Collector Photos: Wayne Stewart

I can't prove it, but I'd bet that this photographer is the one who took
this infamous photograph of the 1897 Red River Flood in St. Vincent...

These photos are from the Wayne Stewart collection. This first photo shows another photographer taking a picture. The photographer being shot is setting up to take a picture of two men in a boat during the 1897 flood in St. Vincent. The print is labeled as taken on April 22, 1897; written on the side of the boat are the words, "Ferry Boat for St. Vincent".

Ad sign, as seen on building in above photo

Further in the background, on the upper story of the storefront behind them, is an ad for Climax Plug Tobacco, a popular chew of the time, and purported to be the inspiration for the Minnesota town of the same name.

I've been in touch both indirectly and directly a few times with Wayne in recent months about various subjects, mostly connected with his photograph collection, but also his brother Bob.

In a mailing to me from last year, that included the photos in this post, Wayne had this to say...

When time permits, I will put together information about my brother Bob, along with photos and some newspaper articles from Winnipeg. The race track in Winnipeg is planning a day in Bob's honor this summer, as it is 50 years since he won his first race there...

I look forward to hearing more about his brother Bob - or Bobby Stewart as I knew him. He was an idol of mine growing up, inspiring me to seriously dream of becoming a jockey, a rarity for women then and not much more common today. I got too big but I remember following his rise back then, admiring what he accomplished. Every time our school bus would pass the Stewart horses back and forth to school, I made note of them. Yes, I was horse crazy, but I was serious about it. But that's another story!

Run by the Ryan family; see interior ballroom here
Source:  Wayne Stewart Collection
[Click to enlarge]

Old Firehall - Date Unknown
Source:  Wayne Stewart Collection
[Click to enlarge]