Camera Workers: The British Columbia Photographic Directory, 1858-1950 - P - Volume 2 (1901-1950)

© 1999-2007 By David Mattison

Updated: 2005.12.06.


Pacific Airways Ltd.
Vancouver/1931-1938+.
Commercial (publicity).
The airlines produced many publicity photos which were possibly taken by a staff photographer.
REFERENCES: ___30 ___31 ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35 ___36 ___37 ___38 ___39 D.M. Stewart, 1996.12.15.

Pain, Ralph.
Vancouver/1933.
REFERENCES: VL1933, Vancouver.

Palace Art Co.
Vancouver/1929.
REFERENCES:

Palmo's Photo Studio.
Nanaimo/1904.
Owned or operated by E.L. Meyer.
REFERENCES: ___04.

Panama Foto Studio.
Vancouver/1913.
REFERENCES:

Paramount Ltd.
VARIANT: Paramount Studio.
Vancouver/1948-1950.
Operated by John Berg and William Miller (1948) by William Miller (1950).
REFERENCES: ___48 ___49 ___50 D.M. Stewart, 1996.12.15.

Paramount Studio see Paramount Ltd.

Paramount Studios.
Victoria/1932-1935.
609 Yates St./1932.
Operated by Dalton J. Hill in 1932. J.R. Sinser was affiliated with the operation from 1933-1935?.
REFERENCES: ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35.

Parisian Studio.
Vancouver/1919-1939.
Operated by Alex McKenzie (1927-1927).
REFERENCES:

Parkinson, Edwin.
Vancouver/1940.
Parnell, T.A. see Powell, Thomas A.
REFERENCES:

Parrott, Anna Nettie.
Penticton/1933.
Assistant.
REFERENCES: VL1933, Penticton.

Parry, Gordon B.
Vancouver/1946.
Commercial.
Cameraman for Grant's Photographic Services.
REFERENCES: ___45 ___46 ___47.

Parry, Harry H.
Vancouver/1946-1948.
He operated Graphic Enterprises.
REFERENCES:

Parry, Lew M. ( C ).
Vancouver/1945-1960s.
BC's most important independent industrial film producer of the 1950s, his largest client was BC Electric, later BC Hydro & Power Authority.
He managed Trans-Canada Films Ltd. (1945-ca. 1953), then operated under his own name as Lew Parry Film Productions Ltd. (incorporated 1954).
COLLECTIONS: BVIPA (films videos oral history).
REFERENCES: ___45 ___46 ___47 ___48 ___49 ___50 Duffy (1986).

Parry, Melfyn Henry ( C ).
Vancouver/1933.
Brother of cinematographer/industrial film producer Lew Parry.
REFERENCES: ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35 ___36 ___37 ___38 ___39 ___40 ___41 ___42 ___43 ___44 ___45 ___46 (no occup.) VL1933, Vancouver.

Passport Photograph Studio.
Vancouver/1928-1930.
Operated by K.G. McKenzie and R.H. Marlow.
REFERENCES:

Pattison, Kenneth M.
Vancouver/1938.
Worked for PhotoCraft.
REFERENCES: ___38.

Paull, Alfred Albert.
LIFE DATES: 1871?  __ __-1958 06 18
BIRTHPLACE: Jersey, UK.
PLACE OF DEATH: New Westminster.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Vancouver/1902-1903 1920-1923 Rossland/1913-1916.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The New Westminster December 1903 Columbian described him, along with a portrait:

A.A. Paull, photographer, though a native of Jersey, left the Old Country when two years old, and until 1892 lived in London, Ont. [Ontario], where he learned the trade of cabinet maker. His next move was to British Columbia, and he has resided there since then, doing a good business as a photographer.

Between 1921-1923 he operated as the Albert Studio.
COLLECTIONS:
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: VL1913, 1916/Rossland VL1920, Vancouver BVIPA Death registration record no. 1958-09-007414 (microfilm reel no. B13237) Columbian (New Westminster), 1903 12/72 D.M. Stewart, 1996.12.15.


