Inkster Family Photo Album

Introduction

This album was given to the museum by Sybil Inkster, grand-daughter of John and Mary Inkster, in 1958. Her history states that it was "used in Seven Oaks House".

The photos range in date from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Some of them have notes addressed to various people: Sibyl Inkster, Harriet Inkster McMurray, Colin Robertson Sinclair, "Mollie" & "Grandma". The album might have belonged to Marak Inkster, with additions by Captain Colin, sister Harriet, and later by Sybil. 
Photos are unique windows into the past, with a tremendous power to bring people to life. Unfortunately very few people label their family albums -- because of course the owners know who is shown. While it's difficult to put names to faces 150 years later, we can make educated guesses to bring these individuals' personalities back into history. Please note that many of the identifications made here are speculative.

Pictures are one of the most interesting historical documents to examine because they provide so many clues about their context:
  • What kind of clothes are people wearing? Fashion is a clue to their date.
  • Are there notes or dedications written on the back?
  • Do we recognize the person? Some families have distinctive features like large ears, sharp noses or bulging eyes.
  • Early photographers included their studio name and address on prints. What years did they work there? How many family members lived in San Francisco, or New Orleans?

Photos also tell an incredibly valuable story about local history, style, and personal identity. We can see the culture of our home change dramatically over the course of 40 years in these photos.

Instructions

Click the tabs along the top of each image to flip through the album.

​Clicking on a page will open a detailed view. You can see both sides of every photo along with any information we have about them. Click on underlined text to read more in-depth articles.

The album is divided into two sections. Scroll down to see both sections and an index.

First Section

Front Cover
Page 1-2
p.3-4
p.5-6
p.7-8
p.9-10
p.11-12
p.13-14
p.15-16
p.17-18
p.19-20
p.21-22
Front Cover
Page 1-2
p.3-4
p.5-6
p.7-8
p.9-10
p.11-12
p.13-14
p.15-16
p.17-18
p.19-20
p.21-22

Second Section

p.23-24
p.25-26
p.27-28
p.29-30
p.31-32
p.33-34
p.35-36
p.37-38
Back Cover
p.23-24
p.25-26
p.27-28
p.29-30
p.31-32
p.33-34
p.35-36
p.37-38
Back Cover

Index of people represented in this album

The following individuals are represented in this album. Please contact us if you recognize any of the people in this album, or if you have any further biographical information about them.
Mary Sinclair Inkster
Harriet Inkster McMurray
Annie Hamilton McMurray
George Thomas Inkster
Colin Sinclair Inkster
William Inkster
Ellen Inkster McDonald
John Archibald McDonald
Donald Hogarth McDonald
A.H. McDonald
Mary H. McDonald
Mary 'Mollie' Inkster Walker
Colin Inkster
Annie Sibyl McKay Inkster
Myra Jane Inkster
Jessie Sinclair Copely
Daisy Hamilton
J. McKay
"Nora"

...along with numerous unidentified members of the Inkster & Sinclair families, and Red River society in general.
This project was made possible by funding from the Province of Manitoba.