Thomas Gushul Repeat Photograph

I enjoy looking at old historical photographs, especially ones of the Crowsnest Pass. I am also interested in repeat photography, where photographs of the same subject are taken from the same location, at different times. Sometimes these photos can be taken decades apart. This type of “then and now” photography is often used by environmental scientists and researchers to track and study landscape change over time.

In 2015, I came across a website displaying numerous “then and now” photographs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake by photographer Shawn Clover. What set Shawn’s Fade to 1906 photos apart from the typical repeat photograph was the way he blended the “before” and “after” images together to create stunning composite photographs showing historical scenes from the 1906 earthquake with his own present-day captures of the same locations. After viewing Shawn’s photographs, I was inspired to try this for myself.

A woman opens the door to her Mercedes on Sacramento Street while horses killed by falling rubble lie on the street. Photo courtesy of Shawn Clover. (https://photos.shawnclover.com/Galleries/Fade-To-1906)
Click on photo for larger view.

First, I needed to find a suitable photograph to use, preferably one from the Crowsnest Pass. While searching through some of the Glenbow Museum’s photos on their website, I found an image of the Hillcrest-Mohawk Mine tipple taken in 1945 by renowned Crowsnest Pass photographer, Thomas Gushul. The photo, seen at the top of this post, was of a group of men standing alongside coal-sorting equipment inside the tipple. The tipple ruins and equipment inside remain standing to this day, along Highway Three, near Bellevue.

View of the abandoned Hillcrest-Mohawk Mine tipple from below.

When I checked inside the tipple, I noticed the metal checker plate landing and stairway, where Thomas Gushul once stood with his camera and tripod, were lying in the basement of the building, two stories below. Without the landing, a repeat photo would not be possible. Not wanting to give up, I came up with the idea to erect a temporary wood platform to stand on.

View inside the tipple showing the missing checker plate stairs and landing on the left.

Taking the photo wasn’t as easy as I thought. For the images to match, not only do you have to stand in the exact spot where the original photographer stood, but the camera needs to be at the same height while using the equivalent focal length on your lens. I contacted Shawn Clover and he graciously provided some tips to help me line up my photograph with the original. In the end, I was able to take a photo inside the tipple that closely matched the Gushul photo. When I blended the images, I included much of the present-day interior of the structure and equipment while revealing the men in the original photo.

Inside the Hillcrest-Mohawk Mine tipple – 2015.
Hillcrest-Mohawk Mine Tipple 1945/2015 blended images.
Click on photo for larger view.

While constructing the wooden platform, I set up a camera to take a photo every few seconds, with plans to create a time-lapse video. More than 600 images were taken in the hour it took to build the platform. The images were stored on my computer until earlier this year when I finally completed the video. To watch the video, click here or on the link below.

New Book
My 2015 repeat photograph of the Hillcrest-Mohawk Mine tipple led me to another project that is nearing completion. In the next few weeks, I will provide some exciting news on a book project I have been working on for the Crowsnest Museum and Archives.

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8 Comments

  1. Gerry Thompson October 28, 2024 at 7:56 pm #

    Just so fascinating Vic. Very creative and well done. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
    All the best.
    Gerry

    • Vic Bergman October 29, 2024 at 1:33 pm #

      Hi Gerry,

      I think this type of photography is very fascinating. I may try more of this in the future. Thanks for commenting!

  2. Robert Garnier October 28, 2024 at 5:14 pm #

    Vic: Very impressive what you’ve done here… great commitment to a project! Love the film/ video and the final photo. All of it, so professional looking…
    Bob

    • Vic Bergman October 29, 2024 at 1:32 pm #

      Hi Bob,

      Thanks for the compliment! I really enjoyed working on this photo and I learned a lot. Thanks for looking!

  3. Mike Mailey October 28, 2024 at 4:57 pm #

    Great to see you are enjoying what you love to do. So cool.. i cant wait for the book coming.

    • Vic Bergman October 29, 2024 at 1:29 pm #

      Hi Mike,

      It was a lot of fun working on this! Can’t believe it was nine years ago. Thanks for commenting!

  4. Allan Palmer October 28, 2024 at 4:42 pm #

    Great photograph Vic! I love photography, especially black and white and its amazing to see what Shawn Clover and you both did. I can only imagine the process taken to arrive at the identical camera position so that you could achieve what you did! And I look forward to hearing/ seeing your new book project!

    • Vic Bergman October 29, 2024 at 1:28 pm #

      Hi Allan,

      Thanks! I learned a lot about repeat photography while I was doing this. It was a lot of fun, too!

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