Peabody, Henry Greenwood see Volume 1.
Peake, Charlton.
Vernon/1908.
REFERENCES: VL1908, Vernon.

Pearson, Alfred J.
Revelstoke/1913.
REFERENCES: VL1913, Revelstoke.

Peerless Studio.
Prince Rupert/1920.
Operated ca. 1911 by T.J. Davidson.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: postcards.
REFERENCES: Steele (Draft, 1995 08 17).

Pell Studio.
Penticton/1921.
REFERENCES:

Percival, Anthony.
Field/1909, 1911 Salmon Arm/1908, 1910.
HOME ADDRESS: Field/1909, 1911 Salmon Arm/1908.
REFERENCES: VL1909, 1911/Field VL1908, Salmon Arm.

Perrault, Alveric J.
Partner in Ribelin & Perrault.
REFERENCES:

NAME: Perrier, Hector Joseph.
LIFE DATES: 1877 07 18-1966 07 21.
BIRTHPLACE: Alfred, ON.
PLACE OF DEATH: St. Albert, AB.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Nelson/1903-1907; Pincher Creek, AB/1907-1915; Salmon Arm/1915-ca.1918; Jasper, AB/1927-1948.
Status: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: He was first employed at Nelson by David Wadds, then after returning to BC in 1915 established his own photographic business.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: private; postcards.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: Print surface captioned, numbered and signed " Perrier".
REFERENCES: VL1903, 1907, Nelson; VL1916, Salmon Arm; McCuaig & Stewart (1996); Marshall (1998).

Perry, John.
Nootka/1930-1932.
REFERENCES:

Peters, Henry.
Ladysmith/1910.
REFERENCES:

Phair, Arthur W.A.
Lillooet/1920-1933.
Commercial.
The son of Caspar Phair, a Lillooet teacher and provincial government appointee who also may have been an amateur photographer, many of Artie's photographs illustrate Harris' history of Lillooet.
COLLECTIONS: BCA (prints).
IDENTIFYING MARKS: Print border titled in script with " A.W.A. Phair Photo" in lower right corner of border.
REFERENCES: VL1920 (merchant), 1928 (storekeeper), 1933 (store manager)/Lillooet Harris (1977).

Phil Graham Photos.
Vancouver/1950.
One of the business names under which Phil Graham operated.
REFERENCES: ___49 ___50.

Phillips, Albert Charles.
Vancouver/1920-1928.
HOME ADDRESS: North Vancouver/1928.
REFERENCES: VL1920, Vancouver VL1928, North Vancouver.

Phils Photo Place.
Revelstoke/1930-1931.
Owned by P.E.L. Moase.
REFERENCES:

Photo and Art Stores.
Powell River/1913.
Managed by W.J. Ellis.
REFERENCES: ___13.

Photo Arcade.
Vancouver/1946, 1948.
Operated in 1946 by Ervin Allman and in 1948 by Herman Neiman.
REFERENCES: D.M. Stewart, 1996.12.15.

Photo Art.
Vancouver/1913.
2044 Granville St.
Managed by H.F. Goodmurphy and W.H. O'Brien.
REFERENCES: ___13.

Photo Arts Ltd.
Vancouver/1927-1974.
Renamed from Burrard Photo Arts Supply in 1927 and managed by S.J. Thompson until his death (1929), at which point his son assumed control until 1974. The company was incorporated on 19__ __ __ and dissolved on 19__ __ __ (inc. no. BC_______).
REFERENCES: ___27 ___28 ___29 ___30 ___31 ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35 ___36 ___37 ___38 ___39 ___40 ___41 ___42 ___43 ___44 ___45 ___46 ___47 ___48 ___49 ___50.

