Complete text [268 Kb]
The Man and the Studio
Stanley G. Triggs
Notman find his niche
In the 1850s Montreal was bustling with activity, caught in the throes of a rapid expansion in commerce, industry, housing, canals, and the most recent transportation phenomenon, the railway, which was to make dramatic and far-reaching changes in the city. In spite of a temporary depression in the world economy due in part to the war in the Crimea, jobs were plentiful in Montreal, immigrants were continually arriving and business opportunities were abundant.
One major source of employment was the Victoria Bridge being built for the Grand Trunk Railway across the St. Lawrence River from Point St. Charles to Saint-Lambert. Construction had started in the spring of 1854 and it was due for completion by 1860. The longest bridge ever built at that time, it was often called the Eighth Wonder of the World. The works as they progressed could be seen from many parts of the town and attracted numerous visitors by boat or on foot for closer inspection.
On a day in the fall of 1858, high on one of the iron tubes of the bridge a lone photographer by the name of William Notman could be seen struggling in the bitter wind to set up his huge view camera for another shot in his extensive series on the construction of the bridge. In readiness nearby was his portable darkroom, in which he would prepare and later develop the large 10 x 12 inch glass plates.
Notman had been commissioned by James Hodges, the engineer in charge of building the bridge, to photograph all phases of construction. He had begun the series in March 1858, now had purposely chosen this vantage point high above Number 6 pier to get a full unobstructed view of the works stretching across the river to Saint-Lambert. His artist's eye saw the raking light of the noonday sun bringing out the texture of the masonry and giving form and substance to the massive stone piers. From here he could illustrate the great extent of the works, the design of the ice breakers and the carefully crafted stonework. Equally important in the photographer's mind was the challenge to create, beyond the needs of an engineer's record, an image to embody the essence of the bridge and become a lasting testimony to human invention and artistry.
Hodges was one of many people who helped the young Scot on his way to becoming an internationally-known photographer. Some influenced Notman's career by recognizing his talent, as Hodges did: others gave support by demonstrating friendship and loyalty in time of need or appreciation for deeds done.
Notman had come from Scotland to Montreal in the summer of 1856 to try and improve the family fortunes after the disastrous bankruptcy of their wholesale dry goods business in Glasgow. On arriving in Montreal, Notman had no difficulty in finding employment with the Ogilvy, Lewis and Company wholesale dry goods firm because of his experience in that field.
As winter approached, heralded by the first ice forming on the river and the consequent reduction of shipping, Notman contemplated the long months of enforced idleness when complete freeze-up would cause most businesses to come to a standstill. It was then that he began to formulate plans to open up his own photographic business. By the time his wife Alice arrived on November 4, 1856 with their daughter Fanny, he had already rented a little house at 11, Bleury Street which had an attached studio in the backyard. He embarked on this enterprise with the support of his employers John Ogilvy (no relation to the James Ogilvy retail store established a decade later) and David Lewis, who guaranteed him his job back if he was not successful.
Before the year 1856 was up, Notman had opened his photography studio. His obvious expertise in this art, learned as an amateur in Scotland, plus the full range of services he offered, led to immediate success. The rapidity with which Notman's work came to public attention was not unconnected with his policy of photographing prominent individuals and offering prints for sale to the public. A note in the Montreal Herald of May 21, 1857 advised the public that photographs of the Rev. Mr. McLeod, the Rev. D. Fraser and the Rev. Mr. Cordner were for sale. Notman had recognized the new fad for collecting photographs of notable persons - including royalty, clergy, politicians, entertainers and restaurateurs - and did his best to cater to the demand.
In a few short years his business had grown to such an extent that in 1860 he expanded the studio and increased the staff. It was at this time, because of the popularity of his hand-coloured photographic portraits among the well-to-do, that Notman established a large art department to handle the multiplying orders. To head the new department he hired John A. Fraser, a young artist recently arrived from England. Throughout the next thirty-five years some of the more prominent artists on his staff in the Montreal studio were Henry Sandham, William Fraser (John's brother), James Weston, Eugène L'Africain, C. W. Dennis and G. Horne Russell.
The artists' duties included making the portable backgrounds, retouching negatives and colouring portraits. They also cooperated with the photographers in producing the large composite photographs for which the Notman studio became famous. These were large group photographs produced entirely in the studio, the individuals being photographed separately and the prints cut out and pasted one by one on to a large painted background. The final paste-up or composite, often containing close to 300 figures, was then copied and printed in a variety of sizes to be sold to members of the group and the general public alike.
