Thursday, January 22, 2004

From the Fathers of Confederation to Sitting Bull, William Notman's striking portraits provide a valuable record of mid 19th-century Canadians.

His images of the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad or early lacrosse and hockey teams recorded the grandeur and industry of the country and the lives of its people.

An astute businessman with an artistic eye, the Scottish-born Notman arrived in Canada in 1856 when photography was in its infancy.

He was to become one of the country's most sought-after photographers. In addition to his Karsh-like portraits, Notman's composites were particularly innovative.

Winter scenes were ofen shot in one of a string of studios he owned across the country and in the U.S. Today, his 400,000 photographs, known as the Notman Collection, are housed at the McCord Museum in Montreal.

In a new documentary from TVO's Masterworks series, Notman's Canada pieces together the life and legacy of this photographer extraordinaire, Thursday, January 22, at 10:00 p.m.