A sample print of a restored autochrome. Displayed, this image of Peter P. Verigin's arrival at the jam factory in Brilliant, BC on Oct. 1, 1927 is a
stunning 11" x 14" in size
Doukhobor
Pioneers As Seen Through Lantern Slides
The major exhibit for 2005 at the Doukhobor Village Museum will feature
colour prints from restored lantern slides depicting pioneer settlement
scenes. The source for this exhibition is rare lantern slides and negatives
from the early days of the Doukhobor settlement in British Columbia and
Saskatchewan.
The Doukhobor Village Museum has been archiving autochromes for some time.
Many of the glass slides were cracked, some had glass shards and residue
and colours from the starches had begun to run and blotch. With the advent
of digital restoration, we are now able to present them in their original
state. They all contain striking scenes of Doukhobor settlement, many
of which were never previously published.
Autochromes were the slides of yesteryear, often full-colour glass 'positives'. A lantern device was used to view them by projecting the image onto a wall similar to later slide shows. The origin of these particular slides date back to visiting photographers from Russia to the Doukhobor settlements in the early 1900s. Through research conducted in Russia, we have also identified a Russian pacifist by the name of Alexandra Korcini, who had paid the Doukhobors an extended visit in 1911 and photographed many images. We have obtained pictures of her with the Tolstoy family and determined, through research at the Tolstoy museum in Moscow, that she presented a lantern slide show to the Tolstoy family in 1909. She also ‘stands in’ and appears in many of the photographs, a rare piece of early photographic documentation. In the early 30s, this collection was returned to the Doukhobors from Russia.
We will also be exhibiting a variety of other early images, particularly, large panorama images developed from negatives from the now-defunct Hughes Studio of Trail. These depict mass sobranies [meetings] involving hundreds of people as well as excellent views of Doukhobor villages. These are of excellent quality, dating from 1927 to 1930 which have been expanded in size - some are eight feet long. Other photos originated from local studios in Nelson and the Gushel studio from Coleman, Alberta.
