donatefr

Through the Lens of
C.D. Hoy


How a Chinese Canadian Photographer Memorialized a Community


Curated by Faith Moosang

Black-and-white photo of a man sitting outdoors, holding a cigarette, with a clock, books, flowers, and a 1912 calendar on the wall behind him.

In the early 1900s, C.D. (Chow Dong) Hoy (1883–1973)—one of the earliest Chinese Canadian photographers—created extraordinary portraits that present a unique view of the diverse community of Quesnel, British Columbia, a town where Indigenous people, Chinese immigrants, and European settlers formed a cross-cultural community. In an era of significant systemic racism and cultural marginalization, the idea that people from diverse backgrounds showed up at Hoy’s studio to be photographed and celebrate their own existence is a powerful statement. Today, Hoy’s work offers all of us a glimpse into a small frontier town and the many people who, just by being photographed, shift our conceptions of the past. The hope of course is that there is a similar shift in our collective vision of the future.


Click here to read the essay that accompanies this online exhibition.



About the Curator: Faith Moosang

This online exhibition has been curated by Faith Moosang, a multimedia artist, curator, writer, and researcher who lives and works in Vancouver. Her work centres around inquiry into spectacle culture, media, mediated imagery, and the mechanically reproduced image. She has an MFA from the School for Contemporary Art at Simon Fraser University and has expanded her practice to the realms of public art and curating contemporary art. She has also published books, articles, and blogs relating to culture, pop culture, research, history, and photography. Her research and writing have garnered awards and her specific passions are things archival, historical, and political.



Banner Image: C.D. Hoy, Chinese man in Revolutionary background, 1912, P1687 Barkerville Historic Town Archives.

Gallery

Black-and-white portrait of a seated man with a mustache, wearing a suit and tie, posed against a plain backdrop.

Hoy Self-Portrait, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of a woman in a long dress and wide-brimmed hat standing beside a wooden chair in front of a wooden building.

Mathilda Joe, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of seven men in early 20th-century clothing and hats standing in a line outside a wooden building.

Group of men in front of C.D. Hoy’s store in Quesnel, c.1910

Black and white photo of a young woman sitting in a chair with her arm resting on the back of the chair.

Laura (Yee) Sing / Mrs. Won Gar Wong, c.1915 / 1912

Black-and-white portrait of an elderly East Asian man wearing traditional clothing and a cap, seated and facing the camera.

Lim Poi (likely), c.1910

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit and tie, seated on a stool and facing the camera.

Chinese man in business suit and traditional Chinese shoes, c.1910

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit seated with legs crossed, holding a cigarette, with Chinese calligraphy banners and a wall calendar behind him.

Chinese man in Revolutionary background, 1912

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a hat sitting cross-legged on a chair, reading a small booklet, with books, a clock, and a 1912 calendar behind him.

Caucasian man with pamphlet / Long Jim, 1912 / c.1912

Black-and-white photo of three people standing outdoors on grass, a woman and two men dressed in early 20th-century clothing.

Cecilia, Marvin, and August (Sr.) Baker, 1910–20

Black-and-white portrait of a woman standing beside a seated man in a studio setting, both wearing early 20th-century clothing and looking at the camera.

Betsy Adams (née Duchamp) and George P. Adams, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of a well-dressed couple standing in a doorway, the woman leaning on the man with her hand on her hip, both facing the camera.

C.D. Hoy and Josephine Alexander, c.1915

Black-and-white photo of a person wearing a hat, sitting on a horse in a dirt street with wooden buildings in the background.

Kong Shing Sing on a horse on Barlow Avenue in Quesnel, c.1910

Black-and-white portrait of a seated man with a mustache, wearing a suit and tie, posed against a plain backdrop.

Hoy Self-Portrait, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of a woman in a long dress and wide-brimmed hat standing beside a wooden chair in front of a wooden building.

Mathilda Joe, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of seven men in early 20th-century clothing and hats standing in a line outside a wooden building.

Group of men in front of C.D. Hoy’s store in Quesnel, c.1910

Black and white photo of a young woman sitting in a chair with her arm resting on the back of the chair.

Laura (Yee) Sing / Mrs. Won Gar Wong, c.1915 / 1912

Black-and-white portrait of an elderly East Asian man wearing traditional clothing and a cap, seated and facing the camera.

Lim Poi (likely), c.1910

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit and tie, seated on a stool and facing the camera.

Chinese man in business suit and traditional Chinese shoes, c.1910

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit seated with legs crossed, holding a cigarette, with Chinese calligraphy banners and a wall calendar behind him.

Chinese man in Revolutionary background, 1912

Black-and-white portrait of a man in a hat sitting cross-legged on a chair, reading a small booklet, with books, a clock, and a 1912 calendar behind him.

Caucasian man with pamphlet / Long Jim, 1912 / c.1912

Black-and-white photo of three people standing outdoors on grass, a woman and two men dressed in early 20th-century clothing.

Cecilia, Marvin, and August (Sr.) Baker, 1910–20

Black-and-white portrait of a woman standing beside a seated man in a studio setting, both wearing early 20th-century clothing and looking at the camera.

Betsy Adams (née Duchamp) and George P. Adams, c.1910

Black-and-white photo of a well-dressed couple standing in a doorway, the woman leaning on the man with her hand on her hip, both facing the camera.

C.D. Hoy and Josephine Alexander, c.1915

Black-and-white photo of a person wearing a hat, sitting on a horse in a dirt street with wooden buildings in the background.

Kong Shing Sing on a horse on Barlow Avenue in Quesnel, c.1910

Explore More

Online Exhibitions

Back to Online Exhibitions
Composite image of two paintings. LEFT: an abstract image of brightly coloured tubes, cones, and circles. LEFT: A woman in profile in front of a brightly coloured background of lines and circles.
The 2025 Canadian Student Art inspiration Challenge

Celebrating Canada’s Future Artists

View Exhibition
Composite image of an aerial photograph of a river (left) and a surreal painting of blended city and mountain landscape (right).
The 2024 Canadian Student Art inspiration Challenge

Celebrating Canada’s Future Artists

View Exhibition
Composite of two paintings. LEFT: portrait of two youg women in front of water. RIGHT: portrait of a woman with a young child.
The 2023 Canadian Student Art inspiration Challenge

Celebrating Canada’s Future Artists

View Exhibition
Through the Lens of C.D. Hoy - Art Canada