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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-04-28, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005. PAGE 23. Harvey McDowell: Stories of Blyth’s photographer The way they were For many years Harvey McDowell, now in his 90s, was the in demand photographer in the Blyth area, often assisted by his wife Feme. Here, the couple does some cropping at the kitchen table. (Photo submitted) By Rev. Eugen Bannerman Special to The Citizen While visiting a Blyth resident in the Stratford hospital recently, I brought up Harvey McDowell’s name as a former Blyth photographer. “He took our wedding pictures,” replied the patient hooked up to plastic tubing. The nurse attending the patient overheard us. “And my wedding photos too. I’m from neighbouring Londesborough. Our wedding was in 1979.” Indeed a “small world” of Blyth people scattered around south­ western Ontario. I tell this story because it also illustrates how far-reaching and enduring the influence of a good photographer can be. Harvey McDowell estimates he has photographed 1500 couples over a period of 45 years. An astonishing number. There are no doubt hundreds of readers of The Citizen who also had their photographs taken by Harvey McDowell. Harvey took up photography for the same reason he began to play the saxophone at dances: he needed the cash, and he had the talent. Farming simply did not provide enough pocket money to raise a family of six children. And Harvey’s artistic and musical talents needed an outlet. I visited Harvey recently at Huronview in Clinton. He had moved there last year after his wife Feme died. “Quite a few people here at Huronview have told me I took their wedding pictures,” Harvey smiled. “But I no longer remember.” Harvey is in his 91st year. As I sat on the edge of the bed, Harvey brought out a green bag containing perhaps a hundred black and white photographs. It was a veritable biographical tour through photographs. In the pile of pictures was one of a teenage girl holding a pair of skis. “1 made those skis,” Harvey volunteered. “Everybody in Westfield had a pair of my skis.” Harvey learned to play the saxophone, and it wasn’t long before he had his own five man dance band consisting of three saxophonists, one drummer and a pianist. He showed me a photograph of his “Me” Band. Later Harvey learned to play the violin. He still does. In the group of pictures was one of Jim and Phyllis Boak taken in 1948. “They are the first couple I photographed',” Harvey told me. Jim had been looking at some of Harvey’s pictures, and was sufficiently impressed to encourage Harvey to take his wedding photos. Harvey had no flash, so Jim bought Harvey his first flash gun. And Harvey never looked back after that. Harvey was born on his father’s farm in 1914, in Westfield. He was named after an older cousin who had died in a shooting accident. Harvey showed me an old photograph of his cousin, his wife, and their three daughters. In 1934 he married his second cousin Feme McDowell, and they raised six children: John, Donald, David, Judy, Janice and Carol. After selling the farm in 1973, Harvey and Feme McDowell moved to Blyth. A basement room in their new house now served as the backdrop for their colour photographs, just as their house and furniture on the farm had once served for black and white photographs. But weddings don’t always go as planned. I asked Harvey about some of the amusing incidents as a wedding photographer. Here are some of the stories. LOST KEYS. Harvey would usually photograph the bride at her home. On one occasion, as Harvey was driving away from the bride’s house, he glanced into his rearview mirror and saw the bride waving frantically. He backed up. The key to the bride’s car had been locked inside the house, and there was no way she could get to the wedding. So Harvey volunteered to drive the four miles to the church, get the house keys from the bride’s mother who was already in her place in the front pew, and drove back to the farm. Bride and photographer did not get to the church on time. CUTTING THE WEDDING DRESS In one home, the bride was unhappy with her wedding gown. The crinoline underneath the dress was too long. So she gave Harvey a pair of scissors and “I crawled along the floor all the way around her while she stood still, and 1 cut at least two inches off the hemline.” That seemed to please the bride. And they rushed off together to a large church wedding. SOMETHING WARM AROl ND THE FEET Harvey’s wife, Feme, often accompanied Harvey on the The View When Vision Fails wedding assignments, to give assistance, or as a guest of the bride and groom. This was especially true after they had moved to Blyth. Once, as Feme was sitting in the pew, she felt something warm around her feet. Puzzled, she looked down and there between her feet was a little child crawling along the floor to the front of the church. It was the ring bearer. Apparently, he got frightened of the crowd, and decided to hide his embarrassment by crawling underneath the pews and away from the staring eyes of the guests. SWOONING The groom swooned. Then the groom’s mother. And then the bridesmaid. It was an unbelievably hot day in July. Over 100 degrees. First the groom fainted. Then his mother fainted to see her son faint. Minutes later, a bridesmaid also passed out from the heat. “It was quite an afternoon,” smiled Harvey. The service was at the Belgrave United Church. After the wedding party had composed themselves, the service resumed. The groom was still not steady on his feet. When it came time for him to say his vows, he swooned again. Then he lifted himself back onto his knees, and repeated his “I do” in the kneeling position. “I guess I’ve had my ups and downs today,” the groom quipped at the reception. LOST RINGS? NOT REALLY Lost rings? Only twice. One ring was quickly found where it had dropped in the grass. The other, a ring for the groom, was found in the bride’s purse-after the service! The minister had substituted his own ring for the ceremony. HARVEY MCDOWELL AT HURONVIEW Above Harvey’s bed at Huronview is a favourite photograph. It was taken somewhere in Central America. A couple are sitting in their deck chairs beside a palm tree looking out over the Pacific Ocean. It is evening and the sky is golden brown. A beautiful photograph of a grand sunset by Harvey McDowell. CATARACT MACULAR DEGENERATION GLAUCOMA An original This photo taken by Harvey McDowell was of Jean Kershaw and Don Cowan. (Photo submitted) Diseases and conditions cause specific problems for patients. Cataracts produce a blurriness, macular degeneration dimi­ nishes central vision and glaucoma reduces peripheral vision.