Photographer to the Queen:
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Admittedly, every artist carries the potential to influence the art community and the artistic styles of the medium in which he or she practices. Specifically, all of the Canadian artists of Canada’s art history have had a large influence on what is seen as the distinct Canadian art. One such artist is William Notman, founder and owner of the William Notman Photographic Studio in Montreal, Quebec, which opened in 1856 and serviced until 1935 when his son sold the business. A great businessman, Notman employed multiple employees in his studio, mostly other artists, which expanded worldwide to become internationally known. He also explored and developed many photographic practices and techniques, keeping track
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of the current desired trends among prospective customers, and catering to these needs through his high-quality photographic work and portraits. Additionally, Notman photographed and documented city life, landscapes, and received commissions to photograph the important architectural inventions and construction in Canada at the time.
Furthermore, Notman co-founded the Art Association of Montreal (which is now the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) in 1860, and continued to support the association in order to establish an important art society, which continues to be an important venue for art today. Focused on performing high- quality photography, William Notman employed a great influence over the Canadian art scene, encouraging the development of photography and the establishment of an art association in Montreal, which lead to his ability to influence the entire Canadian art scene for years to come.
Evidently, William Notman’s photographic ideals greatly affected the concepts of what a good photograph and a good subject should consist of, giving him a lot of influence over the development of photography in Canada. Notman, who was born in 1826, was only thirteen years old at the invention of photography in 1839 (Triggs). Thus, as Notman opened his photographic studio in 1856, the medium was still relatively new, and Notman carried many of his own ideas of what a photograph should depict, which would later influence the trends in the photographic market. Notman was careful in selecting the types and variety of services which his studio offered, paying attention to the
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current trends of customer desires, as well as setting the bar high with his professional work at reasonable rates, which lead him to adopt and develop new techniques that would greatly improve the work of all photographers. Around the 1870’s, the then popular cartes-de-visites was losing its popularity, and Notman “led in the introduction of cabinet-sized photographs in North America” (Triggs). Additionally, he was keen on adopting the “magnesium flare as an artificial source of illumination” (Triggs). Notman took many types of photographs, including portraits, composites, cityscapes, and landscapes, both inside and outside of the studio. Additionally, for his portrait photos in the studio, he had a large team of employees to assist the sitters in looking their best, and he distributed pamphlets with advice for sitters, for example on what to wear, which assisted his studio to be capable of consistently providing high- quality portraits that the sitter would enjoy, encouraging customers to purchase multiple copies of the photos. For example, Notman advised women on which colour to wear so as to not overexpose or underexpose the garments, which “was necessary because of the limitations of the slow emulsions of the time” (Triggs). Additionally, after the portrait was taken, Notman’s team of painters would colour the photograph, which at the time was also desired by customers in order to present a more life-like representation of the sitter (Triggs). Many of the artists that Notman employed later gained co-ownership of Notman studios, or opened their own successful studios, greatly expanding the world of photography in Canada and North America. Some of the notable artists employed by Notman at some time or another include John Arthur Fraser, Henry Sandham, Horatio Walker, and Homer Ransford Watson, to name a few. Thus, while William Notman observed the current trends of customers, and by employing and offering apprenticeships to artists, he was able to set a high standard for the world of photography, and his adoption of new methods improved his work while helping to further the photography medium itself. In addition to his regular portrait work, William Notman received multiple commissions to photograph important Canadian scenes and events. He first received a commission to document the construction of the Victoria Bridge, which was completed in 1859, and was a part of the railway lines that connected Canada from “sea to sea.” The bridge itself was an important architectural piece, being the largest of its time, so it could not be just any photographer taking the photos (Triggs). Notman was likely selected for the high quality photos that his team turned out, and the great care that he took in ensuring a good photograph. It is said that Notman was greatly “aware of the power of advertising” (Triggs). Also, he desired to create “an image to embody the essence of the bridge and become a lasting testimony to human invention and artistry” (Triggs). This is important, because the bridge was such an important piece in Canada’s history, and his images would be regarded as integral to document it, so the great care he took to create a lasting image has greatly improved the results. Additionally, the success of these images is greatly influenced by the fact that, after presenting a set of photographs of the bridge and Montreal in a Maple Box to the Prince of Wales, the Queen was so pleased with his work that she announced his new title of Photographer to the Queen (Kish). This title highly influenced his international profile, increasing the high regards and demand for his work, while also increasing his credibility in the knowledge of photography. Thus, Notman’s increased international status would expand his ability to influence the photographic medium, as well as develop the notion of a good photograph simply through the viewing of his photographs and the noble title which he received. Furthermore, Notman was fond of exploring the photography medium and its capabilities, and he eventually became well known for his large group composite photographs, consisting of multiple subjects, taken as separate photos and then pasted together to create one photograph.
These types of photos were used to create a memorable scene in which all of the subjects were in clear focus, which at the time was difficult to do if all of the subjects were photographed together at the same time (Triggs). A famous example of Notman’s composite photos, and the first containing a large number of subjects, is Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink, Montreal, (Notman, McCord Museum) taken in 1870 and containing approximately one hundred and fifty people in costume (Triggs). The photo drew in a large public audience for viewing and was highly regarded for its excellent execution, a lot of work in its day. Later, a large demand for these composite photos made them a regular service of the Notman Studio, affecting the world of photography as more photographers wanted to be able to cater to these new trends and to compete with Notman. The addition of these services to the studio increased the workload for the artists greatly, further expanding each artist’s experience in the field of photography and photo development, and in turn influencing the art world. Thus, through Notman’s work with the new style of composite photos, he had increased the demand for the new type of photograph and in turn his
studio as well. In addition to his influence on photography itself, Notman held a large influence over the Canadian art scene, specifically in Montreal. On January 11, 1860, Notman formed the Art Association of Montreal (renamed the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 1949) alongside other famous artists and art collectors at the time, providing his studio to be the first meeting place for the artists and citizens. The purpose of forming this association was in pursuit of creating “an awareness of the arts in the community” (Triggs). It was this association that planned the exhibition in the Crystal Palace to be presented for the Prince of Wales’ visit, and ultimately presented the set of photographs to the Prince. Notman continued to show support for his arts community through the donations of his own artwork, and monetary donations to aid in the building of a new meeting place for the association (Triggs). Today, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has stayed true to its original goal of promoting an appreciation of art, stating that it exhibits work “by artists of yesterday and today, local and international, [and it] also has a mission to reach out to the widest and most diverse public possible and to provide full access to the world’s artistic heritage” (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts). Since the formation of the Association, it has achieved many accomplishments. For example, it constructed the first building “designed to house an art collection and temporary exhibitions” in Canada (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts). Additionally, it contains the oldest art library in Canada (built in 1912), and its facilities continue to expand today. The museum also holds multiple important collections, and has held many large and successful exhibitions. For example, some exhibitions include "The 1920s: The Age of the Metropolis," "Warhol Live: Music and Dance in Andy Warhol's Work," and "Leonardo da Vinci, Engineer and Architect," to name a few (Champagne). The museum may not have been as successful without Notman’s early help and encouragement, including the help of Notman’s friends and colleagues. As shown above, William Notman had a great influence over Canadian photography and the art scene in Montreal during his lifetime. The high regard and international status for his studio’s work set the example for professional photographers on how to achieve a good photograph. Also, the multiple commissions he received empowered Notman to explore photography and to help improve the world of photographic art. Additionally, his continued support of the Art Association of Montreal in its early days enabled many artists to be exhibited throughout the years and gain some attention. Overall, Notman’s businesslike attitude and hardworking ethic set a high standard within the world of photography, further enabling the medium to expand.
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