A photo of Calgary taken in 1889 by William Notman’s son, William McFarlane Notman, shows what newcomers saw when they ventured into the Canadian West. Today, the city is one of the largest in Canada with a population of more than 1.2 million.
Calgary, Alberta from Elbow River, 1889. Photographer: William McFarlane Notman. Source: McCord Museum, Montreal, Quebec, VIEW-2032.
When @thisiscanadiana tweeted the photo, this was the accompanying text:
“What Calgary looked like in 1885. Population 500. By then, Montreal was home to more than 150,000 people.”
The growth of Calgary began after the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached the area in 1883, and a rail station was constructed. But it wasn’t until the oil boom in the 1970s and 1980s that the city saw enormous growth.
William McFarlane Notman made eight trips to western Canada, from 1884 to 1909, to photograph along the CPR line, documenting the early growth of towns and capturing dramatic views of the Rockies and Selkirks. The railway supplied him with a rail car equipped with a darkroom.
