Photograph of US Air Force sent from Prince Rupert to Spider Island to man the fortifications against an expected attack by the Japanese. They travelled on a ship from Prince Rupert, a construction crew and 80 American servicemen. There was a terrible storm and they were all seasick and expected the ship to go down any minute. They wallowed around in the Pacific for 3 days before reaching Spider Island. He was 16 years old at the time.
Photos are copied from a large 8x10 folio that was given to Mr. Stanyer by the company that he was working for in Kitimat in 1956
Custodial History
Photos belonged to Raymond Stanyer and were donated by his wife, Pat Stanyer
Scope and Content
Photograph of US Air Force sent from Prince Rupert to Spider Island to man the fortifications against an expected attack by the Japanese. They travelled on a ship from Prince Rupert, a construction crew and 80 American servicemen. There was a terrible storm and they were all seasick and expected the ship to go down any minute. They wallowed around in the Pacific for 3 days before reaching Spider Island. He was 16 years old at the time.
Slide showing NW view from smeltersite towards Clague Mountain. Building visible on left side, and mountain in the distance. Image is a double exposure, and trucks can be seen in the ghosted image.
James McNay was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on January 31, 1907. Between 1951 and 1953, he worked in the payroll department for Alcan. He had to leave his wife Effie and his two young daughters, Margaret and Diane, aged 6 and 5 in 1951, at home in Surrey, B.C., during his 3-4 month stints in Kitimat. To fill some of his free time and show his family where he was and what Kitimat was like, he spent many hours walking in the area with a 35mm Kodak camera. He photographed the scenic beauty of the area and parts of the construction of both the smelters and the town. He died in Surrey on August 7, 1983.
Custodial History
Donated by Margaret McNay. Images were taken by her father and sent to their family in Surrey in the 1950s.
Scope and Content
Slide showing NW view from smeltersite towards Clague Mountain. Building visible on left side, and mountain in the distance. Image is a double exposure, and trucks can be seen in the ghosted image.
Photo showing shack built from shingles from Anderson Farm house.
Anderson's Farm, the only remaining shack 1951 with two surveyors Percy Marsh, instrument man, died of lung cancer 1953 after graduation from U.B.C. and Ole Pederson, logger, surveyed for 6 weeks during logging closure because of fire hazard in Summer 1951. Copied from Mrs. Hallman's photo.
Photo showing shack built from shingles from Anderson Farm house.
Anderson's Farm, the only remaining shack 1951 with two surveyors Percy Marsh, instrument man, died of lung cancer 1953 after graduation from U.B.C. and Ole Pederson, logger, surveyed for 6 weeks during logging closure because of fire hazard in Summer 1951. Copied from Mrs. Hallman's photo.
Photograph of the Fred Ryan Ltd. Van. Sign on side of Van reads "Photo Finishing Fred Ryan Ltd. Photography Blue Printing". There is snow on the ground.
1 photograph print : b&w ; 17.7 x 12.8 cm
2 clippings : b&w ; 21.7 x 28 cm
History / Biographical
From the years 1953-1958, Mike Kinnear took photos during his school years, until graduation, while working for Fred Ryan Ltd. after school and holidays. Photos for him was a hobby, and he took many photos of the smelter and townsite as it grew around him. Mike also took a number of photos for the Kitimat Northern Sentinel, during the Ken Brumley and Pixie Meldrum years as editors. Mike and his family left Kitimat in 1958, but he spent the best part of 40 years in the photographic field, mainly in the retail/wholesale part of the photo industry.
Custodial History
Donated by Margaret and Mike Kinnear.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Fred Ryan Ltd. Van. Sign on side of Van reads "Photo Finishing Fred Ryan Ltd. Photography Blue Printing". There is snow on the ground.
Notes
Two Northern Sentinel articles are included. "Jack-Of-All-Trades, Pioneer Is Master of One", March 19, 1957, and "Pioneer Leaves Town", March 22, 1962.