Camera Workers, 1858-1950

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

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Hastings, Oregon Columbus

Male 1846 - 1912  (66 years)


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  • Name Hastings, Oregon Columbus 
    Born 26 Apr 1846  Pontoosuc, Hancock County, IL Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Male 
    Home Address/Year 1877  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    View St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1879  Northwest Coast, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 2 Oct 1884  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Bride: Sylvestria T. Layzell (Mrs. Phillips T. Smith) 
    Home Address/Year 1885  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Douglas St.
    corner of Herald St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year 1882-1887  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Fort St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1887  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Chatham St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1889  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    152 Douglas St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1889-1890  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    St. Charles St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1891  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    9 St. Charles St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1894  Fort Rupert, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1889-1895  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    56 Fort St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1894-1895  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    9 St. Charles St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1897-1899  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    29 Elizabeth St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1874-1906  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died 5 Aug 1912  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Buried 6 Aug 1912  Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Association Dawson, George Mercer (Relationship: Undetermined) 
    Association Savannah, John (Relationship: Successor) 
    Association Spencer and Hastings (Relationship: Partner) 
    Association Boas, Franz (Relationship: Employee) 
    Association Hastings Studio (Victoria, BC) (Relationship: Owner) 
    Person ID I187  Camera Workers | H, vol. 1, 1858-1900
    Last Modified 14 Sep 2020 

  • Photos
    Photographer O.C. Hastings.    		Photographer O.C. Hastings.
    Image courtesy of BC Archives, Visual Records call no. F-08610.
    Anglican mission church overseen by Rev. A.J. Hall, Alert Bay, BC, August 1885.    		Anglican mission church overseen by Rev. A.J. Hall, Alert Bay, BC, August 1885.
    Although the front and back of this cabinet card photograph bear the ownership marks of Victoria commercial photographer O.C. Hastings, the identifying marks in the lower left corner (53 | GMD | 85) are those used by the Geological Survey of Canada geologist and amateur photographer Dr. George Mercer Dawson. This same photograph is described on the Library and Archives as "Mission Church" (copy negative PA-037933). The Royal BC Museum also holds a reference copy print of the Library and Archives Canada photo.

    Documents
    Spencer and Hastings cartouche from the verso of photograph.    		Spencer and Hastings cartouche from the verso of photograph.
    Spencer and Hastings identification on front of photo mount.    		Spencer and Hastings identification on front of photo mount.
    Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.    		Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.
    Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.    		Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.
    Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.    		Spencer and Hastings cartouche from verso of photograph.
    O.C. Hastings cartouche from verso of cabinet card, between 1883-1889.    		O.C. Hastings cartouche from verso of cabinet card, between 1883-1889.
    The text reads "O.C. Hastings | Late | Spencer & Hastings | Artist Photographer | Fort Street | All Negatives Preserved | Victoria, B.C."
    Joseph Merrill's funeral notice, <i>Colonist</i>, 31 Mar 1895, p. 5.    		Joseph Merrill's funeral notice, Colonist, 31 Mar 1895, p. 5.
    While it is not known if this is the same Joseph Merrill who worked for J. Savannah up until at least 1895, this funeral notice indicates the spiritual connection between two members of the Victoria photographic community, O.C. Hastings and one of the Maynard family men who acted as a pall bearer.

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Although primarily a portrait photographer, he visited Metlakatla, BC, and other points along the northwest coast, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) and the west and east coasts of Vancouver Island with Indian Affairs Superintendent Dr. I.W. Powell on an inspection tour between Jul and Aug 1879. A recounting of this trip is found in Mattison and Savard (1992).

      A summary of his career up to 1874 can be found in Kerr (1890); in that year he was employed as the manager of S.A. Spencer's studio even though he had had no previous experience. When his first wife died in 1881 he moved away for a year. Upon his return he became a partner with S.A. Spencer as Spencer and Hastings and then bought out Spencer the following year. According to the biography in Gosnell (1906), Hastings sold his studio in Jan 1889.

      Listed as being retired in the 1894 directory, he returned to photography the next year. One of his most important commissions was to take photographs at Fort Rupert for ethnologist Franz Boas in Nov 1894.

      Hastings was first married in May 1867 to Matilda Caroline Birch; after her death in 1881 he remarried on 2 Oct 1884 to Mrs. Phillips Smith (nee Sylvestria T. Layzell). The 1881 census showed him as married, an infidel, American citizen, and aged 34. Hastings also achieved fame among astronomy circles for his home-built observatory; his residence was located on Observatory Hill.
    • IDENTIFYING MARKS: "O. C. Hastings, Late Spencer & Hastings, Artist & Photographer, Fort Street. All Negatives Preserved Victoria, B.C." on verso of boudoir print mount.
    • REFERENCES: HIB77; WIL82; WIL85; MAL87; WIL89; HEN90; HEN91; WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; Colonist, 1879 08 05/3, 1879 09 06/3, 1884 10 08 and 09/3, 1912 08 06 (obit.); Times, 1912 08 05 (obit.); 1881 Dominion Census, Yates St. Ward (OOA reel C-13285); Kerr (1890); Gosnell (1906); Blackman (1981-82); Thomas (1981-82); Jacknis (1984); Mattison and Savard (1992).

  • Sources 
    1. [S652] BVIPA death registration index.
      Registration no. 1912-08-05 (microfilm reel B13082); digital facsimile URL (accessed 6 Feb 2017): http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/eee1da67-d3c0-42d9-aa44-2b8cd6244663

    2. [S670] BVIPA marriage registration.
      Registration no. 1884-09-002602 (microfilm reel B11367)