H. Bullock-Webster fonds

As a young man H. Bullock Webster (1855-1942) came to Canada from England and began working as an apprentice clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1874. While in the service of the company Webster travelled extensively to HBC posts throughout the Canadian west and in particular northern Alberta and British Columbia. By 1878 he was in charge of the trading post at Fort Connelly on Bear Lake in northern British Columbia. In 1880 he returned to England on leave from the Hudson's Bay Company. The following year he decided not to return to Canada opting instead to go to New Zealand. In 1938 at the age of 83, Webster published Memories of Sport and Travel Fifty Years Ago: From the Hudson's Bay Company to New Zealand.

Although never formally trained in art, Webster sketched throughout his life. While in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company he compiled an album of some ninety three colour sketches depicting social life, activities, customs and dress in and around Hudson's Bay Company posts mainly around Stuart Lake and Fort McLeod during the period 1874 to 1880. Many of the sketches included First Nations as well as Metis people whose participation was critical to the Canadian fur trade. Several of Webster's sketches were published in The Graphic magazine in England and provided British readers with images of frontier life in British Columbia and Alberta.

This collection contains a high-quality digital version of the album in its original form, as well as well as rotated images of the individual sketches for easier viewing. The individual images may be reached through links on the appropriate pages of the album. To access the links, scroll down to the field marked "Individual Images". (Note: no links appear under the front and back covers of the album.)

These images are provided for reference and research use only. If you wish to publish or otherwise use these images, or if you have a concern about any of the images, please contact Rare Books and Special Collections at rare.books@ubc.ca.