Comments on: Stephen Joseph Thompson, photographer (1864-1929)

By: Jim Wolf

Jim Wolf — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 07:10:12 +0000

In reply to bradley bischoff. Hi Bradley. I did a bit of research on him for my book Royal City he was located in the Hamley Block from 1911-14. It was a high class portrait studio.

By: bradley bischoff

bradley bischoff — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:24:13 +0000

I’ m looking for information on a photographer who worked in New Westminister in the 1910’s. His name is John L. Schwenk or J.L. Schwenk.
He had a studio at 624 Columbia #1,2.

By: Ian Taylor

Ian Taylor — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 22:21:50 +0000

Hi, I have a deck of card, British Columbia Souvenir Cards, which date from around 1900-1910 and are all photos by S J Thompson. I am shortly to publish an article on them, whihc will appear on the website below.

By: Donna

Donna — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 23:58:37 +0000

I don’t want any money I just want to pass it on to the one who should have it before I pass on.

By: Donna

Donna — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 23:24:54 +0000

I have a photo that looks burnt around the edges. It looks like S.J.Thompson in the middle of 2 other guys with mustaches with the same wicker table and an urn on the opposite side with a wide leaf plant in it.
I bought an old picture frame at a yard sale in the 90’s in Marshfield, Ma.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?

By: Danielle Tousignant

Danielle Tousignant — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:41:19 +0000

In reply to David Mattison. I have a photo album called '' THe Great West of Canada '' from the early 1900s which contains about thirty photos of Thompson. It is a souvenir album sold to tourists at that time. If you want a photo of this album or its contents, it contains incredible photos. It would be my pleasure to share them.

By: Danielle Tousignant

Danielle Tousignant — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:36:04 +0000

Hello,
I have a photo album called ” THe Great West of Canada ” from the early 1900s which contains about thirty photos of Thompson. It is a souvenir album sold to tourists at that time. If you want more photos for your page it would be my pleasure to share them with you.

By: David Mattison

David Mattison — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 23:57:30 +0000

Hi Eve,

Thanks for this writeup on S.J. Thompson. He was truly a photographic genius. He was one of a handful of British Columbia photographers I know about who worked in the plantinotype (platinum) process. His contemporary and equal R.H. Trueman was another who used that process. As you may know, there are over 250 digitized photographs of his at the City of Vancouver Archives. Since they’re high-resolution, downloadable and in the public domain, there’s lot of potential for further study. In 1987 I published a schholarly article in “Journal of the West” titled “Picturesque British Columbia: The Life and Photographs of S.J. Thompson” (p. 17-26). It includes a nice portrait of him a descendant provided me. I came across your writeup because I was Googling for further information on Photo-Arts Ltd. Yes, S.C. Thompson was the son who ran Photo-Arts after his father’s death. In 1952 it was at 569 Hornby St.

By: Wiebe de Haas

Wiebe de Haas — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 21:14:17 +0000

Photo Arts was the business where my father, Jan de Haas, found employment in 1952; then located on Hornby St North of Dunsmuir St.

By: Raymond Parker

Raymond Parker — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:23:45 +0000

Thompson was indeed a fine photographer. His best work is transcendent, rather than merely documentary. As was said about the great French photographer Eugène Atget, “he knew where to stand.”

He also knew what he was doing. For those who can detect the technical triumph of his work, it is superb.

Had Thompson worked in Paris, perhaps his name would now enjoy similar prominence as his French contemporary. Lucky for us that he turned his eye (and lenses) on our beloved West Coast.