This album has a green cloth cover with brown leather corners and spine. The title "Bytown & Ottawa" is pressed in gold letters onto a leather badge on the cover of the album, front and centre. "The Gift of C. Berkeley Powell" is inscribed in gold leaf below. Pages are made of thick cardboard, and are slightly warped. The album contains important, early photographs and prints relating to the history of Ottawa, formerly known as Bytown. Among them are lithographs and engravings from early Canadian publications such as Canadian Scenery, illustrated by W.H. Bartlett, and Hunter's Ottawa Scenery, which contained lithographs that have recently been attributed to the workmanship of Winslow Homer. Also included are facsimiles of original land divisions and maps, the city's first City Hall and Post Office, picturesque scenes of Chaudiere Falls, the Ottawa River, and surrounding area.
A more detailed list follows:
Personal bookplate of C. Berkeley Powell, containing a coat of arms and the Latin "Inter Hastas Et Hostes"
Title plate "Bytown and Ottawa, An Historic Sketch". Pen-and-ink style lithograph.
Small print of the Union Bridge and rapids of Bytown. Attributed to Robert Shore Milnes Bouchette. Steel Engraving.
Halftone print of Lt. Col. John By of the Royal Engineers, founder of Bytown. Inscribed in ink: "It remained Bytown until 1854 when it became a city under the Indian name of Ottawa".
Small wood engraving of "Ottawa City" in the tradition of the picturesque.
Print by George Heriot titled "Fall of the Grande Chaudiere, on the Outaouais River". Printed for Richard Phillips, London. Aquataint.
Print by George Heriot titled "Fall of the Grande Chaudiere, on the Outaouais River". Printed for Richard Phillips, London. Colour aquataint. Inscribed in ink: "From George Heriot, 1807 'Travels Through Canada'."
Map titled "Sketch of ByTown, Ottawa River, Founded in 1826." Steel engraving by J & C. Walker. Copied as (Maps) C-23128.
Newspaper clipping by C. Berkeley Powell to the editor of The Ottawa Journal, August 23, 1926, regarding details of the life of Ottawa's first settler, Captain John Burrows.
Photograph of a painting of John Burrows. Albumen print. Copied as C-100342
Photograph of a painting of Mrs. John Burrows. Albumen print. Inscribed in ink: "The Hon. Sir. Clifford Sifton in 1907 gave me these portraits of Mr. & Mrs. John Burrows, Ottawa's first settlers together with the memorandum written below respecting both, also stating Lady Sifton was a direct descendant of John Burrows". Lady Sifton was the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Burrows. Copied as C-100343
Halftone print of the Chaudiere Falls, "copied from an original sketch by Col. By, prior to the erection of the bridges over the Falls in 1827".
View of the "Union Bridge, Bytown, Ottawa River" through a forest scene. Chalk Lithograph by R.M.S. Bouchette between 1827-33. See C-10872
Front page of The People's Magazine, Saturday, December 28, 1833, (Vol. 1, No. 21) containing a wood engraving based on a lithograph by R.M.S. Bouchette (item 12 in this album).
"Halftone print of a watercolour by John Burrows originally titled ""Bytown (Ottawa) with a View of the First Eight Locks and the Sappers Cut Stone Bridge"" (accession 1990-496-2, copied as C-001201).
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"Plan Showing Mr. N. Sparks' Land in Upper & Lower ByTown". Photomechanical process print, copied as C-10431.
Sixpence currency note issued by William Stewart. Copied as C-6636.
Reproduction of a page from the Bytown Independent and Farmers Advocate, Thursday, February 24, 1836.Photomechanical process print.
"The Ottawa River at Bytown, from a print of 1835". Based on a print from Bartlett's Canadian Prints, London.
Faded photograph of a print of a fortification on the Canal at Bytown.
Steel engraving of the locks on the Rideau Canal. Inscribed in pencil: "From L'Univers Pittoresque, Vol 5 (Amerique), plate 14, 1840".
The Following 7 engravings are from volumes I and II of the book Canadian Scenery by N.P. Willis, illustrated by W.H. Bartlett, London: James S. Virtue, between 1838 and 1842
"The Rideau Canal, Bytown" by W.H. Bartlett. Steel engraving, copied as C-2366. Originally found in Volume II, page 7.
