The Duke of Connaught inspects the troops in Vernon, BC (click to enlarge)
This wonderful 20″ x 8″ panoramic photograph shows His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Earl of Sussex at Vernon Camp in British Columbia. I particularly like the fact that the press photographers hired to cover the event are they themselves captured on film.
The Duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria’s third son, visited Vernon on several occasions and inspected Canadian troops at the camp in both 1915 and 1916. A note written on the back of the photo indicates he is inspecting the 131st (Westminster) Battalion C.E.F. and it is dated 1915 (although part of the date is cut off). The 131st was formed in December 1915 and so I strongly suspect this photograph was taken on July 18, 1916.
Several other battalions, including the 121st (Western Irish), the 158th (The Duke of Connaught’s Own) and the 172nd (The Rocky Mountain Rangers) were stationed at Vernon camp in the months before the Duke’s visit and it is very likely one or more of these battalions were present on that day.
Categories: Photographs, Who Goes There?
Doing Our Bit 
I am obsessed with the Antiques Roadshow and very curious to know what would a photograph like this be worth in today’s Market ??
Hi Kevin,
The price for panoramic photographs tends to vary quite a bit. This one is relatively small but of excellent quality. I believe I paid around $30 for it which I thought was a fair price. Of course one of the biggest factors is the subject matter. Panoramic photos that feature battalions or companies of men, especially those in which faces can be recognized, are of particular interest to researchers and collectors. I’ve seen larger panoramic photos from early in the war priced at between $100 and $300. Whether they sold for that amount I can’t say as I’ve never paid that much myself.
Cheers,
Steve