Explore Bank of Montreal’s online employee photos and HR ledgers, 1880s to 1920s

If one of your male relatives worked for the Bank of Montreal between the 1880s and the 1920s and had their portrait taken at the studio of 19th-century Montreal photographer William Notman, there’s a possibility the bank’s corporate archives has posted a photo of them online.

The more than 1,000 photos are searchable by keywords, such as first name, last name, and year of birth.

Notman was the first Canadian photographer to gain an international reputation for his work.

If you would like to obtain more information about the albums that contain these photos or request high resolution scans, you can contact the bank’s corporate archives.

Explore the Notman photo collection on BMO’s Heritage website.

Human Resources ledgers
The Bank of Montreal also has a searchable, online collection of Human Resources ledgers from the same period. In these ledgers, you’ll learn where the employee was born, went to school, their previous employment, and who referred them. Also available are the last day of employment, the reason for leaving, and the names of the employee’s parents. There’s also a webpage on Understanding Human Resources ledgers pages.

The Bank of Montreal was Canada’s first bank, established in 1817. Its archival collection, located at the head office in Montreal’s Old Port, includes the records and photographs that make up the company’s 200-year-old history. The bank also has a museum that receives about 30,000 visitors per year.

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