Alex Ross

[grahamew]

Alex Ross, 1851-1894, came to Calgary, Alberta in 1884 and set up a photographic studio at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Osler Street. He had previously worked for a photographer in Winnipeg, but felt the time was right to strike out on his own and establish his own business. He quickly became well-known for his photographs of the First Nations people in the Calgary area, especially the Tsuu T'ina (called Sarcee at that time) and the Blackfoot. Some of the photographs were taken outdoors, but many more were carefully-posed studio shots. By 1891 the studio seems to have closed, and three years later Ross died at the relatively young age of 43. Glenbow Archives holds 125 of Alex Ross's original photographs, a brief but important visual record of the last two decades of the 19th century.

Text and most of the photos below come from here:
www.flickr.com/photos/glenbowmuseum/sets/72157627560241641


Blackfoot boys, 1887


Bobtail, Cree, 1886


As above


Young Blackfoot men. 1887


Blood, 1884-90


Rabbit Carrier, Blackfoot


As above


Sarcee woman, 1884-90


Blackfoot, 1887


Brave Sword, Blackfoot, late 1880s


Blackfoot woman with child


Calling Beaver, Sarcee, 1887


Bull Head, Sarcee, 1887


Unidentified, late 1880s


Sotanah or Flying Chief or Rainy Chief, North Blood, 1885-6 


Blackfoot woman and child, late 1880s


Blackfoot boys, 1886-94


Sarcee Women, 1887


Big Loon, Blackfoot, 1887


Blackfoot boys from the Anglican School, 1887


Blackfoot women, late 1880s


Blackfoot, 1885


Blackfoot man, 1888


Blackfoot man, late 1880s-earl7 90s


Blackfoot man, 1885-94

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Blackfoot, 1885


Joseph, Blackfoot, 1887


Sarcee camp near Calgary


Unidentified camp near Fort Calgary


Sarcee camp near Calgary


Bad Dried Meat/Deerfoot, 1887


Owl, Blackfoot, 1887


Unidentified, 1886


Crowfoot, Blackfoot, 1888


As above


Katie and baby, Sarcee, 1887


Old Brass(?), Siksika (note the Union Jack over his shoulder)


Blood boy

[rawhide]

In the last , or third, camp picture, "sarcee camp near calgary" both lodges have smoke pole pockets so they look more like cree lodges, atsina and assiniboin possibly? Thanks for new picts.

[grahamew]

I took the i.d. from the site given and that, in turn, came from the Glenbow, but the photo of the older Sarcee woman was labelled as a man there, so you could be right.

Are there any more Ross photos out there? I only know of one - that same older Sarcee woman kneeling but I couldn't find it on the net.

[grahamew]

Blackfoot