Photo Centre (Pacific Coast) Ltd.
Victoria/1949.
REFERENCES:

Photo Crafts.
Cranbrook/1926-1927.
Operated by V.C. Russell and C. Van Braam.
REFERENCES:

Photo Fellows Club Rooms.
Vancouver/1923.
650 Granville/1923.
Secretary of this amateur association was J. Green.
REFERENCES: HEN23.

Photo Postcard Studio see Postcard Photo Studio.

PhotoCraft.
Vancouver/1932-1933, 1938.
Operated by G.E. D'Arcy-Hodsoll and E.J. Bigelow (1933) by E.J. Bigelow and K.M. Pattison (1938).
REFERENCES: ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35 ___36 ___37 ___38.


NAME: Photographers' Association of the Pacific Northwest.
VARIANT: Pacific Northwest Photographers Association.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: BC, ID, MT, OR, WA/1900?-.
STATUS: Club.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to a series of articles in the Vancouver Daily News-Advertiser during the association's 1910 conference in Vancouver, this professional association was organized in 1900. The Vancouver conference marked the first time the group met in British Columbia. Members came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and BC. Due to the death of association's president, F.G. Abell, two weeks before the conference, Vancouver portrait photographer G.T. Wadds assumed the presidency and was succeeded during the conference by the election of his colleague V.V. Vinson as president, who was also the "official representative to the convention from British Columbia" (Daily News-Advertiser, 1910 08 02, p. 10). Also elected as vice-president for BC at the conference was F.L. Hacking. The conference was held in the Dominion Hall on Pender St. and the public was able to view photographs there on August 5, 1910.
REFERENCES: (Vancouver) Daily News-Advertiser, 1910 08 02/10 ("Photographers of Northwest Gather"), 1910 08 05/7 ("Photos for an Official Exhibit"), 1910 08 06/3 ("Best Convention City").


Photographic Club.
Vancouver/1943.
666 Homer/1943.
Club.
REFERENCES: ___43.

Photorium.
Victoria/1918-1924.
Operated by O.A. McDonald (1922) and A.L. Meugens (1923-1924).
REFERENCES:

Pillsbury Picture Company see Pillsbury, Arthur Clarence

Plagle, Oliver.
Blairmore, AB East Kootenays, BC/1902-1903.
REFERENCES: Silversides (1995: 13)

Pledger, Henry C.
Vancouver/1910.
318 Homer St.
HOME ADDRESS: 111 10th Ave. W. (Jewell, Merville L., printer).
Proprietor with J.R. Davidson of the Canadian Associated Arts Studio.
REFERENCES: HEV10 Vancouver business directories, 1911-1915 (not listed).

Pocock, Richard Lawrence.
Victoria/1913-1916.
REFERENCES: VL1913, 1916/Victoria.

Pollard, Arthur Vivian.
Victoria/1933.
He was a photographer for Associated Screen News Ltd.
REFERENCES: VL1933, Victoria.

Pollard, Harry.
Calgary, AB BC/1910s-1920s.
Commercial.
He photographed in the Rocky and Selkirk Mountains (AB and BC) from the 1910s-1920s.
COLLECTIONS: PAA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: Silversides (1995).

Pontin, Edward George.
Armstrong/1921 Vernon/1922-1923 Vancouver/1933.
REFERENCES: VL1933, Vancouver Phillips (1997).

Poole, Alfred.
Vancouver/1908.
REFERENCES: ___08.

Popular Studio.
Victoria/1912.
Operated by J.B. Simon.
REFERENCES:

Porritt, Wright.
New Alberni/1904 1907-1910 Port Alberni/1911 Bamfield/1913-1916.
HOME ADDRESS: Vancouver/192_?.
REFERENCES: VL1907, New Alberni VL1911, Port Alberni VL1913, 1916, 1920 (retired), 1924 (retired)/Bamfield Phillips (1997) Grant (2002).