"Locks on The Rideau Canal," by W.H. Bartlett. Steel engraving, copied as C-236. Same scene depicted in item 20. Originally found in volume II, page 7.
"The Chaudiere (falls) near Bytown" by W.H. Bartlett. Steel engraving. Originally found in Volume I, page 8.
"Mill at the Rideau River, near Bytown" by W. H. Bartlett. Originally found in volume II, page 8.
"The Ottawa River at Bytown" by W.H. Bartlett. Steel engraving, 1840. Originally found in volume II, page 8
"Bridge at Bytown, Upper Canada" by W.H. Bartlett. High relief steel engraving, 1841. Originally found in volume II, page 8
"Timber Slide and Bridge on the Ottawa" by W.H. Bartlett. Steel engraving. Copied as C-2359. Originally found in volume II, page 25.
Aerial view of Ottawa from the upper town. Wood engraving by Wichtman of Buffalo, NY. Inscribed in ink: "1854". Copied as C-10386.
Photograph of the plan of Bytown drawn by Donald Kennedy, District Surveyor, December 4, 1842.
Photographic reproduction of Old Christ Church on Sparks Street taken by the Topley Studio, Ottawa. Contact print. Inscribed in pencil: "Topley 40185".
Newspaper print of Old Christ Church. Copied as C-5189.
Description of Old Christ Church from the Canadian Illustrated News, April, 1872, p. 226.
Facsimile of the invitation card to the ceremonial ball held to honour of the opening of the new Union Suspension Bridge in Ottawa, September 2, 1844. Photomechanical process print.
Photomechanical print of a watercolour By Lieutenant C. Sedley. Depicts Wellington Street and army barracks on what is now Parliament Hill. The original watercolour classified as accession number 1992-675-2, and copied as C-001548. It is located in box 2000764969.
Photomechanical print of a crowd in front of Ottawa's Old City Hall. Copied as C-2185.
Newspaper clipping of ByTown's Town Hall. Copied as C-11604.
Letter from the City Clerk to Berkeley Powell, 13 April, 1907, regarding the construction details of the Old City Hall.
The following 14 lithographs are from Hunter's Ottawa Scenery, in the Vicinity of Ottawa City, Canada, by William S. Hunter Jr. and Sr., originally published in 1855. Each print contains an oval lithograph in brown and black ink, and bears the inscription Wm. S. Hunter, del / J.H. Bufford's Lithography, Boston, or a variation thereof. Recent scholarship by David Tatham has attributed the lithography of several of the following items to Winslow Homer, who served as an apprentice in Bufford's commercial studio.
"Birds Eye View of Chaudiere Falls, Ottawa River, Canada". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter Jr.
"Rideau Falls - Falling into the Ottawa River, Ottawa City, Canada". Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter. The initials WH can be seen at the left edge of the plate amongst trees.
"View of Locks. Entrance of Rideau Canal". Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter Jr. Signed in plate, lower left: WH. Copied as C-2779.
"View From Barrack Hill - Looking Down the Ottawa". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter Jr.
"View From Barrack Hill - Looking Down the Ottawa". Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter Jr. Copied as C-2776.
"Junction of the Gatineau". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter.
"The Approach to Suspension Bridge". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter.
"Suspension Bridge Over Chaudiere Falls - From Harris Mill, Victoria Island". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter. Signed bottom right.
"The Big Kettle - Chaudiere Falls". Attributed to Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter.
"A Portion of Chaudiere Falls, From the North". Attributed to Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter.
"The Chasm, Chaudiere Falls". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter.
"View From the Interior of Chasm". J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter Jr.
"Timber Slide on Hull Side". Attributed to Winslow Homer, after William Stewart Hunter Jr.
"Natural Curiosity" depicting two large natural holes formed in the ground's bedrock. J.P. Newell after William Stewart Hunter Jr.
View of the City of Ottawa, 1856, by Stent & Laver architects. Photomechanical print. See C-2813.
View of Ottawa City, Canada West, "From the upper town, looking at the Ottawa River form Government Hill". Photographic reproduction of a lithograph by Whitefield.
View of Ottawa City, Canada West, "From Government Hill, looking down the Ottawa River and showing the locks of the Rideau Canal". Photographic reproduction of a lithograph by Whitefield.
