William Hall Buckley (1874-1950) was born at Guysborough, N.S., son of James Buckley, merchant, and his wife Mary (Scott). William Buckley learned watchmaking at Waltham factory, Boston, Mass., and opened a watchmaking and jewellery store, Guysborough, 1894. He married, 1897, Effie M. Hadley of Guysborough. They had nine children, three of whom, Mary Abigail, Edith Willena, and Walter Guy, participated with their father to some degree in a photography business out of the jewellery store. Another son, Carman, became a professional photographer at Antigonish. William Buckley sold his photographs and "real photo" postcards, many of the latter by Walter and Mary as well as a few by Edith. He also had photographs published as postcards by Nerlich and Co., Toronto. Buckley became an optometrist, as did his son Walter, who ran the family business with his father. Walter Buckley revived the family's postcard business, having photographs from 1931-1952 printed by Thatcher Winger Associates. He sold the store in 1968, but continued as an optician out of his home until 1980.

Consists of photographs of Guysborough and vicinity and Buckley family and friends, predominantly by William Buckley and his children, Mary, Edith and Walter. Their photographs of Guysborough and vicinity, taken for both personal and commercial purposes, document the growth and development of Guysborough over fifty years. They depict commercial and residential buildings, streets, harbour, general views, shipping, school activities, community events, fires, outdoor hockey and curling, yachting regattas at Guysborough and Canso, building and bridge construction, farms and livestock, mills, Guysborough Railway survey, 193rd Regiment leaving Guysborough, 1916 and visit of Governor-General Byng, 1923. Also includes negatives left by others for printing, such as school field day, 1932, by Mrs. Erdine Harris and Larry's River and Charlos Cove by Rev. A.H. Cormier. Buckley family photographs included informal portraits of them and their friends and reflect their interests, particularly boating, building working model boats, gardening, and other outdoor activities such as sledding and skating.

This project was made possible in part through the Canadian Culture Online Program of Canadian Heritage, Library and Archives of Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives.