in a 17 June 1924 image, captioned “E.W.F., Sturgeon Falls Ont”. Below the picture of the studio is a charming image of a wintry 24 February scene (no year given) of a sleigh and ponies. What intersection is shown in the background, and what building was this? Fox’s studio building was demolished; the location is now a parking lot for Theoret’s Funeral Home at 119 King St.

The same intersection of Queen and Main where Fox posed in 1924 is seen in a 2007 photograph taken by Michael Patry. The heavily remodeled Mageau and Serré building now houses an insurance agency.

At top left is a Fox photo of downtown King St. as seen on 10 August 1924. Fortunately, Fox liked to date his images, making our job easier. Two months earlier, on 10 June 1924, he’s seen in North Bay with an unidentified man, with the Bishop’s Palace and the Pro-Cathedral forming the backdrop. The license plate on the unidentifed driver’s car is Ontario plate number M-843. This second photo placing Fox in North Bay is interesting in that, as a photographer, he probably had an acquaintanceship with other contemporary North Bay photographers such as Morgan Berg, Alex and J. A. Noel, Orval Whyte, and perhaps Erhard Sieber.

There is an interesting family oral history, passed down over the years, regarding Fox’s prowess at “manipulating negatives.” We can’t help but wonder if he was one of the undocumented “tall tale” or “exaggeration” photographers who worked, probably on a contract basis, for the Canadian Post Card Co. of Toronto, which produced many tall-tale postcards, examples of which are seen on the North Bay, Sturgeon Falls and Temagami pages. A Sturgeon Falls example is to the left.

The year of his departure from Sturgeon Falls is uncertain, but photographer Fox then seems to have abandoned his photography career, moving to Kirkland Lake and working at the Kerr-Addison mine as a caretaker. He’s seen to the left at Kirkland Lake on 11 October 1943 at age 61, still sporting a camera. In the last photograph we have of him, he poses with niece Marge Belfry in 1949, still with camera in hand. Ms. Belfry was 5 feet, 4 inches tall; Fox appears to have been about 5 feet, 2 inches tall. He died in May 1962 and is buried in Sudbury. Sadly, many of his photographs and all of his camera equipment languished in an Ottawa attic before ultimately being discarded, with the exception of photographs which Fox’s grandson, Frank Foley of Berlin, Maryland, and his wife, Patt, rescued. Many of the rescued images can be seen at the Niagara Falls Public Library, in the Historic Niagara Digital Collections. Many thanks to Frank L.W. Foley and Patricia M. Foley for generously making this material available.

Documented in Sturgeon Falls c. 1980s.

Razor-sharp focus distinguishes photographer Lloyd Gough, who was working in Nipissing Village in the 1940s when this CKC real-photo postcard was made showing Daub’s Housekeeping Cottages, which were owned by Lela and Ervin Daub. Gough also worked in South River, and is retired there.

Hamelin, whose address was 79 Melrose in Ottawa, was working in North Bay in the 1950s, as seen in this vintage postcard of the Torbay Housekeeping Cottages at 585 Lakeshore Drive. Thurlow and Velma Guppy owned the Torbay at the time.

Documented in Temagami in 1952.

A noted railroad historian, especially of the CPR, and member of the Order of Canada, with at least one image taken in North Bay.

There was a wonderful photographer in Sturgeon Falls, c. 1908-1911, named Irmand LeBel. He is also known to have worked there between 1914 and 1922. The LeBel Photo Gallery was on Main St., across from Le Petit Québec Hotel, and relocated to King St., before the photographer left for New York.

Worked in Mattawa and North Bay, as far north as Temagami and as far east as New Glasgow and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Additional information is sought.

Noted photographer who published hundreds of Temagami images on postcards, working from at least 1909 to 1959. There is a collection of his photographs at the Haileybury Heritage Museum. Sometimes seen spelled as McLean.

Worked in North Bay in the 1940s, producing CKC real-photo postcards.

This c. 1940s real-photo postcard image from Sturgeon Falls was taken by John McNeill, occasionally seen spelled on North Bay and Sturgeon Falls postcards as McNeil. He was an award-winning photographer who worked for the North Bay Nugget in both Sturgeon Falls and North Bay before going to work at The Globe and Mail in Toronto.

The two Noel brothers worked in North Bay together between at least 1916 and 1925, with the town of North Bay paying J. A. Noel the sum of $7.00 for photographs to promote upcoming Old Home Week festivities, as per minutes of the 8 July 1925 town meeting. J. A. Noel also worked in North Bay between 1904 and 1916, prior to partnering with his brother.

Little is known of the Northern Publishing Co. thus far, other than that they seemed to specialize in publishing materials related to the Dionne Quintuplets, as per this c. 1934-1939 real-photo postcard with an Azo Square stamp box, and a 1935 book entitled Administering Angels of the Dionne Quintuplets authored by Mesdames Legros and Labelle.

Working in Mattawa in October 1943, when he took this picture of Father J. N. Duquette posing in front of a log cottage.

A pioneer in Canadian commercial aviation and one of the country’s most noteworthy aerial photographers, Oakman, owner of the Peterborough Post Card Co., worked locally in North Bay, along the French River and in Mattawa and Sturgeon Falls, often taking aerial and motel images, c. 1940s-1960s. One of his 1950s real-photo postcards is shown below, in the deckle-edge image of Kirk-Kove on Big Gull Lake near Arden, ON. It is distinguished by an Oakman logo bearing the image of an airplane at bottom right. Mr. Oakman founded the Peterborough Municipal Airport, which grew from a 1950s airstrip he built on farmland which he purchased that was south of town. His postcard company produced approximately 200 million postcards. For his pioneer aviation efforts and Canadian tourism promotion via postcards, the Peterborough airport terminal was renamed as the “Harry Oakman Building” in 1999.

