Waterton Lakes National Park

Scope and Content: View of the Motor Vessel Internation built by Capt. William Swanson in 1927 near the head of Upper Waterton Lake in Glacier National Park. Swanson was commissioned to build the boat by the Great Northern Railway which also built the Prince of Wales Hotel seen here, above the boat. The tourist vesse…

History Biographical: William John Oliver, 1887-1954, was born in Ash, Canterbury, Kent, England. He became interested in photography after winning a camera and in 1910 he emigrated to southern Alberta. He began his photography career working as a camera assistant at the Frederick B. Cooper Photographic Studio in Calgary. In 1911 he went to work for The Albertan and opened his own studio in 1912 under the name W.J. Oliver Photographic Studio. He later joined the Calgary Herald as staff photographer. The studio became extremely successful and his work eventually took him outside the Calgary area. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s he travelled across Canada taking photos and films for the National Parks Branch (among others) including these which he took in Waterton Lakes National Park in 1928 and others which he took in 1934.

Scope and Content: View of the Motor Vessel Internation built by Capt. William Swanson in 1927 near the head of Upper Waterton Lake in Glacier National Park. Swanson was commissioned to build the boat by the Great Northern Railway which also built the Prince of Wales Hotel seen here, above the boat. The tourist vessel with a capacity of 250 people at the time was put into service June, 1928.