• What

  McCrae's uniform includes what is commonly referred to as a Sam Browne belt. The name refers to Sir Samuel Browne (1824-1901), a British Army General who designed this shoulder-and-waist belt combination to facilitate single-handed sabre drawing and to divert some of the belt load from the hips. Browne designed the belt years before losing his left arm in August 31, 1858, while fighting as a Captain in the Indian Mutiny (1857-1858).

• Where

  This photograph was taken at the Notman & Son studio on Union Avenue in Montreal.

• When

  McCrae sailed home from England in early September of 1914 to make preparations to cross the Atlantic yet again. It is likely that this photograph was taken during his brief return to Montreal.

• Who

  McCrae did not visit his mother in Guelph prior to leaving for the front. He had felt that it would be easier for both of them. A photograph of this nature must have become important for his mother in his absence.

Exhibition Label

References

• Dianne Graves, A Crown Life: The World of John McCrae, St. Catharines, Ontario, Vanwell Publishing Limited, 1997, pp. 157-160.
• Roger Hall, The World of William Notman, Toronto, Ontario McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1993, pp. 62-63
• John E. Prescott, In Flanders fields the Story of John McCrae, Erin, Ontario, The Boston Mills Press, 1985, p. 76.