The Last Best West: Glimpses of the Prairie Provinces from the Golden Age of Postcards

by Ken Tingley, Merrill Distad (Introduction), Bruce Peel Special Collections Library Staff (Contribution by)

Overview

Settlement and urbanization of the Canadian Northwest coincided with the greatest popularity of the postcard. Settlement, along with the building of a transcontinental railway and the industrialization of central Canada, were the three pillars of the National Policy in the years following Confederation. These themes also were the subject of thousands of images preserved in postcards. By the first decade of the 20th century, many cities, towns, and villages were home to photographers who produced a mass of these fascinating and informative images. Many were personalized views of first houses, home farms or family groups and events. Others documented important events, disasters or buildings with broader importance. Together they comprise a valuable resource that presents a unique impression of a significant period in the history of the Canadian West. Introduction by Merrill Distad.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551952727
Publisher:	University of Alberta Press
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Series:	Bruce Peel Special Collections Library
Edition description:	1
Pages:	58
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 12.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Ken Tingley, the City of Edmonton's first historian laureate, has been involved in historical research and writing for forty years. He has a deep interest in local history and the ephemera that so often expresses that history. He is the author of numerous publications about the history of Alberta.