NAME: Porter, Alma.
LIFE DATES: 1892 __ __-1971 __ __.
BIRTHPLACE: Victoria, BC.
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Victoria/1910s-?
STATUS: Amateur.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY:
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: postcards.
REFERENCES: Grant (2002).


Porter, Nathaniel.
Moose Jaw/1907-1908 /Vancouver/ca.1907-1908.
Commercial (visit).
REFERENCES: ___07 ___08.

Porter, Juli E.M.
Duncan/1950.
Operated the Juli Porter Studio.
REFERENCES:

Postcard Photo Studio.
Vancouver/1909.
151 Hastings W./1909.
Operated by G.A. Young.
REFERENCES: HEVAN09.

Postill, Leonard " Doc" .
Trail/1927-1932, 1935-1939? Rossland/1934.
REFERENCES:

Potter & McDonald.
Cumberland/1912.
Partnership of _______ Potter and ________ McDonald.
REFERENCES: Duns BC (1912).

Powell, John H.
Vancouver/1923-1927.
He worked for Coast Publishing Co.
REFERENCES:

Powell, Thomas A.
Eburne (Point Grey)/1913-1918.
REFERENCES:

Power, Percy H.
Vancouver/1908.
REFERENCES: ___08.

Prest, Cecil Henry.
LIFE DATES: ____ __ __-19__ __ __.
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH:
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Cranbrook/1903-1907.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Prior to his father W.A. Prest's death in November 1902, he worked in 1899 for a Mr. Carson who bought the Grady hardware company and renamed it the Cranbrook Hardware Company.  In March 1903 he left G.H. Miner's company and joined with his mother, Mrs. W.A. Prest, to continue the business of Prest & Co. C.H. Prest was one of an unknown number of  photographers who documented the aftermath of the devastating Frank Slide in April 1903.    He and his mother also visited the Perry Creek mining operations in August 1904 and both photographed there. In May 1905 he travelled to Vancouver to attend a Methodist Church conference, and to " look up the latest in the way of photography in the large studios of the coast."   One of the innovations he might have returned with was a " large lamp" so studio photographs could be taken at any time. The Cranbrook Herald claimed it was the only one in the province. Less than a year after  his appointment as Cranbrook's first City Clerk (monthly salary $85.00) on November 30, 1905, he resigned for " financial reasons" and moved with his wife  in March 1907 to Virden, Manitoba, where he returned to the hardware business.  His mother followed him there at the end of June 1907. At the time of his mother's death in January 1913, he was working in real estate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: see Prest & Co.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Prest & Co.
REFERENCES: VL1903, 1907/Cranbrook Cranbrook Herald 1899 06 08/1 (in charge of Cranbrook Hardware Co. while Mr. Carson visits Manitoba), 1903 03 12/4 (leaves G.H. Miner to join mother in photograph business), 1903 04 30/4 (visits Frank, Alberta), 1903 10 01/3 (article about him), 1904 08 11/6 (Perry Creek visit with mother), 1905 05 11/5 (Vancouver visit), 1905 06 01 (Prest Studio installs large lamp), 1905 11 30/1 (appointed first City Clerk), 1906 07 26/5 (goes east in a few days on vacation for a month), 1906 09 20/1 (resigns as City Clerk), 1907 03 21/5 (moves to Manitoba), 1907 06 27/8 (mother moves to Manitoba) see also Prest & Co.

