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Born at Islington, Middlesex, England in January 1870, son of George Saunders (1831-?) and Louisa Notley Mallett (1827-1887), he married Agnes Jane Muirhead Turner (1866-1946) at Islington on 2 April 1898. He emigrated to Canada in 1899 and worked as a photographer at Galt, Ontario until at least 1902. He was living at Napinka as of late 1905, working as a photographer, either alone or in partnership with Leslie Witmer Eaton.
It is believed that Saunders was the proprietor of the Winnipeg Photo Company, which produced high quality postcards showing scenes throughout southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. These areas are consistent geographically with the satellite studios that Saunders operated in this region. By 1916, Saunders had moved to Winnipeg where he worked as a baker.
By 1921, he was operating the photography studio Goodfellow & Saunders at Mount Dennis, Ontario in association with Leonard Marsh Goodfellow (1888-1978). By 1923, Arthur J. R. Craig had been added to the studio, now known as Goodfellow, Saunders & Craig. With the departure of Goodfellow in 1923, the studio became Saunders & Craig although Craig was no longer affiliated with it after 1934. He may have retired around 1945.
He and wife Elizabeth Clement (?-?) had a daughter, Muriel Olive Saunders (1913-1914), while living in Napinka.
Saunders died at Windsor, Ontario on 8 April 1954.
Year(s)
Location
1906-1916
1908-1911
Reston [Saunders & Eaton]
1910-1913
Waskada [Saunders & Eaton]
1910-1913
Oxbow, Saskatchewan [Saunders & Eaton]
Marriage registration [L. W. Eaton], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Birth registration [Muriel Olive Saunders], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registration [Muriel Olive Saunders], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1906 and 1911 Canada censuses, Automated Genealogy.
1916 Canada census, Ancestry.
The Western Canada Photographers List (1860-1925) by Glen C. Phillips, Milton (Ontario): Global Heritage Press, 2002.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
We thank Kelly Donald for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Andrew Cunningham, Gordon Goldsborough, and Rob McInnes.
Page revised: 10 June 2022
Manitoba Photographers: 1858 to Present
A list of professional photographers who have worked in Manitoba, from 1858 to the present, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society.
© 2006-2023
Gordon Goldsborough & Manitoba Historical Society. All rights reserved.
