The inscription on a photo of the Waskada Railway Station. It reads, “Winnipeg Photo Co. Napinka. One finds that notation on many old photos from the region. In the early 1900’s, Napinka had a Photo Studio. Most towns did.
Technology has always had a tendency to eliminate jobs, when labour-saving machinery, as the term implies, reduces the need for… labour.
Other businesses fade away when technology gives people the tools to do previously highly specialized tasks.
Once settlers got established and their basic food and shelter needs were met they went looking for less essential amenities, like family portraits. Every town used to a have a photographer, or two. Cameras were expensive and required training.
Here are two examples from the Deloraine History…
Another woman next door, Carrie Jenkins, has an equally fascinating occupation. She is a photographer, in fact, “the" photographer for Deloraine. Inside her small shop next to the Jubilee Theatre (her father operated the first movie in town) the smell of chemicals used in photo processing is pervasive.”.
And…
1893…..Geo. Davidson, Photographer, has over-hauled and refilled his showcase with farm and threshing scenes, which gives it a very attractive appearance.
Change started when the Kodak Brownie, an affordable and easy to use camera, was introduced in 1900. There was still a need for a professional photographer, but the business changed. Those Brownie snapshots still had to be developed. They could branch out into retail. There was still a demand for formal high quality portraits and commercial work.
The end result was that a photography business could still be viable in larger centres such as Boissevain, until improved transportation links, especially cars and roads, made it easier for shoppers to find better deals and selection in the cities.
The Postcard Era
One sideline that helped out was the growing popularity of postcards. Local photographers produced hundred of varieties featuring sites of interest in the community. Thankfully many of these have survived.
Sources:
Manitoba Photographers, 1858 to Present http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/photographers/index.shtml
Deloraine History Book Committee. Deloraine Scans a Century 1880 - 1980: Altona. Friesen Printers, 1980
