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and his wife in
February of that year—the first of several such balls thrown over the next two decades. By combining many separate photographs of individual participants within a single, large-scale frame, Topley captured the scale of the event along with the details of each person’s costume. He also
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in Ottawa in 1871 and 1881. Topley was also a founding member of the Camera Club of Ottawa (established in 1894), a Sunday school superintendent at the
Dominion Methodist Church in Ottawa, and was involved in the Metropolitan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Following the closure of
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in Ottawa. The studio occupied a purpose-built structure across from the new
Parliament buildings, and would specialize in portrait photography. Topley became the proprietor of this studio in 1872, which attracted over 2,300 sitters each year. By 1875, Topley had ended his business relationship with
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in the early twentieth century. Another atypical series for him was his 1895 series featuring female prisoners in Ottawa. His studio also produced and sold landscape photos from across the country. In 1907, Topley's son
William DeCourcy took over his studio. By this time, business had declined
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222:. This position attracted the attention of many politicians and other prominent figures who visited his studio to have their portraits taken. Over the span of his career, Topley photographed every prime minister of Canada from
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Throughout his long career as a photographer in Ottawa, Topley was involved with a variety of evangelical and philanthropic organizations. He was a member of the Ottawa Bible
Society and served as president of the
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style and also served as a residence for Topley, however financial difficulties would see his studio moved to several locations throughout Ottawa until 1888 when it was permanently established at 132
118:. He was the best known of Ottawa’s nineteenth-century photographers and the most socially prominent one. Topley was noted for his portraiture of Canadian politicians and was a business partner of
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produced similar images of attendees at skating carnivals, which were more accessible social events popular in the late 19th century.
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In 1864, Topley was employed as an apprentice to
William Notman in Montreal. In 1868, the year following
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559:"Biography – TOPLEY, WILLIAM JAMES – Volume XV (1921-1930) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography"
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206:. In 1876, Topley created one to commemorate the costume ball thrown by Governor General
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in the late 1850s and brought it back with her to Aylmer. By 1863, Topley was working in
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150:. His first exposure to photography was from his mother, who had purchased a camera in
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to John Topley, a saddler and harness maker, and Anna Delia
Harrison. He was raised in
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Nonetheless, Topley is also known for his photographs of immigrants arriving at
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Types of
Canadian women and of women who are or have been connected with Canada
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by Sarah
Parsons and Sarah Bassnett, published by the Art Canada Institute
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By the late 1870s, Topley had become the official photographer to
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Notman and opened a studio of his own in Ottawa at the corner of
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his studio, Topley spent much time with his daughter Helena in
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An innovation that Topley learned from
William Notman was the
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Capital Portraits: Conservation of the Topley Studio Index
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Photograph of immigrants arriving at Quebec done for the
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Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee on Parliamant Hill, 1897
146:, a town outside of Ottawa in the modern-day province of
842:
Photography in Canada, 1839-1989: An Illustrated History
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Photography in Canada, 1839–1989: An Illustrated History
330:, sixth Governor General of Canada photographed in 1889
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significantly and the studio was closed in July 1926.
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William Lyon Mackenzie King, wearing court dress as
584:"William James Topley | The Canadian Encyclopedia"
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654:Ottawa Art & Artists: An Illustrated History
500:Ottawa Art & Artists: An Illustrated History
418:, seventh prime minister of Canada taken in 1906
296:"The Toboggan Party" from the personal album of
345:, fourth prime minister of Canada taken in 1891
825:Camera Club of Ottawa, 75 Years of Photography
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629:. Vol. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.).
376:, sixth prime minister of Canada taken in 1896
315:, first prime minister of Canada taken in 1883
94:Helena de Courcy McDonagh (m. 1872; died 1927)
158:as an itinerant photographer specializing in
103:(13 February 1845 – 16 November 1930) was a
709:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
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462:German immigrants, Quebec City, Canada, 1911
187:. This studio was designed by the architect
623:. In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal (eds.).
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764:Hamilton-Hobbs, Emma (23 February 2017).
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134:William James Topley was born in 1845 in
683:Bassnett, Sarah; Parsons, Sarah (2023).
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751:William Notman – The Stamp of a Studio
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797:Birrell, Andrew (15 December 2013) .
766:"William Topley: Exposure on Ottawa"
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816:William Topley: Exposure on Ottawa
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401:Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
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753:, Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario
730:. Vol. 1. Toronto: W. Briggs
724:Morgan, Henry James, ed. (1903).
689:. Toronto: Art Canada Institute.
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657:. Toronto: Art Canada Institute.
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503:. Toronto: Art Canada Institute.
260:Young Men’s Christian Association
216:John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll
626:Dictionary of Canadian Biography
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361:photographed by Topley in 1896
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787:Works by William James Topley
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313:Sir John Alexander Macdonald
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835:Library and Archives Canada
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749:Triggs, Stanley G. (1985),
631:University of Toronto Press
228:William Lyon Mackenzie King
124:Library and Archives Canada
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840:"William James Topley" in
432:Department of the Interior
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279:is named in his honour.
251:Department of the Interior
220:Governor General of Canada
831:Topley Studi fonds (R629)
804:The Canadian Encyclopedia
474:Female ice hockey player
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271:in 1930. The village of
818:(39 minute podcast) at
621:"Topley, William James"
619:Rodger, Andrew (2005).
527:Weaver, Gawain (2005),
328:Lord Stanley of Preston
872:Canadian photographers
799:"William James Topley"
172:Canadian Confederation
877:Artists from Montreal
16:Canadian photographer
651:Burant, Jim (2022).
497:Burant, Jim (2022).
478:photographed in 1917
403:photographed in 1903
249:commissioned by the
204:composite photograph
101:William James Topley
25:William James Topley
807:(online ed.).
608:King McCord Arnoldi
416:Sir Wilfrid Laurier
218:during his time as
189:King McCord Arnoldi
448:Minister of Labour
374:Sir Charles Tupper
696:978-1-4871-0309-5
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510:978-1-4871-0289-0
224:John A. Macdonald
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240:Laura Borden
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185:Queen Street
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156:Upper Canada
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108:photographer
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86:Photographer
66:(1930-11-16)
18:
867:1931 deaths
862:1845 births
300:, c.1872-75
247:Quebec City
140:Canada East
54:Canada East
856:Categories
791:Faded Page
734:1 December
636:1 December
539:30 October
484:References
193:Italianate
130:Early life
83:Occupation
705:cite book
269:Vancouver
110:based in
72:Vancouver
793:(Canada)
476:Eva Ault
359:Fine-Day
265:Edmonton
160:tintypes
152:Montreal
136:Montreal
105:Canadian
50:Montreal
283:Gallery
191:in the
116:Ontario
693:
661:
593:11 May
568:11 May
507:
434:, 1910
273:Topley
166:Career
148:Quebec
144:Aylmer
112:Ottawa
91:Spouse
534:(PDF)
736:2014
711:link
691:ISBN
659:ISBN
638:2014
595:2022
570:2022
541:2009
505:ISBN
238:and
183:and
61:Died
43:Born
833:at
789:at
275:in
226:to
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
