Series consists of 38 lantern slides. Most are credited to either the Department of the Interior or the Department of Extension, University of Alberta.
38 photographs : b&w and col. slides ; 10.2 x 8.2 cm
History / Biographical
Lantern slides were used by government agencies to illustrate holdings and acquisitions during meetings. This could take the form of text-based or photographic images. This collection contains photographic images of mainly Jasper National Park that were taken by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Extension, University of Alberta.
The Department of the Interior was founded in 1873 and was responsible for settlement and development of western Canada until 1936. This included surveying what is now Alberta and then promoting and settling the area through a massive immigration campaign. Coloured lantern slides would have been utilized in this capacity to realistically showcase the Rocky Mountain region to officials in Ottawa.
The Department of Extension at the University of Alberta was founded in 1912 with the aim of sharing the University's collections and knowledge with rural communities throughout Alberta. Based out of Edmonton, the Department of Extension used travelling libraries, magic lantern shows, and public lectures to accomplish this goal. It is still an active department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
Scope & Content
Series consists of 38 lantern slides. Most are credited to either the Department of the Interior or the Department of Extension, University of Alberta.
14 photographs : b&w and col. slides ; 10.2 x 8.2 cm
History / Biographical
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was officially formed in Februray, 1881, to construct a railroad that would link the eastern provinces with British Columbia, a key component of the Canadian Confederation of 1867. Headed by William C. Van Horne as General Manager, the railroad arrived in the Canadian Rockies in 1883 and a siding was established just east of present-day Banff. When railroad workers discovered a natural hot spring on the south side of the Bow River, Van Horne ordered the construction of a hotel that would house visitors brought in by train to visit the springs. Construction of the Banff Springs Hotel finished in 1888 and joined a handful of CPR hotels throughout the Rocky and Selkirk Mountain ranges. The popularity of the hot springs and surrounding area led to the formation of a national park and to the town of Banff.
After construction of the railway had completed, the CPR continued to survey and document the Rocky Mountains alongside federal agencies like the Department of the Interior and private outfitters. Utilizing coloured lantern slides the CPR was able to showcase the mountains as both tourist and settlement destinations. Magic lantern shows of these slides could be used for administrative purposes by the company to showcase land holdings and investments or in public shows as advertisements of the new railway.
Scope & Content
Series consists of 14 lantern slides [ca.1900-ca.1925]. Slides are views along the Canadian Pacific Railway.