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ARCHIVED - Framing Canada:
A Photographic Memory

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Essays

Photojournalism

Gallery - Disaster Strikes

Before the existence of an instantaneous news culture, still photographs made unbelievable events visible to all; they were able to convey the magnitude or gravity of a disaster better than a thousand words. Photography also allowed anyone to become an expert witness; for example, although John Boyd was an amateur photographer, his dramatic view of the Parliament Buildings burning became a widely published photograph.

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Photograph of the burning Centre Block of Parliament, with mist reflected in the glow from the fire and lights, Ottawa, 1916

Fire at the Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario, February 1916
Photographer: John Boyd
RD-000240
Source

Photograph of a locomotive that fell from a bridge, with men looking on from the bridge above, Belœil, Quebec, 1864

Railway accident, Saint-Hilaire Bridge
Belœil, Quebec, June 29, 1864
Photographer: Antoine Bazinet
C-003285
Source

Photograph of a flood at the Old Bonaventure Grand Trunk Railway Station, Montréal, 1886

Old Bonaventure Grand Trunk Station flood
Montréal, Quebec, 1886
Photographer: unknown
PA-164695
Source

Photograph of three derailed train cars, with inspectors standing on one of the cars while a large crowd looks on, Ottawa, early 1900s

Train wreck
Ottawa, Ontario, early 1900s
Photographer: Samuel J. Jarvis
PA-025114
Source

Photograph of buildings near the waterfront after the fire of a Toronto factory, Toronto, 1904

Burned out Toronto factory, 1904
Toronto, Ontario 1904
Photographer: unknown
PA-140503
Source

Photograph showing wrecked and burned-out buildings, railway tracks and ships along the Halifax shoreline and up the hill, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1917

View showing the damage caused by the Halifax Explosion
Halifax, Nova Scotia, December 6, 1917
Photographer: unknown
e000000583
Source