Elgin and Area Heritage Society

These two serious fishermen strike a stoic pose for Pennock in their rugged back country clothing. They look to the left, beyond the camera, perhaps thinking about returning to that secret fishing spot for another try at catching the big one that got away. They appear to be posed at the Opinacon verandah; however, they […]

For this photo, Pennock is in front of the camera, in the  centre of the back row, surrounded by five other fishermen. They could be his personal friends, or more likely guests at the Opinacon Club, where this photo was taken. Notice the man in the centre of the front row, wearing a captain’s hat. […]

The original print of this image has the words “Sam Brown’s” written directly on the bottom left edge of the photo. Presumably, this refers to a local dry goods store. And at first glance, this seems to be a very ordinary shot. Notice however, that the cat is reflected in a mirror behind the lower […]

This is a most unusual composition for the early 1900s, and likely would have generated much public discussion. Pennock arranges his subjects to statuesque perfection atop their wooden pedestals. Some of the people appear in other Pennock photos of a wedding ceremony. This suggests that this may have been a “glamour shot” for the wedding […]

This casual group of 8 people reveals that everyone is smoking, including one lady with a pipe. There are also 2 baseball gloves and a baseball. Their demeanour is confident, almost brash. Perhaps they just won their game. Notice that neither the pipe nor the cigarettes are lit. Perhaps a macho move after the win.  […]

Pennock photographed many groups of children such as this one over his long career. Here he has a casual but pleasing triangular arrangement of 7 youngsters, with the youngest in the front row. Nobody is looking directly at the camera, which creates an informal mood. And the small child at the front right seems to […]

George Church’s General Blacksmith shop on Main Street in Crosby. Notice the date on the top centre building stone is 1897. This image features one of Pennock’s signature techniques – a careful staging of people across the scene that manages to look causal and natural. The well-dressed gentleman at the left of the group seems […]

The gentleman on the right has the distinction of being one of Pennock’s most frequently photographed subjects. He appears in well over 50 Pennock photos, often surrounded by his family and friends. Here he is captured holding hands with his wife, possibly just after their wedding ceremony. Notice that they each are wearing shiny new […]

The photo of this distinguished group is captioned – “Bonesetter Ruse – with five pals at Chaffeys”. Traditional bone-setting was a type of a folk medicine in which practitioners were engaged in joint manipulation. Before the advent of chiropractors, bone-setters were the main providers of this type of treatment. Traditionally, they practiced without any formal […]

Photograph of the original Peace Tower in Ottawa taken prior to the devastating fire of 1916. Note the delicate and ornate top of the original tower, looking distinctly different from today’s replacement structure. Note the distinction of the columns and windows on the left accentuated by the shadow of the tower.  The darkened entrance to […]