Centre Acadien, Université Sainte-Anne

John Collier Jr. Photo Collection – Clare was fortunate to have been the subject of a “photographic” study in 1950-51 by a world-famous American photographer – John Collier Jr.

John Collier Jr. (1913-1992) was a leader in the field of visual anthropology. One of the recurrent themes of Collier's work is the use of photography and film in the analysis of educational processes, a subject on which he has contributed many publications, including Visual Anthropology: Photography as a Research Method. This publication is still used as a textbook in anthropology classes and can be found on the shelf of the library at Université Sainte-Anne.

During a 1950-51 project in Digby County, John Collier Jr. lived with a family at Cape St. Mary and spent considerable time visiting and photographing many communities in Clare. He was able to capture in wonderful detail people going about their daily lives. This is a most significant body of work because it captures one moment in time, giving us a glimpse into the lives of men, women, and families in Clare in that era.

The photo featured here is from the Collier Collection at the Centre Acadien; the subject is the Evelyn Thibodeau and Reed Melanson wedding in Doucetteville, c. 1950. Receptions were normally held at the home of the bride’s parents; here we see the bride and groom cutting the wedding cake. Note the wedding attire. Every object in the photo (lusterware, depression glass, and even the wallpaper) is reminiscent of a typical home in Clare in that period.

The entire John F. Collier Jr. Digby County Collection contains over 3500 photos, over 700 of which were taken in communities in Clare (many at Cape St. Mary). The Centre Acadien at Université Sainte-Anne has a subset of this photo collection.

Topic: Arts and Culture

Date: [ca. 1950]

Reference: John Collier Collection Centre Acadien Photo 2

For more information, visit the Centre Acadien website.