Collection 2021.06 - Emil Bronlund Photograph Collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Emil Bronlund Photograph Collection

General material designation

  • Graphic material

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Collection

Reference code

2021.06

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1930-1932 (Creation)
    Creator
    Bronlund, Emil

Physical description area

Physical description

103 photographs : b&w ; 10.5 x 8 cm

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1896-1988)

Biographical history

Emil Bronlund (1896-1988) was born in Norway and obtained a Bachelor of Science in mining and metallurgical engineering from the University of Oslo before immigrating to Canada in 1920. Initially he was an engineer for a coal mine near Hinton, Alberta and at the Ingenika Mine in northern BC. In 1927 Consolidated Mining and Smelting (later Cominco and Teck Resources) hired Bronlund to be in charge of their mining exploration in northern BC, a position he held for almost 25 years. Most of his work was in the Omineca district north of Fort St. James.

In an obituary for Bronlund, the Northern Miner, a trade journal, commented that "Bronlund was a member of Cominco's flying corps of prospectors which did much to open up the north in the 1930s." The journal also noted that "several properties in the Omineca district now under development are his original finds." In 1931 Cominco provided Bronlund with an airplane, CF-AAM, for his exploration, along with a mechanic, pilot and a geologist. Cominco bought this plane new in 1929 and had it custom furnished. Bronlund and his crew spent time with surveyor Frank Swannell and his crew at Thutade Lake at the beginning of the 1931 field season, and also at the end of the season.

During World War II, Bronlund was Consolidated’s manager for the Pinchi Lake mercury mine northwest of Fort St. James. It was the largest producer of mercury in the country at that time.

Bronlund Peak and Bronlund Creek in northern BC are named for him. CF-AAM is in the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg.

Scope and content

Emil Bronlund was in 1927 hired by Consolidated Mining and Smelting Ltd. (later known as Cominco) to take on the company's mining exploration in northern British Columbia, a position he held for almost 25 years. Bronlund had a Leica camera and took photographs during his exploratory trips.

This album of Bronlund's photographic negatives from 1930 to 1932 includes photographs of the following trips:

  • Trip to Osilinka River and Omineca River, July 1930
  • Copper Mountain on Duck Creek, July 1930
  • Wedge Creek, Sept. 1930
  • Finlay River, Finlay Forks, Parsnip River, and Crooked River, Oct. 1930
  • Prince George, Aug. 1930
  • Gola, Norway, Apr. 1931
  • Emil Bronlund and Frank Swannell survey crews at Thutade Lake, June 1931 and Sept. 1931
  • Cairn mining claim exploration for Consolidated Mining and Smelting Ltd., June-July 1931
  • Brothers Lake, Bronlund Peak, and Fredricksen Lake, July 1932
  • Sustut Lake, Sept.-Oct 1931
  • McLeod River trip, Mar.-Apr. 1932

Notes area

Arrangement

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    No restrictions.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Personal or academic use of materials is welcomed under the standard fair use and educational use clauses of Canadian Copyright Law. Commercial use is, however, forbidden without the express permission of the copyright holder. For information on obtaining written permission from the copyright holder, please contact the Northern B.C. Archives and Special Collections.

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