Photography and Photographers

Hannah Maynard was an early expert in experimental photography. In the mid-1800s, she started capturing portraits of Victoria’s early settlers and Indigenous communities. With explorations of multiple exposures and photo sculpting, she experimented with surrealism years before its time.

For thousands of years, Indigenous people have shared the Great Bear Rainforest with wolves, eagles, sea otters, salmon and herring, as well as many other animals. It is the only home of BC’s provincial mammal, the Spirit Bear.

The world of filmmaking has changed dramatically over the years. Recording devices are now digital and they’re available to amateurs just about everywhere. Explore archival audio and film from the BC Archives to learn about home movies and amateur filmmaking through the career of Stanley Fox.

Every picture tells a story, but whose story? How can a single picture tell us a story about what happened long ago? To answer these questions historians have developed some thoughtful ways to read photographs.

It’s been more than 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. How can we now use artifacts, documents, and other primary sources to understand what life was like for people during this part of BC’s past?