Prest, Mrs. Olive H.
VARIANT NAME: Prest, Mrs. W.A.
LIFE DATES: ____ __ __-1913 01 07.
BIRTHPLACE:
PLACE OF DEATH: Saskatoon, SK.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Cranbrook/1903-1907 06.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: The Cranbrook Herald noted her presence in Fernie on October 23, 1902 where she was " looking after the photograph gallery in the absence of her husband, who is dangerously ill with hemorrhage of the brain." Following her husband W.A. Prest's untimely death in November 1902, she closed the Cranbrook studio on November 15, 1902 and  departed in late December for Effingham, Illinois, where she attended the Illinois College of Photography. Likely in order to keep her name in the public mind, she sent a letter recounting her experiences at the school to the Cranbrook Herald which they published on February 5, 1903. Although she was supposed to return home in early March 1903, she attended her dying mother in Virden, Manitoba, where her sister, Mrs. Woolhouse,  also lived. Her sister accompanied her back to Cranbrook in mid-March. At this point her son Cecil H. Prest quit his job and partnered with his mother to keep the Cranbrook and Fernie studios open. In addition to portraiture work, both of them took landscape views: he photographed the aftermath of the 1903 Frank Slide in neighbouring Alberta, and together they photographed mining operations at Perry Creek in the East Kootenay region. After her son quit his appointed position as Cranbrook's first City Clerk and moved with his wife to Virden, Manitoba, she sold Prest & Co. to photographer R.J. Binning, and followed him to Manitoba. Her son subsequently moved to Saskatoon where he worked in real estate.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS:   see Prest & Co.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:   see Prest & Co.
REFERENCES: Cranbrook Herald, 1902 10 23/1 (in Fernie looking after husband's photo studio), 1902 11 13/4 (closes studio due to absence), 1903 01 01/4 (left for Illinois last Saturday), 1903 02 05/1 (letter), 1903 03 05/1 (mother ill and dies), 1903 03 12/4 (returns to Cranbrook with sister), 1904 08 11/6 (Perry Creek trip), 1907 06 27/8 (in Canadian Alpine Club camp and move to Manitoba), 1913 01 09/4 (obit.) see also Prest & Co..


Prest, William Archie.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Cranbrook/1901-1902 10 Fernie/1901 07-1902 10.
STATUS: Commercial.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: See also Camera Workers, volume 1. Following what must have been a successful first two years of business in Cranbrook and Fort Steele under the name Prest & Co., he opened a branch studio in Fernie. In January 1902 he visited Marysville and photographed " some of the city's brightest business men." The Cranbrook Herald pointed out that he was " East Kootenay's only photographer." His widow and son, Cecil H. Prest, took over Prest & Co. and operated it for almost four years before retiring from photography and moving to Manitoba.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS: see Prest & Co.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: see Prest & Co.
REFERENCES: ___01 ___02 ___03 Cranbrook Herald, 1901 07 11/4 (Fernie branch opens), 1902 01 09/4 (Marysville visit), 1902 10 23/1 (Mrs. W.A. Prest in Fernie), 1902 11 06/4 (obit.) Mattison (1985).

Prest & Co.
VARIANT NAME: Prest Phot Co. Prest Photo Studio.
WHERE/WHEN ACTIVE: Cranbrook/1901-1907 06 Fernie/1901-?
BUSINESS ADDRESS/YEAR: Godderies Block, 2nd Floor, Cranbrook/1904 09-1907 06.
STATUS: Studio.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: See also Camera Workers, volume 1. Firm name used by W.A. Prest, and then by his widow and her son, C.H. Prest, who were business partners. In May 1903 the Cranbrook Herald noted an exhibit of " some magnificient views" taken by C.H. Prest of the Frank Slide, Alberta,  aftermath: " They [the photographs] give a very good idea of the wonderful force of the slide and show the damage done."   The same newspaper also reported in October 1903 on photographs taken of " Indian children at the [Marysville] Mission that will be used in the Dominion reports on Indian affairs." The studio moved in September 1904 from its original location to new quarters. On June 1, 1905, the Cranbrook newspaper gleefully reported that " The Prest Studio have just installed a large lamp so that in the future they will be able to take or print pictures at night, on a cloudy day, or any old time. It is the only one in British Columbia. It is funny how Cranbrook leads at all times." This occurred about two weeks after C.H. Prest had visited Vancouver for a Methodist Church conference and to research developments in photography " in the large studios of the coast." After her son and his wife departed for Virden, Manitoba, on March 21, 1907, Mrs. Prest wound up Prest & Co. by selling it to R.J. Binning.
COLLECTIONS/FORMATS:   portraits and landscape views.
IDENTIFYING MARKS:
REFERENCES: ___01 ___02 ___03 ___04 ___05 ___07 Cranbrook Herald 1901 07 11/4 (Fernie branch studio opens), 1902 10 23/1 (Mrs. W.A. Prest managing Fernie studio due to husband's fatal illness), 1902 11 13/4 (Cranbrook studio closed from November 15-22 due to Mrs. Prest's absence), 1903 04 30/3 (ad, Cranbrook studio reopens), 1903 05 14/4 (Frank Slide views on display), 1903 10 01/1 (Marysville Mission Indian children photographed), 1904 08 11/4 (Mrs. Prest and son of Prest Photo Co. visit Perry Creek), 1904 09 15/6 (studio moves), 1905 06 01/1 (large lamp installed), 1907 03 28/2 (ad), 1907 04 25/5 (ad, customers advised to pick up orders " not later than next week" ), 1907 06 27/8 (Mrs. Prest to move to Manitoba), 1907 07 04/5 (ad, R.J. Binning purchased Prest Photo Co.).

