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UMI Rails and Ties: A Companson of Late Nieteenth-Century Images of Western Railways in Canada and the United States Martine Fournier in The Department of Art History Presented in Partial Fulfiirnent of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada May 2000 63 Martine Fournier, 2000 National Library Bibiiithèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Weilington Street 395. rue Wdligtm Ottawa ON KIA ON4 OnawaON KIAM Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence aliowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seli reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiim, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othewise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Rails and Ties: A Cornpanson of Late Nineteenth-Century Images of Western Railways in Canada and the United States Manine Fournier This thesis is a comparative examination of Iate nineteenth-century (c. 1869 to 1900) images of railways in the Canadian and American Western iandscapes, focusing on differences in how transcontinental railways were depicted in the mountainous Westem terrain of each country. It pits Frederick Jackson Turner's %entier thesis'' about colonization of the Amencan West against Northrop Frye's view of Canadian deveIopment. the "gamson rnentality" theory, exploring how these t heories manifested themselves in the culture of each country, first using nineteenth-century iiterature, then esarnining visuat esamples. Drawing on Gaile McGregor's theory that nineteenth-century representations of the Canadian landscape demonstrate a negative relationship with wilderness, and Barbara Novak's examination of positive aspects of .American landscape such as warm Iight and calm rvater, the thesis traces how images of railways in the mountains of the West reflect the reactions of Americans and Canadians to Iandscape. The study concentrates on American railway imagery as evidence of a fulfilling and peacefùl relationship with wildemess, and Canadian images as repositories for more fearfùl reactions. However, it also highlights the cornplexity of attitudes about Westem landscape in both countnes by exploring examples that contradict this dichotomy. and examining the iii ambipous nature of many landscape components. .4rtists and photographers discussed include Lucius O'Brien, John A- Fraser, F. M. Bell-Smith, and Oliver Buell in Canada and .Aibert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Carleton Watkins, and William HeqJackson in the Cnited States. 1 would like to thank the Fulbright Foundation for giving me the oppominity to spend a year in the United States completing research for this project. 1 owe a debt to many people u-ho heIped alone- the way: Dr. David Van Zanten, who agreed sight unseen to informally supervise my research at Northwestern University, the very patient stafTat Concordia Cniversity Inter-Libraq- Loans, the staff of Xonhwestern University Libras; in particular RusseIl MayIone at Special Collections, the Photography Department at the Chicago Art Institute. the reference stafFat the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Roches. and the staff of the Newberry Library and the Chicago Public Library. 1 give very special thanks to Dr. Brian Foss for his support and guidance, to Dr. Loren Lerner and Dr. Jean Bélisle, to al1 friends and farnily who tolerated numerous rants about the thesis, and to Keith. for not wanting me to talk about it at alI. 'Lfartine Fournier Table of Contents List of Figures vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 8 Chapter 2 35 Chapter 3 73 Conclusion 113 Illustrations 116 N70rksConsulted 189 List of Figures 1. Bainbrieje, Philip James. Moraiail Indinit Cïllage on the Thes.September 1838. 1838. Watercolour over pencil on paper. 14.2 15 cm. National -4rchives of Canada Ottawa, ON. 3. Ainslie, Henry Francis. Bcrrrncks al Lorxion. Cariada West. hIq 1843. 1 842. Mised media on paper. 25.9 x 35.5 cm.Xationat Archives of Canada, Ottawa. ON. 3. Whymper, Frederick. Bille Iirlet. 1865. Watercolour. Provincial .Archives of British Columbia, Victoria, BC. 4. Warre? Henry James. fie Rocky ibîortrrtairrsfrom the Bocri Er~carnpmettr011 the Coiicnzbio Riwr. May 2. 1846. 1846. Sepia wash on tinted paper. 17.6 * 25.9 cm. National Archives of Canada, Ottawa ON. S. -4ibert Cmyori. Selkirk Range. Photograph. Glimpses .Along_the Canadian Pacific Railwav: Mountain Series A. By Canadian Pacific Railway. K.P.,[c. 1890?]. 6. Russell. George Home.Moorilighr. Fraser Ccafion. 189-? The Selling of Canada: The CPR and the Be~nninrrsof Canadian Tourism. By E. I. Hart. BanE AB: Mitude: 1983. 