Camera Workers, 1858-1950


The British Columbia, Alaska and Yukon Photographic Directory, 1858-1950

First Name Last Name
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Williams, Robert Taylor[1]

Male 1849 - 1934  (85 years)

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  • Name Williams, Robert Taylor
    Birth 5 Mar 1849  Rochester, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male
    Business Address/Year 186-?  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Government St. (west side near View St.)
    Victoria Theatre Photographic Gallery
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Death 11 Aug 1934  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Association Victoria Theatre Photographic Gallery (Relationship: Employee?)
    Person ID I799  Camera Workers | W, vol. 1, 1858-1900
    Last Modified 25 Jun 2025

  • Photos
    'First picture taken by R.T.W. in old theatre building, Government at Victoria', 1860s.    		"First picture taken by R.T.W. in old theatre building, Government at Victoria", 1860s.
    Title from BC Archives photograph. Courtesy of BC Archives, Item F-05825.
    R.T. Williams home, 122 View St., Victoria, 1904.    		R.T. Williams home, 122 View St., Victoria, 1904.
    Watercolour by W.L.E. Knowles. Courtesy of BC Archives, PDP00404.

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial?
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: A small mounted albumen print has written in pencil on the mount "1st picture taken by R.T.W. in old Theatre Building Government [St.] at Victoria." The image is of two men seated at a round table looking through viewers at stereographs being handed them by a third man also seated.

      R.T. Williams came to BC with his family in 1859. It is possible he was apprenticed briefly to one of the operators of the Victoria Theatre Photographic Gallery, but in reminiscing about the theatre in 1933 he did not mention the photo gallery.

      Educated at St. Louis College (opened 1864), Victoria, he worked for T.N. Hibben & Company, booksellers, in the late 1860s-early 1870s, and later ran his own bookbinding and publishing business. His provincial business directories are an important source of historical information.
    • REFERENCES: MAL68; MAL69; MAL71; MAL74; WIL82; Colonist, 1933 10 22, 1934 08 12/1 (obit.); (Vancouver) Sun, 1934 08 13 (obit.); BVIPA Reference Room VF.

  • Sources 
    1. [S46] COLLECTION: BVIPA.
      Photo no. HP023781

    2. [S652] BVIPA death registration index.
      Registration no. 1934-09-494054 (microfilm reel B13151)