Camera Workers, 1858-1950

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

First Name Last Name
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Ross, Alexander James[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Male 1851 - 1894  (43 years)

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  • Name Ross, Alexander James 
    Nickname Alex 
    Birth 1851  Winnipeg, MB Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Gender Male 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) BC  Nov? 1885-Nov 1886 Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Where Active (Non-Specific Address) 1883?-1894?  Calgary, AB Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death 5 Oct 1894  Calgary, AB Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Burial Union Cemetery, Calgary, AB Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7] 
    Person ID I432  Camera Workers | R, vol. 1, 1858-1900
    Last Modified 4 May 2023 

  • Photos
    A.J. Ross ID, 1887.    		A.J. Ross ID, 1887.
    From a studio portrait of T'suu T'ina chief (Stone-Ack-Soh-Gan or Chief Bulls Head), Calgary, AB. Ross copyrighted this portrait with the Canadian Dept. of Agriculture in 1887. Courtesy of McCord Stewart Museum, object no. MP-0000.359.4.
    A.J. Ross ID, 1888.    		A.J. Ross ID, 1888.
    From a studio portrait of Crowfoot, Kainai chief, Calgary, AB. Courtesy of McCord Stewart Museum, object no. MP-0000.359.3.
    A.J. Ross photograph of the Canadian Pacific Railway Last Spike ceremony, 7 Nov 1885.    		A.J. Ross photograph of the Canadian Pacific Railway Last Spike ceremony, 7 Nov 1885.
    One of the most iconic photographs in Canadian history. Note that some of the workers have had their clothing retouched. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, C-003693.

    Headstones
    A.J. Ross' gravestone, Union Cemetery, Calgary, AB.    		A.J. Ross' gravestone, Union Cemetery, Calgary, AB.
    Ross took the only known photographs of the Last Spike ceremony for the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway on 7 Nov 1885 at Craigellachie, BC.
    A.J. Ross' gravestone closeup, Union Cemetery, Calgary, AB.    		A.J. Ross' gravestone closeup, Union Cemetery, Calgary, AB.
    Ross took the only known photographs of the Last Spike ceremony for the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway on 7 Nov 1885 at Craigellachie, BC.

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: Berton says he photographed the driving of the last spike at Craigellachie on 7 Nov 1885. A Vancouver paper reported him leaving Winnipeg in mid-Sep 1886 for a two-month tour along the CPR and into BC. Dempsey contains further biographical information.
    • IDENTIFYING MARKS: bottom front of print mount may be inscribed "Ross Photographer Calgary", with or without a copyright statement.

  • Sources 
    1. [S49] COLLECTION: AEPAA.

    2. [S48] COLLECTION: ACG.

    3. [S197] Berton, Pierre , Berton (1971), (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971).

    4. [S8] Dempsey, Hugh, Dempsey (1978), (Calgary: Glenbow-Alberta Institute, 1978).

    5. [S673] Vancouver News, 16 Sep 1886, 4.

    6. [S832] Find a Grave (Web site).
      Alexander James Ross
      URL (accessed 4 May 2023): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122943381/alexander-james-ross

    7. [S692] Correspondence, David Mattison, 29 Jul 2008 (Reliability: 3).
      K. Buckley, University of Calgary Archives, to Mattison. A.J. Ross was buried in Union Cemetery, Calgary.