Full name unknown, but we’d like to know. W. P. worked in the North Bay area in about 1956, the date when this real-photo postcard was posted from Quae Quae Camp near Corbeil. Another W. P. real-photo postcard of a white-tailed deer was made for Lalonde & Piché of Field and is postmarked 1950.

Working in Golden Valley in the 1950s, with the Little River Lodge postcard published by Alex Wilson Publications of Dryden.

Worked in Callander in the 1970s, with the Lookout Terrace image published by Alex Wilson Publications of Dryden.

Steamboat navigation company publishing at least one Temagami real-photo postcard in 1930. The actual photographer of this postcard is thus far unknown, as Perron & Marsh would have selected a local professional photographer to take the picture.

This aerial real-photo postcard of the Lake Restoule Inn at Restoule, Ontario was published by the Canadian Post Card Co. of Toronto and lends further credence to the idea that the company contracted with photographers to produce images for them. The front of this postcard says: “Photo by Photographic Survey.” In the late 1940s or early 1950s, when this postcard was made, the Photographic Survey Company was part of the Hunting Aviation Group of Toronto. The company flew the first commercial helicopters in Canada in 1946, and were often involved in crop-spraying services in southern Ontario.

In business for many years in North Bay and still going strong.

Retired from law enforcement, he photographed the North Bay Winter Fur Carnival in the 1960s and 1970s.

Studio on Main St. W. in the 1940s, specializing in portraiture and commercial photography, with at least one 1946 Winter Carnival real-photo postcard. Upstairs over Silverstein’s Menswear and (F. J.) Martyn & Son Undertakers. Now known as Railton’s Camera Centre and located at 143 Main St. W.

Working in Mattawa in the 1990s.

A North Bay history buff who took several c. 1940s and 1950s images.

Took at least one North Bay aerial view of the Golden Dragon, as well as a South River aerial.

A dry goods/fancy goods company publishing RPPCs between 1900 and 1907, including this 1905 image of the Northern Belle.

Working in North Bay by 1884, as seen in this photograph of the 1884 Orange Parade. Read more about the Orange Parade.

Sangster, working for the Toronto firm of Ashley & Crippen, took this 1936 photo of Camp Ontario at Trout Lake. Ashley & Crippen was founded in 1915 and its photographers did travel throughout Ontario taking portraits in earlier times, but the bulk of the company’s business has always been in Toronto.

Scott took the c. 1940s real-photo postcard of “Fuzzy,” a black bear at Tee-Bo Camp, which was located where Collins Drive meets Highway 11 North.

Worked in North Bay between 1911 and 1919, with this private postcard postmarked in 1911. Mr. Sieber moved to North Bay and opened a photography studio after the c. 1908 fire in Burk’s Falls destroyed his business. A real-photo example of Sieber’s work is sought. Many thanks to Mr. Sieber’s niece, Joan (née Boe) Mackay of Lansdowne, ON for providing additional information for this entry.

Real-photo postcards of Temagami, c. 1924-1945, with most images from the 1930s. Learn more about dating real-photo postcards, or RPPCs, on the postcard collecting page.

Had a special interest in railroadiana and steam engines in particular, taking at least one North Bay postcard image.

Roadside Canadiana, including North Bay motels in the 1950s and Callander and Mattawa real-photo postcards.

Roadside Canadiana, including Temagami real-photo postcards in the 1930s.

Mr. Sweet, now 88, was photographed at age 85 on 30 December 2003 by Michael Penney, of Michael Penney Photography in Rollinsford, NH. Mr. Penney, who specializes in fine art giclée printmaking and fine art photography, kindly agreed to lend us his Ozzie Sweet portrait. The scope of Mr. Sweet’s Northern Ontario photography is currently unknown, although one image is seen on the North Bay page and a hunting image of Sweet’s was used to illustrate a c. 1950s Tilden Lake postcard advertising Shea’s gas station. Both postcards were published by Forder.

Working in the Temagami area c. 1924-1949, as documented with this Ferguson Highway image (left) taken near Temagami (Highway 11). In the 1960s, Ed Thatcher of Thatcher-Winger Associates Ltd. of Utterson, ON photographed the scene at bottom left which bears the name of Hettrick’s Store of Restoule on the reverse. A similar scenic view, postmarked in Nipissing in 1970 and offered by Hoffman’s Store of Restoule, lists the photographer as merely Thatcher Studio, again with the Utterson location for Thatcher Winger. These two views are likely scenic stock photography, not necessarily representative of Restoule but sold to tourists for their visually pleasing images.

This photographer was publishing Sturgeon Falls real-photo postcards in 1924. A George Vachon is listed as having served in World War I, at the North Bay and Area War Veterans web page. Further biographical information on George Vachon is sought.

Working in Sturgeon Falls in the 1980s.

Working in the Marten River area in the 1940s, as seen in this CKC real-photo postcard.

Working in Mattawa in the 1970s.

Working in Trout Creek and Sundridge, c. 1908-1911.

Working in Algonquin Park c. 1950s.