TorontoLitho | Galbraith Photo

Galbraith Photo Series

Toronto Litho Galbraith Photo Colour Series

VintagePostcards.ca

Toronto Litho issued a series of view cards featuring Toronto scenes shown in colour, using photos by Toronto’s prolific photographer, Galbraith Photo Company.

Many of the cards show Galbraith’s signature in the corner of the image.

Galbraith Photo Company was established by Alexander W. Galbraith (1867 - 1950) in Toronto in 1901 at 147 Yonge Street, just south of Richmond Street. As an avid amateur photographer, Galbraith had joined the photography firm of Farmer Brothers on Yonge Street in 1898, and then left the firm with another employee, George W. Lucas, to form the photography firm of Galbraith & Lucas in 1899. When the partnership dissolved in 1901, Galbraith maintained the shop, but relocated in 1903 to 245 Yonge Street north of Shuter Street, and later, in 1907 a few doors south to 239 Yonge Street. He moved to 1570 Dundas Street West in 1919. In 1922 he moved to 1 Carleton Street, but closed his photography business in 1924. For six years during the Depression he worked under contract with the Still Pictures Branch of the Ontario Department of the Treasurer.

Galbraith became one of Toronto's most prominent commercial photographers, and later in life, estimated that he had produced about 50,000 pictures during his career. Only hundreds of those photographs seem to have survived.