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Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink, 1870

Hand-painted composite photograph by William Notman of a large crowd socializing in an indoor skating rink, all dressed in elaborate costumes. Flags, chandeliers, and tree garlands hang from the rafters.

William Notman, Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink, Montreal, 1870, painted composite, silver salts, oil on canvas, albumen process, 137 x 176 cm, McCord Museum, Montreal.

Skating Carnival was Notman’s most ambitious undertaking in composite photography. The process began with an overall design, then individual or small group portraits were made, prints of which would be cut out and pasted onto a composite negative and then printed again. Skating Carnival was made from more than three hundred individual photographs. The original wet collodion negative measured 10 by 13 centimetres, but prints were available in a range of sizes. As with all of his photographs, Notman offered the option of a hand-painted version of Skating Carnival.

Gallery

Black and white photograph by William Notman of bridge under construction. A train track runs down the centre and pieces lay on the track, not yet installed.

Framework of Tube and Staging Looking In, Victoria Bridge, 1859

Black and white photograph by William Notman, taken in studio, of a group of men seated around a campfire at night, the light illuminating their faces. Behind them is a tent, trees (casting shadows on a wall or backdrop), and snowshoes.

Around the Camp Fire, 1866

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a street in front of a stone building. Two men sit in a horse-drawn sleigh, the seat covered in furs. A man in a long coat holds the horse's reins as they pose motionless for the photo.

Mr. Collins’ Sleigh at Notman’s Studio, Bleury Street, 1868–69

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a scene by a waterfall. In the foreground are piles of crumbling shale rock and a small man standing on top of them, fishing. The waterfall appears in the distance, blurred by mist.

Chaudière Falls, 1870

Hand-painted composite photograph by William Notman of a large crowd socializing in an indoor skating rink, all dressed in elaborate costumes. Flags, chandeliers, and tree garlands hang from the rafters.

Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink, 1870

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a young girl sitting on a chair on a porch. She is looking at the camera and wearing braids, a white hat, a dress, boots, and is holding a dog in her arms. A lattice wall and balustrades behind the girl let light in and a window shade is open to her left.

Miss H. Frothingham, 1871

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a woman in a long frilly white dress sitting in a conservatory. The photo is taken from a high angle and features a floor with a busy repeating pattern, large potted plants surrounding the woman's chair, a small statue of a woman in Greek or Roman dress placed on a ledge, and large flowering bushes in the background.

Mrs. William MacKenzie in Allan’s Conservatory, 1871

Sepia-toned composite photograph by William Notman and William James Topley of a fancy-dress ball at Rideau Hall. Small individual portraits are cut out and arranged together to form the crowd. Two figures sit on raised thrones on the far left of the frame.

Fancy Ball Given by the Governor General Lord Dufferin at Rideau Hall on February 23, 1876, 1876

Black and white composite photograph by William Notman of a group of men standing in a snowy field with their arms up, waiting to catch a man who has been thrown up in the air. The men are wearing striped coats, hats, tall socks, and short boots. A distant forest is painted on the backdrop near the horizon.

The Bounce, 1886

Black and white photograph by William Notman of bridge under construction. A train track runs down the centre and pieces lay on the track, not yet installed.

Framework of Tube and Staging Looking In, Victoria Bridge, 1859

Black and white photograph by William Notman, taken in studio, of a group of men seated around a campfire at night, the light illuminating their faces. Behind them is a tent, trees (casting shadows on a wall or backdrop), and snowshoes.

Around the Camp Fire, 1866

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a street in front of a stone building. Two men sit in a horse-drawn sleigh, the seat covered in furs. A man in a long coat holds the horse's reins as they pose motionless for the photo.

Mr. Collins’ Sleigh at Notman’s Studio, Bleury Street, 1868–69

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a scene by a waterfall. In the foreground are piles of crumbling shale rock and a small man standing on top of them, fishing. The waterfall appears in the distance, blurred by mist.

Chaudière Falls, 1870

Hand-painted composite photograph by William Notman of a large crowd socializing in an indoor skating rink, all dressed in elaborate costumes. Flags, chandeliers, and tree garlands hang from the rafters.

Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink, 1870

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a young girl sitting on a chair on a porch. She is looking at the camera and wearing braids, a white hat, a dress, boots, and is holding a dog in her arms. A lattice wall and balustrades behind the girl let light in and a window shade is open to her left.

Miss H. Frothingham, 1871

Black and white photograph by William Notman of a woman in a long frilly white dress sitting in a conservatory. The photo is taken from a high angle and features a floor with a busy repeating pattern, large potted plants surrounding the woman's chair, a small statue of a woman in Greek or Roman dress placed on a ledge, and large flowering bushes in the background.

Mrs. William MacKenzie in Allan’s Conservatory, 1871

Sepia-toned composite photograph by William Notman and William James Topley of a fancy-dress ball at Rideau Hall. Small individual portraits are cut out and arranged together to form the crowd. Two figures sit on raised thrones on the far left of the frame.

Fancy Ball Given by the Governor General Lord Dufferin at Rideau Hall on February 23, 1876, 1876

Black and white composite photograph by William Notman of a group of men standing in a snowy field with their arms up, waiting to catch a man who has been thrown up in the air. The men are wearing striped coats, hats, tall socks, and short boots. A distant forest is painted on the backdrop near the horizon.

The Bounce, 1886

Skating Carnival, Victoria Rink - Art Canada