Camera Workers, 1858-1950

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

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Wadds, David[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]

Male 1871 - 1938  (67 years)


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  • Name Wadds, David 
    Born 16 May 1871  Kilroot, Antrim, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [22] 
    • Full birth date is from a private biographical account of his aunt Mrs. Agnes (nee Wadds) Mount.
    Gender Male 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1889-1892  Toronto, ON Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Home Address/Year 1894-1895  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Hamilton St.
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year May 1892-Apr 1896  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    518 Cordova St.
    Wadds Brothers
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year Apr 1896-Nov 1897  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    45 Cordova St. (Sullivan Block)
    Wadds Brothers
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1896-Nov 1897  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    538 Homer St.
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Marriage 26 Mar 1898  Rossland, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [22] 
    Bride: Eva Saville Medlock 
    Business Address/Year Nov 1897-1900  Nelson, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    Victoria St., corner of Stanley (Sullivan Block)
    Wadds Brothers
    Nelson, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year 1901-1903  Nelson, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    West Baker St., near Steele
    Wadds Brothers
    Nelson, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year 1904-1905  Nelson, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    West Baker St., near Ward
    Wadds Brothers
    Nelson, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1903-1911  Fairview, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1912-1913  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    25 Hastings E. St.
    Suite 404
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Business Address/Year 1918  Crawford Bay, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1919-1921  Trail, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1922-1928  Crawford Bay, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1929  Rossland, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Business Address/Year 1930-1934  Crawford Bay, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died 31 Dec 1938  Trail, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [23] 
    Association Wadds Brothers (Relationship: Partner) 
    Association Wadds, George Thomas (Relationship: Brother) 
    Association Vancouver Photographic Company (Relationship: Owner) 
    Association Wadds Brothers (Relationship: Partner) 
    Association Medlock, Eva Saville (Relationship: Spouse) 
    Association Harper, Harold Hilton (Relationship: Photographer) 
    Person ID I366  Camera Workers | W, vol. 1, 1858-1900
    Last Modified 21 Mar 2021 

  • Documents
    Vancouver Photographic Company's ad, <i>World</i> (Vancouver), 1892 07 14.    		Vancouver Photographic Company's ad, World (Vancouver), 1892 07 14.
    David Wadds ad, <i>British Columbia Federationist</i>, 13 Jul 1912, p. 4.    		David Wadds ad, British Columbia Federationist, 13 Jul 1912, p. 4.
    David Wadds ad, <i>British Columbia Federationist</i>, 24 Aug 1912, p. 4.    		David Wadds ad, British Columbia Federationist, 24 Aug 1912, p. 4.

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial; Itinerant.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Emigrating to Toronto in 1882, he and his brother G.T. Wadds studied photography there under H.E. Simpson, "the leading photographer of Toronto". The Toronto city directories listed David between 1889-1893 as a clerk (1889 Simpson Bros., photographers), photo-printer (1890 H. E. Simpson, photographers), partner with J. C. Wright (1892), and an engraver (1893).

      David moved to Vancouver about May 1892 and purchased the Vancouver Photo Company from J.D. Hall. Joined by his brother George T., the two operated under the name Wadds Brothers.

      David left for Nelson on 22 Nov 1897 to open a branch studio. He was married in Rossland on 26 Mar 1898 to E.S. Medlock, a retoucher for the Vancouver studio.

      David operated studios after the turn of the 20th century at Crawford Bay and Fairview, B.C., as well as operating in the warmer months as an itinerant photographers in mining communities such as a Phoenix and Grand Forks. In those communities in 1905 he was still operating under the Wadds Brothers name. In Grand Forks that year he worked out of J.H. Blome's former studio address.

      He returned to Vancouver by 1912 and operated a photo studio in competition with his brother then returned to Crawford Bay where he worked as a photographer, as well as in Rossland and Trail.

      His obituary reported his age as 67.
    • REFERENCES: WIL93; WIL94; WIL95; HEN97; WIL97; HEN99; WIL99; HEN00; World, 1892 07 14/8, 1896 03 10/8, 06 (souvenir ed.):49-52; News-Advertiser, 1897 11 23/8, 1898 03 31/10; Unknown & undated news clipping "David Wadds Dead in Trail Hospital"; Letter, Toronto City Archives to Mattison, 1979 05 08.

  • Sources 
    1. [S46] COLLECTION: BVIPA.

    2. [S134] COLLECTION: BVA.

    3. [S45] COLLECTION: BVAA.

    4. [S720] Census of Canada 1891.
      Province Ontario, District no. 119, District Toronto City, Sub-district St. Patrick's Ward, p. 89, line 9.
      His age is given as 19 and his occupation is photographer.

    5. [S339] Voters List, (Victoria, B.C.: Province of British Columbia, 1874-), Ref. NW 324.1 B862., 1903, 1911.
      Fairview

    6. [S339] Voters List, (Victoria, B.C.: Province of British Columbia, 1874-), Ref. NW 324.1 B862., 1916 (farmer), 1920, 1933 (farmer).
      Crawford Bay

    7. [S782] HEN03, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1903), 410.
      Nelson: Wadds David of Wadds Bros. res Nelson ave., Fairview addition

    8. [S698] HENVAN10, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1910).
      Vancouver: not listed

    9. [S732] HEN10, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1910), 366.
      Crawford Bay: Wadds David farmer & photographer
      Crawford Bay: Wadds D fruit franch
      Nelson and Vancouver: not listed

    10. [S795] HENVAN11, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1911).
      Vancouver: not listed

    11. [S797] HENVAN12, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1912), 1283.
      Vancouver: Wadds David photographer 25 Hastings E Phone 2970

    12. [S746] HENVAN13, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1913), 1381.
      Wadds, David, Photographer, Suite 404, 25 Hastings E., Phone Seymour 2970.

    13. [S747] HENVAN14, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1914), 1310.
      Vancouver

    14. [S748] HENVAN15, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1915).
      Vancouver: not listed

    15. [S749] HENVAN16, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1916).
      Vancouver: not listed

    16. [S738] WRI19, (Vancouver, BC: Wrigley Directories, c1919), 611.
      Trail: Wadds D photographer

    17. [S741] WRI21, (Vancouver, BC: Wrigley Directories, c1921), 687.
      Trail: Wadds David photographer

    18. [S742] WRI22, (Vancouver, BC: Wrigley Directories, c1922).
      Trail: not listed

    19. [S762] WRI29, (Vancouver: Wrigley Directories, 1929), 565.
      Rossland: Wadds David photog

    20. [S763] WRI30, (Vancouver: Wrigley Directories, 1930).
      Rossland: not listed

    21. [S768] SUN34, (Vancouver: Sun Directories, 1934), 296.
      Crawford Bay: Wadds David photographer

    22. [S670] BVIPA marriage registration.
      Registration no.
      1898-09-165147 (microfilm reel B11386); digital facsimile URL (accessed 9 Jan 2017): http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/ae1a1b58-cecb-462b-9984-0dda1edd1d53

    23. [S652] BVIPA death registration index.
      Registration no. 1938-09-552226 (not microfilmed)