Preston, _______.
Vancouver/1901.
HOME ADDRESS: 161 Hastings E./1901 (rooms).
Commercial?.
RFERENCES: HEN01.

Preston, George.
Victoria/1901 Vancouver/1903-1904.
56 Fort St./1901 526? Pender/1903.
HOME ADDRESS: 526 Pender/1903.
Listed as a shoemaker at 524 Pender,Vancouver, in 1903 then at an unidentified studio the following year.
REFERENCES: ___01 ___02 HEN03 HEN04 (class. only) ___05 (n.l.).

Price, Albert E.
Victoria/1950
He operated Western Studio.
REFERENCES:

Price, Arthur E.
Oak Bay (Victoria)/1914 Victoria/1915-1922.
He operated the Oak Bay Art Store in 1914.
REFERENCES: ___14 ___15 ___16 ___17 ___18 ___19 ___20 ___21 ___22.

Price, J.L.W.
Victoria/1941-1950.
203-1104 Douglas St./1941-1947.
640 Fort St./1948-1950.
He co-managed Campbell Studio (Victoria) with A.L. Lee.
REFERENCES: ___41 ___42 ___43 ___44 ___45 ___46 ___47 ___48 ___49 ___50.

Priest, Henry (Harry).
Merritt/1911 1920-1934.
REFERENCES: VL1911, 1920, 1928, 1933/Merritt.

Priest, Joseph Jordan.
Princeton/1913-1916.
REFERENCES: VL1913, 1916/Princeton.

Prince George Photo Studio.
Prince George/1921-1922.
REFERENCES:

Proctor, ________.
Vancouver/1908.
Partner in Weld & Proctor.
REFERENCES: ___08.

Progress Studio.
Trail/1927-1939, 1943.
Operated by Leonard Postill (1927-1939) and James Demidoff (1943).
REFERENCES:

Progress Studio.
Vancouver/1913-1926.
Managed by Willis W. Vinson (1913-1915) V.V. Vinson (1916-1917) B.T. Vinson (1917) O. Rotch? (1918) W.G. Elliott (1919-1926).
REFERENCES:

Pumfrey, Walter.
Victoria/1916.
REFERENCES: ___02 (empl., Times) ___03 ___04 (fur dresser) ___05 ___06 ___07 ___08 ___09 ___10 ___11 ___12 (engraver, Colonist) ___13 ___14 ___15 ___16 VL1916, Victoria.

Pusey, Florence.
Victoria/1920.
In 1912 she worked for BAPCO (British American Paint Co.).
REFERENCES: ___12 (empl., B.A. Paint) ___13 ___14 ___15 ___16 ___17 ___18 ___19 ___20 VL1920, Victoria.