With works from the Touchstones Nelson permanent collection, as well as on loan from local collectors, Nelson Through the Lens: The Historical Photography of J.H. Allen will showcase the photographs of James (Jimmy) Allen (1878-1969) and celebrate the mark he has made on the landscape of our local history through his contributions as a photographer and community member.
From 1919 until his death, Allen operated Allen’s Art Shoppe in Nelson, a photo-finishing business which also served as a venue for marketing his own work. Between the 1920s and ‘50s, he created hundreds of black and white photos, and garnered acclaim for his hand-tinted prints, which can still be found in homes throughout the area.
A lens into the past, Jimmy Allen’s photographs provide a portrait of Nelson over more than three decades, documenting changes in the urban landscape, as well as celebrating the lakes, rivers, mountains and country roads which he explored year round.
The exhibition runs to August 27.