FS: Limited edition historic steam train photographs

[Rod Keith]

$150
This set, now framed, was sold by the Provincial Museum of Alberta
many years ago. The original description from the Museum is as
follows:
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PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS LIMITED
EDITION PORTFOLIO
Series II - Trains
The Provincial Archives of Alberta is pleased to present
the second in a series of portfolios of historical photographic
prints. Every effort has been made to ensure that the images are
printed and mounted to archival standards in order to produce a
stable, long-lasting set of prints. Only fifty sets of each series
will be produced; each set will be numbered in accordance with
conventional numbering of limited series.
It is hoped that each set will provide a significant
memento of Alberta's heritage.
The Images:
The second series consists of five photographic portrayals
of the train in the early West. These photographs have been selected
from the Ernest Brown and Harry Pollard collections on the basis of
technical image quality and historical value. The images have been
identified as follows:
C.P.R. Engine No. 402 Pacific Express at Glacier
c. 1886 B.5979 Photographer: Boorne & May
C.F.R. snowplow in the Rocky Mountains
n.d. [late 1800s] B.6000 Photographer: Boorne & Kay
C.P.R. engine of Royal Train which carried the Duke of Connaught
1890 B.8634 Photographer: Boorne & May
The first train into Edmonton � Canadian Northern Railway
20 October, 1902 B.6210 Photographer: Mathers
C.P.R. oil tanker train at Nisku, Alberta
1947 P.1444 Photographer: Pollard
The Photographers:
William Hanson Boorne and Ernest G. May
W. H. Boorne and E. G. May were pioneer photographers of
Western Canada. Boorne worked as photographer in conjunction with May,
darkroom technician, in preserving a photographic record of the West
in the late 1800s. They operated a studio in Calgary, and a branch
studio in Edmonton.
Charles W. Mathers
Another pioneer Western photographer, C.W. Mathers
operated the Edmonton branch studio of Boorne and May in 1891, and
later purchased their historical negatives and the studio, when Boorne
and May returned to England. This collection, including some of
Mather's own work, was later purchased by Ernest Brown who continued
the photographic business under his own name. The works of each of
these photographers are preserved in the Provincial Archives of
Alberta in the Ernest Brown collection.
Harry Pollard
During Harry Pollard's long and distinguished career, he
produced a widely varied photographic record of Alberta's history. He
opened a studio in Calgary in 1899, and did not retire from the
photographic business until 1954. In 192.4, he became an official
photographer for the C.P.R., and travelled extensively as a result.
The Pollard collection of photographic negatives is preserved in the
Provincial Archives of Alberta.

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS LIMITED
EDITION PORTFOLIO
The Printing Process:
The original negatives from which the portfolio prints were
produced include one collodium on glass negative, three gelatin on
glass or dry plate negatives and a cellulose negative. Due to the
differences in the size and type of negatives, a variety of exposure
techniques were used to ensure the highest quality prints. The 8"xlO"
negatives were contact-printed and the 5"x8" negatives were enlarged
using a cold light source. Kodak Elite Fine-Art paper, a premium
silver-rich black and white photographic paper, was used in printing.
The prints were processed with painstaking attention to
archival standards to remove all residual silver-hypo compounds and to
achieve the ultimate in tonal range and print resolution. Selenium
tone also adds some density to the prints, making them more visually
appealing.
The Box:
This is a custom built portfolio box that was designed to
combine an archival quality storage environment with attractive
presentation qualities.
The base material of the box is heavyweight (.098) binders'
board, a dimensionally stable board used in bookmaking, with no glue
between its layers. Inside, the box is lined with uncoated white
Tyvek, an acid-free non-buffered soil-resistant material, which
protects the contents from acid migration. The adhesives used are pH
balanced and buffered. The outside of the box is covered with
library-quality black buckram.
The clamshell design allows for complete accessibility to
the matted prints inside the box.
<<< THE PRINTS ARE NOW FRAMED; THE BOX IS GONE. >>>
The Mounting:
The prints are matted for two reasons: In the first place,
the mat creates a neutral background against which the photograph can
be viewed without distraction. What is more important, the mat serves
to protect and separate the surface of the print from glass (if
framed), from other backing materials when stacked, from impurities
that could penetrate from the back, from careless handling, and from
an accidental bump or fall.
The prints are secured by an acid-free linen tape hinge
which allows the prints to expand and contract (due to changing
temperature ana humidity) without damage.
The mat board on which the print is resting is made from
100% cotton fibre with an alkaline pH, which is buffered with 5%
calcium carbonate, so the board remains acid-free. The board's surface
has a soft texture and is speck-free, complementing the print. The mat
hinge is acid-free linen tape; the adhesive is water activated,
neutral pH rice starch.

photos available on request