5. Subjects The Outdoors Establishing a new farm or business in a new country was time-consuming to say the least. Despite the hard work and long hours involved there was time for recreation. There are plenty of communications, letters, and reminiscences that reflect an appreciation for the outdoors – the beauty of the countryside, but landscape photography would not have been a priority for the local photographer. Of course it was difficult to make any money out of it, so those outdoor / nature themed photos that do exist were often labours of love or prompted by an event. Ice Boats on Killarney Lake would be something that attracted the photographer’s attention. This is a pretty good look at the new town of Melita in 1892. The construction of the first makeshift bridge would have been an event of note. Rock Lake was a popular resort area beginning in about 1900. We have several photos from the early days.