Born at Hasenfeld, Warthegau, Germany on 31 July 1943, son of Philipp Mayer (1908-1993) and Hermine Huber (1917-2003), he came to Canada with his family in September 1948. He attended Faraday School and Sisler High School, graduating from the latter in 1961. He worked in the mine at Thompson to raise money for university tuition. He received a degree in Architecture from the University of Manitoba in 1971. While a student, he assisted the Manitoba Historical Society with its architectural surveys of Winnipeg and rural Manitoba.
In the summer of 1970, he was hired to assist with the exhibit “150 Years of Art in Manitoba” for the Winnipeg Art Gallery. This was the beginning of his 40-year association with the Gallery as its head photographer. His photography of artwork was widely published and, in 2009, he received an “Award of Distinguished Service” from the Canadian Museums Association. He retired in 2010.
In 1985, he married Nancy Gail Smith (1956-2020). They had no children.
He died at Winnipeg on 29 July 2023 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Obituary [Philipp Mayer], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 December 1993, page 61.
Obituary [Hermine Mayer], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 June 2003.
Obituary [Nancy Gail Mayer], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 March 2020.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 September 2023.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 September 2023
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