Unraveling the Enigma: The Quest for the Anonymous Photographer Behind Rare N.L. Images

A collection of uncommon photographs depicting rural Newfoundland has been unearthed in rural Ontario, yet their authentic origins present a bit of a mystery.

The weathered prints showcase spontaneous moments illustrating the daily lives of individuals in outport Newfoundland over a century ago. They were discovered in a quaint antique shop in Elmvale, Ontario, situated thousands of kilometers away from where they were captured.

Video producer Mark Cumby and I embarked on an endeavor to link these images with the individuals and locations they represent. We located the precise spots where several of the photos were shot and came across the great-granddaughter of one of the couples captured in the images.

Nevertheless, certain inquiries persist. For example, who was the individual responsible for the photographs? What brought the photographer to Newfoundland? How did the images find their way to Ontario, so far from their origins?

We unearthed answers, and they are deeply intertwined with faith.

Elements of the same enigma

I have been investigating these enigmatic photographs for some time, and following the writing of a feature piece about them, I received numerous emails from individuals captivated by the timeless faces and landscapes depicted, along with their mysterious backgrounds.

I learned that Memorial University’s folklore and language archive also possesses a collection of Newfoundland stereoscope cards. Thus, I commenced my search anew.

WATCH | Additional intriguing findings have emerged regarding rare N.L. photographs, with explanations rooted in faith:

Answers revealed about origins of mysterious N.L. photographs

A collection of rare photographs from rural Newfoundland was found in a small antique shop in rural Ontario, and tracing their origins has unveiled a mystery. Join CBC’s Jessica Singer as she collaborates with archivists to uncover further insights regarding these mysterious photographs.

Cumby and I had a meeting with lead archivist Pauline Cox to compare our findings. As we examined the stacks of delicate cards, we discovered a number of duplicates between our collections.

Both of us had an image featuring an elderly man beaming at the camera, crouching in front of a heap of capelin. On the back of the photo discovered in the antique shop in Ontario, one word, “capelin,” is penned in ink.

The caption on the reverse side of Memorial University’s version of the image provides substantially more details, including the name of the photographed individual: Fred Thistle.

“There’s an entire caption stating ‘drying capelin,'” Cox mentions while reading a typewritten note affixed to the back of the stereoscope card.

“‘This elderly fisherman represents a better class of Newfoundland fishermen. He is too advanced in age to engage in the work of catching fish from the small vessels when the risk from storms and exposure is significant. However, he remains sufficiently energetic for this lighter chore.'”

We encountered other duplicates, yet many of the photographs in our respective collections differ. Thus, we continued to search for additional clues.

I turned over one of the cards from the antique shop and found it bears “Series 29B” alongside a corresponding number printed in the top left corner. I began to flip over more photos and found several other cards in our collection that are noted as belonging to the same series.

Cox turned over Memorial University’s cards. Some also bear “Series 29B” inscribed in the same style, located in the upper left corner.

I observe an image of goats in my pile marked “Series 29B, no. 198.” Cox possesses two images of goats, marked “Series 29B, no. 196” and “Series 29B, no. 197.”

“We possess pieces of the identical puzzle,” remarked Cox with a chuckle.

Locating the photographer

Cox mentions that Memorial University’s collection of stereoscope imagery originated from the United Church of Canada Archives in Toronto.

In November 1985, forty-five stereoscope cards were conveyed to the university, and Cox suspects they are catalogued in their records as duplicates, not originals.

Within the master folder, there exists substantial information about a man named Frederick Clark Stephenson. Cox notes that he served as the secretary responsible for supervising youth and foreign missions’ groups for the Methodist and United Church.

WATCH | View the complete set of N.L. stereoscope images found in rural Ontario:

See this full set of mysterious N.L. photographs

Unique photographs of Newfoundland taken over a century ago were recently discovered in rural Ontario. The images provide glimpses into history, presenting candid moments of individuals long passed and landscapes that remain unchanged. Watch this video to view the complete collection of rare Newfoundland images.

The United Church possesses a Stephenson family fonds, with a biography stating that Stephenson was the “initial and sole secretary of the Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions, 1906 to 1925.”

We know the images were captured around the late 19th century to the early 20th century. It is also established that many of the stereoscope images of Newfoundland depict churches.

Cox uncovers a stereoscope card indicating that Stephenson and his spouse traveled to Newfoundland and Labrador “when initiating the summer school movement in Newfoundland” in 1911.

“Naturally, at the time it was prior to Confederation, so Newfoundland and Labrador must have appeared as a foreign territory,” she noted.

Could Stephenson have been the one behind the camera? Perhaps, speculates Cox. However, I sought confirmation.

Who was operating the camera?

I engaged in a video conversation with Christopher Hogendoorn, the United Church’s general council archivist, who researched Stephenson and the stereoscope images on our behalf.

He informed me that the church archives house hundreds of stereoscope photos from various regions in the country and across the globe. He acknowledges they possess 40 stereoscope images of Newfoundland, but he claims there is no data regarding the origins of the pictures or their context.

What they do know is that these were accumulated by Stephenson. Was he the individual operating the camera? Hogendoorn suggests that it is likely not.

Hogendoorn discovered a correspondence authored by Stephenson towards the end of his life, which outlined how he became involved in the youth missionary movement.

Around the late 19th century, Stephenson was attending medical school and to earn income, he functioned as an agent for Underwood & Underwood — a producer and distributor of stereoscopic photography.

He mentions that he would dispatch photographers nationwide to capture images, which he would then market commercially.

Selling these images generated Stephenson ample income to fund his education. He ceased working for the firm in 1902 upon securing a paid position within the missionary movement.

“Perhaps he suggested to the photographer, you know … ‘Don’t solely capture scenes of rural life or fishermen’ or something along those lines,” remarked Hogendoorn. “‘Ensure you focus on overarching themes, the Methodist church, the Catholic churches.”

‘I believe they are exceptional’

Hogendoorn shares that Stephenson would produce magic lantern glass slide presentations, the ancestor of the slide projector, and promote them in catalogues. He would send the slides to missionaries, churches, or youth organizations for informative entertainment sessions, and Hogendoorn indicates that some of the slides ascribed to Stephenson’s collections were created by missionaries actively in the field. 

It’s possible that the Newfoundland stereoscope images, several of which we found to have a series number on the reverse, reveal he employed the same method with stereoscope cards.

“Maybe he purchased five or six sets, and they would be distributed, but perhaps they didn’t include a return envelope,” he stated. “Maybe some of these weren’t sent back, and that’s probably how they ended up scattered everywhere.”

We understand that Stephenson was likely the creative force behind the photographs, yet much remains uncertain, notably the identity of the photographer. 

What we can ascertain is that these images provide a unique view into a segment of Newfoundland’s history. They depict authentic moments of individuals long departed, and rural vistas that remain unchanged.

Occasionally, a mystery can be rewarding even in its elusiveness.

“It’s a link to the past,” stated Cox. “We can only speculate how they lived, but these actually illustrate what their existence was like during that period.”

“They’re exceptional. I truly believe they are exceptional.”

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