One of the things I am most proud of is my collection of Canadiana. From literature to photographs, I enjoy preserving items from Canada’s past that interest me.

One of the most odd items I have come across in my travels is a small portrait of John A. MacDonald “Sir John”, as he would later be known, was the first Prime Minister of Canada. This portrait was probably taken in the 1850’s, when he was an aspiring politician and lawyer.

The carte de visite is a peculiar little photograph. It measures only 2.5″ by 4.25″, and has the stamp of “Ellisson & Co., 39 John Street, Quebec” on the back. I believe this to be an albumen print; the emulsion on the paper was actually made from egg whites.

The portrait is extremely sharp. John rests comfortably on his walking stick, and the creases in his pants are unambiguous. It’s a face we would see in a thousand high school textbooks; absolutely unmistakable.

In 1996, I stopped at a cemetery just outside of Kingston, Ontario (as I often did when I travelled to new places). I was surprised to learn that this was the very cemetery that our first Prime Minister was buried at. I spent a few minutes at his grave, thinking about the significance of this man.

It’s a privilege to be the curator of such an old photograph.

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Posted in Blog
Written on Thu, 22 June 2006 at 11:26 pm

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