May
3
By Will Schneider
Every two minutes we take more photos than all of mankind did in the whole of the 1800's. In an age of such ubiquitous technology, the BC archives in James Bay have just acquired some truly valuable images: some of the earliest photographs ever taken of First Nations people in British Columbia.
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| Portrait of First Nations man, New Westminster? 1859? Moody album, Royal BC Museum |
The collection was bought through an English auction house for $26,000, after being found at a flea market in England. The photos were taken by Colonel Richard Moody who commanded the British Royal Engineers in BC from 1858 to 1863.
At least four of the images relate directly to British Columbia. "The album's historical value is unquestionable, as these five images expand our knowledge of what life looked like in colonial British Columbia," says Don Bourdon, Royal BC Museum curator of Images and Paintings.
The archives already housed a number of letters of correspondence of the Moody family, and, as well as some fascinating photos of unidentified First Nations men, the collection also includes photos of people and places mentioned in these letters.
"The Colonel Moody album offers a rare visual glimpse into the life and times of colonial British Columbia," says Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.
For anyone who is hoping to catch a part of this glimpse, the collection is available to be viewed on appointment with the BC Archives located next to the Royal BC Museum.