Curator's Corner - Picture Perfect Restoration

A collection of framed photographs was recently taken in to the workshop of Picture Perfect in Kelowna.   These have been at Fintry for some time now kept in storage as they were all in need of conservation, cleaning and re-backing with acid-free material. Picture Perfect have been the appointed framers for Fintry for the past twenty years, and it is here appropriate to express our thanks to Linda Winnick, and her staff, Neil and Scott for being readily available, efficient and above all, competent to take care of issues that we do not have the resources to deal with ourselves at Fintry.

The pictures shown here are now in good condition, and will be seen in the Manor House during the 2025 open season. The portraits of James Dun-Waters and his first wife, Alice are actually in every sense, a pair. The same size and in matching frames, Alice's frame was damaged at some time in the past, making it necessary to find any molding that was as close as possible to that on James' picture. Marital harmony has been restored, as you see! The other picture may well be an unpublished photo of the S.S. Sicamous at the Fintry Packinghouse dock. This view was taken from the location of the now demolished 'White House', where the Fintry estate managers lived.

Restored photos of Alice Dun-Waters and Captain James Cameron Dun-Waters

This spot is now in the recently enlarged B C Parks campsite complex, to the east of the road leading into the park. The Packinghouse dock was of prime importance to all concerned, as it enabled the sternwheeler traffic to dock securely and load and unload from the side with ease. This was not always possible where docks had not been constructed at every point that the sternwheelers called at. The Fintry dock was the 'port' for all those in the area that needed access to the transportation services provided.

Unpublished portrait of SS Sicamous at the Fintry Packinghouse dock.

In examining this collection of pictures I was able to identify the studio where Alice sat for a portrait photo probably soon after her marriage to James. It was the work of Edward Sweetland of High Wycombe, a town also famous for its furniture trade and the printing of postage stamps and banknotes for countries around the world. We have a good number of copies of this portrait, which is not unusual, given that it was a well established custom to give such portraits to friends and family members. Notice that we have autographed portraits of Albert, Earl Grey, given to the Dun-Waters in the same tradition. There is also an interesting portrait of a Joyce Seligman. This has had some water damage at some time, and is now in need of more extensive conservation and cleaning. It is in a silver frame that was made by Mappin & Webb, Ltd. of London. More investigation on this may reveal a family connection with Charles Gabriel Seligman, onetime professor of Ethnography at the University of London.

Article originally published in the: December 2024 Octagon from the Friends of Fintry