Leonard Frank
The Lions

Hand tinted gelatin silver print, 1919
Photographer's stamp on print
Image: 28 cm X 35.5 cm

Estimate: $1,500

Active as a photographer between 1898 and 1944, Leonard Frank was a pioneer in the photographic trade and art photography in British Columbia. His documentary photographs form a remarkable document of the rapidly changing landscape of BC during this time, and are in the Vancouver Public Library Photography Collection and the Provincial Archives. He ran a commercial and industrial photography business in Vancouver from 1917 until his death in 1944. One of his clients, the CPR, called him “professor of the black box with the magic eye.” He photographed historic events, industry, transportation, architectural, engineering and construction projects of the day as well as the wilderness. His inventive technical innovations included working with translites, constructing a 10-foot high tripod, and he was one of the first here to experiment with infrared film and large, hand-tinted photographs. His most famous image, The Lions was produced in many formats including postcards and is typical of Frank’s meticulous hand-tinting techniques.