Public/Private Construction: The Photographic Album of Nellie L. McClung
Date
2013-11-12
Authors
Wilson, Lara Jane
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Abstract
The album of Nellie Letitia Mooney McClung (1873-1951) is housed in the British
Columbia Archives' Visual Records and is the only photographic album in the McClung
Papers. This thesis proposes to contextualize the album within women's photographic history
in general, and McClung's photographic practice in particular.
The following points will be argued: first, photo albums are complex socio-historical
documents which provide insight into gender and class constructions; second, late nineteenth
and early twentieth century album-making was considered a female pursuit linked to the
domestic sphere; third, the Nellie McClung album dates primarily from 1896-1911, the years
McClung lived with her husband, Wesley, and children in Manitou, Manitoba; and fourth, I
propose that a number of the album's photos are not only private mementos, but also public
documents, having been used or considered as illustrations and advertisements for works
written by or about Nellie McClung in these years.
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Keywords
photography, photograph albums, Manitou, Manitoba, McClung, Nellie L., 1873-1951.