Camera Workers, 1858-1950

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

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Okamura, Paul Louis[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Male 1865 - 1937  (72 years)


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  • Name Okamura, Paul Louis 
    • VARIANT NAMES: Okamura, Tsunenojo Oyama; O'Kamura, P.; Okamura, Oyama.
    Born 1865  Tokyo, Japan Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    • Full birthplace: Katamonmaemachi, Shiba-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
    Gender Male 
    Business Address/Year 1901  New Westminster, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    99 Fourth St.
    corner Royal Ave.
    New Westminster, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1901  New Westminster, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    99 Fourth St.
    corner Royal Ave.
    New Westminster, BC
    Canada 
    Marriage 11 Jan 1912  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Bride: Misao Sugiyama 
    Business Address/Year 1914-1915  Vancouver, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    303 West Hastings St.
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1893-1937  New Westminster, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Ethnicity Japanese 
    Died 26 Mar 1937  New Westminster, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Association Vancouver Arts and Crafts Association (Relationship: Member) 
    Association McKenzie, Kenneth Gordon (Relationship: Photographer) 
    Person ID I622  Camera Workers | O, vol. 1, 1858-1900
    Last Modified 23 Apr 2020 

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial; amateur?.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to Takata, he landed in Vancouver in 1891 and moved to New Westminster where he learned photography. He was listed as an artist prior to 1901, so it is probable he was photographing as an amateur in conjunction with his art work before 1900. He was listed in the 1895 directory as a professor of drawing at St. Louis College, New Westminster.
      During the two years he worked in Vancouver, his studio occupied the space formerly used as the Carpenter Photo Studio.

      For a full account of his life and career, see Jim Wolf's article, "Through Japanese Eyes: The Portrait Studio of Paul Louis Okamura" (British Columbia History, v. 38, no. 4, 2005, p. 18-23), as well as Wolf's "The Portrait Studio of Paul Louis Okamura" in Shashin (2006?).
    • REFERENCES: WIL95; HEN97; WIL97; HEN98; HEN99; HEN00; HEN01.

  • Sources 
    1. [S550] Takata (1983), Toyo Takata, (Toronto: NC Press, 1983).

    2. [S507] Wolf (2005), Jim Wolf, (British Columbia History 38, no. 4 (2005):18-23) (Reliability: 3).

    3. [S508] Wolf (2006), Jim Wolf, (Burnaby: Japanese Canadian National Museum, [2006?]:75-79) (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S746] HENVAN13, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1913), 1705.
      New Westminster: Okamura Paul L artist 91 4th h 405 Royal Ave
      Vancouver: not listed

    5. [S747] HENVAN14, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1914), 1123.
      Vancouver: Okamura P L photogr 303 Hastings W res New Westminster

    6. [S748] HENVAN15, (Vancouver: Henderson Directory Co., 1915), 1074a.
      Chinese and Japanese Firms: Okamura P L photogr 303 Hastings W res New Westminster

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

    8. [S563] Thomson (2005), Grace Eiko Thomson, (Burnaby: Japanese Canadian National Museum, [2005]).

    9. [S670] BVIPA marriage registration.
      Bride: Misao Surva (Misao Sugiyama)
      Registration no. 1912-09-067272 (microfilm reel B11376)

    10. [S652] BVIPA death registration index.
      Name: Tsunenojo P.L. Okamura
      Registration no. 1937-09-527152 (microfilm reel B13159)