Open Collections

Doug and Joyce Cox Research Collection

Archibald Murchie Collection Murchie, Archibald (1852-1930)

Description

Album consists of photographs taken by Archibald Murchie, "B.C.'s Evangelist Photographer." Photographs depicting scenes of industry and infrastructure development in the transitional years between the nineteenth and twentieth century with especial geographic coverage of the Cariboo, including Quesnel and Ashcroft, and the SImilkameen, predominantly Princeton, BC. Scenes of bridge, railroad, and dam construction feature prominently, as well as portraits of work crews and landscape shots of developing cities.

Item Metadata

Title
Archibald Murchie Collection
Creator
Murchie, Archibald (1852-1930)
Date Created
[between 1893 and 1918?]
Description
Album consists of photographs taken by Archibald Murchie, "B.C.'s Evangelist Photographer." Photographs depicting scenes of industry and infrastructure development in the transitional years between the nineteenth and twentieth century with especial geographic coverage of the Cariboo, including Quesnel and Ashcroft, and the SImilkameen, predominantly Princeton, BC. Scenes of bridge, railroad, and dam construction feature prominently, as well as portraits of work crews and landscape shots of developing cities.
Extent
61 photographs : black and white ; print ; 21 x 28 cm or smaller
Subject
Landscapes (Representations); Portraits; Bridges; Railroads; Cityscapes
Geographic Location
Princeton (B.C.); Fraser River (B.C); Sheep Creek (B.C.); Cariboo Region (B.C.); Quesnel (B.C.); Williams Lakes (B.C.); Ashcroft (B.C.)
Person Or Corporation
Canadian Pacific Railway Company
Genre
Album
Type
Still Image
File Format
image/jpeg
Language
English
Notes
Archibald Murchie (1853-1930) was born in Scotland and immigrated to Victoria, BC as an adult on the recommendation of his brother John. John Murchie established Murchie’s Tea in 1894 and named his own son Archibald Murchie (1892-1925, and not to be confused with his uncle). Following his calling to become an evangelist minister for the Spiritualist Church (an off-shoot of the Church of England), he set off into the interior of BC to preach as a missionary. Murchie’s photographic career began when he arrived in Williams Lake, BC, in 1893. Wherever his missionary calling took him, Murchie brought along his camera. Marcus Smith, CPR engineer and previous associate of Murchie’s via the Spiritualist Church, hired him to photograph the creation of a bridge over the Fraser River at Sheep Creek. Work on this project was slow enough to afford Murchie to engage in side trips to Quesnel, BC, and farther north. Here he made a connection with the Reverend A. H. Cameron who suggested he establish a parish in Princeton. After this failed, Murchie returned to the Cariboo and set up a photography studio in Ashcroft, BC. In 1911 Murchie moved again to the Okanagan Valley and in 1916 at age 64 he married Amy Wood. His last attributed photograph was taken in 1918.
Identifier
osc_arc_01_coll_mur
Collection
Doug and Joyce Cox Research Collection
Source
Original Format: University of British Columbia. Okanagan Library. Okanagan Special Collections. Doug and Joyce Cox Research Collection. OSC_ARC_01_002_016_000
Date Available
2016-06-01
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Image provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Okanagan Special Collections http://library.ok.ubc.ca/use-the-library/collections/special-collections-archives/
Catalogue Record
https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/murchie-archibald
AIPUUID
4f1857e0-fcc2-4ca9-92de-8e3523e9602e
DOI
10.14288/1.0304880
Aggregated Source Repository
CONTENTdm

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Image provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Okanagan Special Collections http://library.ok.ubc.ca/use-the-library/collections/special-collections-archives/