Large photograph of a watercolour of the Parliament buildings and surrounding city of Ottawa. Copied as C-6930.
Large photomechanical print of Sappers Bridge and surrounding industrial and commercial area. Original photograph taken by McLaughlin. Original negative C-610.
Print titled "Perilous situation of a Raft, Chaudiere Falls, Ottawa". Attributed to Winslow Homer after William Stewart Hunter Jr. Lithograph from Hunter's Ottawa Scenery. See items 38-51 in this album.
Print of Bytown on the Ottawa. Steel Engraving. Dated in ink "1852".
Halftone showing a "Lumber arch erected in honour of visit of Prince of Wales, Sept. 1860." See original negative C-11.
View of a decorative arch "erected opposite 113 & 114 Sparks Street" for the Prince of Wales' visit to Ottawa, 1860. Albumen photograph. Copied as C-2183.
"View of Upper Town in 1861". Halftone.
Sketch of "Victoria House, Ottawa, Canada, the residence of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales". Photomechanical print. Original negative C-3376.
Sketch of Barracks Hill, Ottawa. Photomechanical print.
Halftone prints of six streetscapes and buildings in Ottawa from 1864.
Rideau and Sussex Street. Original negative C-6927.
Byward Market, showing the agricultural warehouse. Original negative C-2184.
Sparks Street. Original negative C-6986.
Suspension Bridge.
Russell House.
The First Theatre (Her Majesty's Theatre). Copied as C2145. Inscribed in ink:"150 Wellington Street now replace by the Norlite building".
Photomechanical print of a large three-storey building. Inscribed in ink: "1864. Ottawa High School torn down to build Russell Theatre corner Queen and Canal streets". Copied as C-22483.
View of "St. Andrew's Church - the Old Church occupied until 1872". Halftone print copied as C-8969.
View of the Victoria Chambers, Wellington corner O'Connor. Copied as C2567a. Photomechanical print.
View of Russell House and Scott's Confectionary. Inscribed in ink: "1864, Corner Sparks and Elgin Streets. Scott's Confectionary taken down fall of 1882". Photomechanical print copied as C-2567b.
Page from an advertising directory promoting the Royal Victoria Hotel owned by Thomas Toole. Dated "1864: and copied as C-2566.
Image of Rideau Street, dated "1864". Halftone print.
Ottawa streetscape. Inscribed in ink: "Corner Sparks and Metcalfe Streets, 1864". Photomechanical reproduction. Original negative C-6985.
Photographic reproduction of a watercolour by General William Henry Cotton of the old Sappers Bridge over the Rideau River, 1867. Original watercolour by Cotton is in the Metro Toronto library J.R. Robertson Collection. Copied as C-4512.
Photomechanical reproduction of the Dufferin Bridge during course of construction. From a Topley Studio photograph. Copied as C-493.
Halftone prints of "Old Bytown Doctors" and their residences. Copied as C-25272 and C-115785.
Sketch of "Rearing the noble gothic pile on Parliament Hill, Ottawa". Halftone print.
Invitation card for admittance to the Parliament Building's corner stone laying-ceremony. Copied as C-9963.
Invitation card to the opening of the Ottawa and Carleton Place section of the Canada Central Railway Company, April 15, 1870.
View of an Ottawa streetscape. Photomechanical print, dated 1872.
A handwritten list of stores and store owners.
Photograph of a large building, probably the first post office. Inscribed in pencil by Berkeley Powell: "Corner Wellington and Elgin Streets where the Langevin Block now stands. 2nd city post offices abandoned 1st April, 1876 for new post office facing the Plaza". Copied as C-5358.
Pages of The Bytown Independent and Farmers Advocate, Volume 1, Number 1, Thursday, February 24, 1836. Includes news items from other papers, list of outstanding letters remaining at the town post office that are ready for pickup, poetry, and wanted advertisements.
Halftone print of the Victoria Chambers, Wellington and O'Connor Streets. Dated "1904".
Change of hours notice for the Ottawa City Post Office, 15 Dec, 1879. G.P. Baker, postmaster.
Frontispiece for the Ottawa City Directory, 1861-2, Boyd & McDonald Publishers.
