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Hand Tinted Jasper Park, AB Photo J. F. Spalding

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:150.00 - 300.00 USD
Hand Tinted Jasper Park, AB Photo J. F. Spalding
For your consideration is this hand tinted photo of Maligne Canyon Falls in Jasper Park, Alberta taken by Joseph F. Spalding circa 1925. Joseph Frederick Spalding, who was born in London in 1877 and emigrated to Canada in 1898. The town of 1,400 people in Fernie was only six years old when he arrived in March 1904. Spalding established a small personal photography business in 1904 and became involved in the growing community. A.W. Prest and Steele & Co Ltd were among the photographers who had previously captured Fernie's early growth. In 1905, when illness slowed Prest down, Spalding took over his office and ran extensive advertisements to draw in business. With sawmills, curling and skating rinks, banks, hotels, and all the other amenities of a modern town, Fernie's population had skyrocketed to 3,500 by 1910. During this period, Spalding took pictures of elegant homes, expansive vistas of Victoria Avenue during the winter, and elegantly attired locals meandering through the Coal Creek streets. Additionally, he took pictures of working men who were fishing on the Elk River, working on the railway, logging in the bush, and entering mine tunnels. In 1925, Spalding resumed his photographic career in Vancouver, British Columbia. He did so first as a partner in the Gowen Sutton Postcard Company and later on his own venture, The Camera Products Co. Predeceased by his wife Ida Merle in 1951, he passed away in Vancouver on February 11, 1958. The photo shows an upper shot of the Maligne Waterfall in Jasper Park, Alberta. It has been hand tinted, giving the already beautiful photo a breath of life. The bottom of the matting paper has been written on reading, "Maligne Falls, Jasper Park, Alberta" and shows the artist's signature on the right hand corner reading, "J. Fred Spalding" in pencil. The photo sits in a gold colored frame and has been single matted. The back of the frame reads, "This is a real photo hand colored in oils from the studio of The Camera Products Co. 1731 Dunbar St. Vancouver, B.C." in light red print. The photo and frame show good condition overall with some slight wear present from its age and use over the years but no signs of obvious damage are present. The visible photo measures 6 5/16" L x 4 3/8" W, while the entire piece measures 10 5/16" L x 8 3/8" W x 5/8" D.