92. 7. Brymner. William. Mott~itCheops. Rogers Pass. c.1892. Oil and graphite on canvas. 152.6 2 13.6 cm. Robert McLaughlin Gailery, Oshawa, ON. S. Harnmond. John. T3te Zhree Sisters. Oil on canvas. 12 1 -9 x 1 82.9 cm. Glenbow-Aiberta Inst., GIenbow Museum, Calgary, AB. 9. Notman, William McFarlane. Lookmg Across ~hePuiieyffom Fzrsr Trestlr Loop on the vii Cariadiatf Pacifie. 1887. Aibumen pnnt. 23 x 18 cm. David ;Mirvish Gallery, Toronto, ON. 10. Martin, Thomas Mower. Train in the Mountains. Undated. Oil on canvas. 91.3 x 137.8 cm. GIenbow-Aiberta Inst., Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB. 1 1. Roper. Edward. Mt. Field adMt. Stephen ott Kickhg Horse River nenr Siunmit of hr Rockirs. c. 1887. Tempera on paper. 12.7 x 22.2 cm. Glenbow-Aiberta Inst., GIenbow Museum, Calgary, -48- II. illatthews, Mmaduke. Pu811gBi/&. Lrndated. Watercolour on board. 19.4 ,< 20.5 cm. Glenbow-Aberta Inst., Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB. 13. Buell. Oliver. Roger 3 Pms, Siinmir SettIetmrr~.c. 1886. Canadian Railway Museum. St.-Constant, PQ. Trail of bon: The CPR and the Birth of the Westl 1880- i 930. By Bill McGee and Georgeen Klassen. Vancouver: Glenbow-Aibena Inst.; Toronto: Dougias and McLntyre, 1983- 68-9. 13. Sotman and Son. Bini 3-Ep I.tar: Lower Kickmg Horse CUI~OII,Rocb :2.fourmi11.s. GIirnpses Along the Canadian Pacific Railwav: Mountain Series -4. By Canadian Pacific Railway. 'i.p., [c. 1890?]. 15. O'Brien Lucius. On the Cariboo Rd1887. Watercolour over graphite on paper. 5 1.3 x 35.9 cm. National Gallery of Canada Ottawa, ON. 16. O 'B rien, L uciu S. Throzrgh die Rocky ibfo~intaitw,a Pass on the Canadian Highvq. 1587. Watercolour on paper. 10 1.6 69.8 cm. Private coileaion, Toronto, ON. 17. Russell. George Home. Kickirtg Harw Pas, B.C.. 1900. Oil on canvas. 197.5 x 150.5 cm. Glenbow-Alberta Inst., Glenbow Museum, Calgaly, AB. 1 S. Fraser, John Arthur. Mozmt Stephen. c.1886. Engraving- The Selline of Canada: The CPR anci the Beoinninns- - of Canadian Tourisrn. By E. J. Han. BaAB: Mtitude, 1983. 35. 19. Notman, William McFarlane. Mozint Sirphen. 1889. Aibumen silver print. 19.3 x 23.5 cm. National Galley of Canada, Ottawa, ON. 20. Fraser, JOhn Arthur. Fr~zserRiver Lhe of the Currntiiutr Paczfic Rcdwq. 1 586. Watercolour. 36.3 x 66.8 cm. Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, OP\;. 3 1. O'Brien. Lucius. A4orintaziz Scerrr - bopat Glacier. 1886. Watercolour on paper. 35.6 54.6 cm. Canadian Pacific Corporate Archives, Montreal, PQ. 22. O'Bnen. Lucius. C7ew of the Roches. 1887. Watercolour on paper. 54 :< 75.6 cm. Xational ..Schives of Canada. Ottawa ON. 23. Photograph of the Loop at Glacier. 1890. Glenbow Archives, Calgary, AB. Trail of Iron: The CPR and the Birth of the West. 1880- 1930. By Bill McKee and Georgeen Kiassen. Vancouver, BC: Glenbow- Aberta Inst.; Toronto: Douglas and McIntyre, 1983. 45. 24. Bell-S rnith, Frederic Marlett. Misf, Rucky Ibforirr?nins.1 890. Watercolour. 3 2.1 x 47.3 cm. Hart House, University of Toronto. Toronto, OK 25. Russell, George Horne. Wiizgs of the Monring. Undated. CP Hotels. Trail of Iron: The CPR and the Birth of the West. 1880- 1930.By Bill McKee and Georgeen Klassen. Vancouver, BC: Glenbow-Alberta Inst.; Toronto: Dougias and McIntyre, 1983. 55. 26. Leutze, Emmanuel. Wesfivardthe Course of Empk Tikes its Wq.1 86 1. Oil. 83.5 x 1 10.2 cm. National Museum of .berican Art, Smithsonian Inst-, Washingon, DC. 27. Peale. Titian. Rocky Motu~tainr... From a Sketch by S... undated. Oïl. 18.4 * 33 cm- JosIyn .Art Museum, Omaha, NE. 28. Miller, Alfred Jacob. Troppers SaMing the Rocb Mow~tairl~-.1864. Oil. 63.5 x 98.7 cm. Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Cody, NT. 29. Youn=, Harvey Otis. The Hearz of the Roches. 1S99. Mixed media. 1 14.3 ,< 132.1 cm. Penrose Public Library, Colorado Springs. CO. 30. Jackson, William Henry. Cary011of the Rio Lashimas. c.1880. 45.7 53.3 cm. Colorado State Historical Society. Denver, CO. 3 1. .41iimcr~.C1afiorz arid the Nredk hfowatailu.Engraving. 1887. Rhvmes of the Rockies; Or. What the Poets Have Found to Sav of the Beautilùl Scenerv on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad- the Scenic Line of the World. By Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. 7" ed. Chicago: Poole. 189 1. 32. .&fier Thomas Moran. 7he ChYs of Echo Carlot?,Utah. Engraving. The Pacific Tourist: Adams and Bisho~'sTllustrated Transcontinental Guide of Travel. fi-om the .Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean: A Cornplete Traveier's Guide of the Union and Central Pacific Railroads. New York: Adams and Bishop, 1884.