An accordion view of the book “Views of British Columbia and Alaska”, a fantastic little book featuring stone lithographs of the coast published by M.W. (Marshall Wilder) Waitt& Co. in Victoria, British Columbia. This book was featured in Gary Sim’s lecture, as mentioned previously. M.W. Waitt
(29 October 1842 - 10 June 1894) arrived in Victoria in 1862, and started work at T.N. Hibben’s stationary shop before starting up a store of his own in Victoria.
You can see the rest of the book both on Archive.org and as part of the Uno Langmann collection at UBC. My friend Murray also wrote about the illustrations recently, as he was captivated by the detail in the stone lithographs. In Gary Sim’s lecture, he zooms into the corner of one of the lithographs and discovered the name Louis Glaser, Leipzig. Gary mentions that Louis Glaser established his printing business in 1868, and employed up to 200 printers. He produced at least 300 different view books from 1868 to 1897 called “Souvenir-albums in Leporello design” (Leporello referring to the accordion style of pages.) From http://www.imago.co.uk/uk/blog/leporello-binding/:
The leporello uses a parallel folding technique whereby the pages form a continuous concertina. Often called concertina or accordian binding, several lengths are pasted together to build the book’s extent with the joins planned to fall discretely where the pages fold. The folded block is then bound within soft or hard covers, either as separate panels front and back or as a more conventional case with spine.
Glaser also invented the “Glaser Process” for printing multi-stone lithographs from tonal separations. This is an incredibly meticulous and laborious task, and each one of these pages is a work of art in their own right!
Each one of these images would have been based on an original photograph, but at present we don’t know who that original photographer was. There’s a strong possibility they were taken by different photographers as well, as the pictures cover quite a lot of ground.
Here’s a reprint of Waitt’s obituary via templelodge33.ca from the Victoria Daily Colonist,
12 July 1892, page 1, column 4:
DEATH OF M.W. WAITT
He Dies Last Evening After a Few days Illness – A Sketch of His Life
Mr. M.W. Waitt, who for the past few days has been confined in the house with smallpox, died yesterday afternoon. He was reported much better yesterday morning, but towards evening he became worse, and the news of his death came like a blow to his many friends.
The deceased was born in Sardner, Maine, just 60 years ago. He arrived in California in 1860, and two years afterwards came to Victoria, where he went into the commissions and produce business with his father. He afterwards formed a partnership with T.N. Hibben, with whom he for several years carried on the well-known stationery business now conducted by Messrs. T.N. Hibben & Company. About 18 years ago Mr. Waitt went into business for himself on a small scale. His business steadily increased and at the time of his death he was the proprietor of two establishments, both on Government street.
Mr. Waitt became well known and respected through his business connections and he had many friends who will hear with regret of his death. He leaves a widow and two daughters, Mrs. H. Kent and Miss N. Waitt, the latter being at present in California.”
And from the Victoria Daily Times, 11 July 1892, page 5:
A lamentable death – Widespread regret was caused in the city yesterday by the announcement of Mr. M.W. Waitt, so long and favorably known in Victoria and, in fact, throughout the province. He had been ill with smallpox for a couple of days and was supposed to be getting along very nicely, but Sunday, at noon, was taken worse and died shortly afterwards.
The deceased was 60 years of age. He was born in Maine and in 1860 went to California, coming to Victoria two years later, and with his father engaged in the commission business. He was afterwards employed by T.N. Hibben & Company for 15 years, and just 16 years ago, started in business for himself. He had been very successful and at the time of his death was proprietor of two establishments on Government Street. He leaves a widow and two daughters, one Mrs. H. Kent and the other, Miss A. Waitt, the latter being at present in California on a visit. In business, as well as social circles, Mr. Waitt will be missed and more especially as he was taken off with the dread disease, his death is to be deplored.