A number of our smaller collections here at UBC Library contain truly interesting and unique content that provides insightful historical perspective on early British Columbian history. Today we’re highlighting one such example: the Archibald Murchie Collection is made up of more than 50 photographs taken in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s by “B.C.’s Evangelist photographer”.
Yale, B.C., ca. 1900
Ten horse team skidding logs, between 1890 and 1910
These photographs feature imagery from the Cariboo and Similkameen regions of the province, highlighting the infrastructure projects and development in these areas by early settlers. Bridge, dam and railroad construction projects figure prominently, as do landscape shots of the growing cities, scenes of crews at work, and local First Nations peoples.
Lytton, B.C., between 1890 and 1910
First Nations family outside their home in Chilliwack, B.C., between 1890 and 1910
First wheelbarrow in Cariboo, B.C., between 1890 and 1910
Archibald Murchie (1852-1930) was a Scottish immigrant and evangelist minister for the Spiritualist Church, an off-shoot of the Church of England. In the late 1800’s he decided to preach as a missionary in B.C.’s interior, and around the same time was hired to photograph the construction of a bridge over the Fraser River at Sheep Creek. As construction proved to be fairly slow, Murchie took the opportunity to travel to surrounding regions and photograph the growing towns and cities that were sprouting up. After a failed attempt at leading his own parish in Princeton, B.C., Murchie set up a photography studio in Ashcroft, B.C., eventually marrying and relocating to the Okanagan Valley.
Bridge construction in progress at Sheep Creek on the Fraser River, between 1890 and 1900
Stagecoach at 100 Mile House, B.C., between 1890 and 1910
First Nations men and women on riverbank, between 1890 and 1910
At his death in 1930, Murchie’s widow remarried and destroyed all of his photographic equipment. It was only by chance that, in 1948, several glass plate negatives were recovered from a chicken house under repair. Another interesting fact: Archibald’s brother was the founder of the now well-known local company, Murchie’s Tea & Coffee.
Man with dogs in snowy forest, between 1890 and 1910
Princeton, B.C., between 1890 and 1910
Men loading bobsled with logs near Westbank, B.C., ca. 1910
This collection is housed at UBC Okanagan Library’s Special Collections and Archives, and is a part of the Doug and Joyce Cox Research Collection. To view more images from the Archibald Murchie collection, click here!
My mother loaned a large number of Murchie photographs to a man who was working on his Masters. At the time this man was a friend of a teacher called Gary Mason ( in Chilliwack). They convinced my mom to let them borrow the pictures. The man claimed he had the photographs stollen from his garage during a period of time when he and his wife were splitting up. The last time my mom contacted this individual was when he had moved to Penticton.
The pictures were mounted on cardboard panels.
My mom’s grandfather Sam Smith was in charge of building many of the trestle bridges built for the railway through BC. He hired Murchie to photograph the bridges. Also my Uncle, Arch Brown was related to Murchie. Arch Brown had a lot to do with Canadian tire and was extremely interested in Murchie the photographer. My mom gave him several of the pictures for his collection. Sam Smith settled in Mission BC. My mom’s maiden name was Beth Chester and she married Robert McCutcheon. She died three years ago. It was a huge regret for her that she never had the pictures returned or placed somewhere that family could still look at them.
Hello Laura,
Thanks very much for your comment and interest in our collections. We really appreciate you sharing your family history via your comment. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share.
Best regards,
The Digitization Centre Team