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Land, Indigenous peoples, settlers, and today’s communities.

Since time immemorial, Ancestors of the people called K’ómoks today consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), Xa’xe (ha-hey) and Sathloot (sath-loot) people have been the caretakers of this land, which they called the “Land of Plenty.” This Land of Plenty stretched from what is known today as Kelsey Bay in the north, down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south, and included the watershed and estuary of the Puntledge River, also acknowledging that these boundaries and place names are colonial constructs.

The K’ómoks First Nation refer to the lands between the bays of Comox and the Beaufort mountain range as the path between, it was a travel and trade route to the Alberni corridor and a connection to the indigenous communities on the western side of the island.

Land agreements included the 1884 Settlement Act stripped these lands for its caretakers. At the Museum we acknowledge that we are a colonial created institution, and I would like to thank Charlene Everson, Emily Shopland and Violet Williams for guiding the museum in early discussion on what reconciliation could mean for our organization and how we could create actionable steps; in maintaining a positive dialogue with a forward focus, sharing contemporary K’omoks narratives, and incorporating First Nation languages where they felt it appropriate. Their time and guidance helped us gain insight and learn how to best support their voice in our museum’s walls. This is an ongoing process and we have so much more to learn.

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Maruya family portrait (987.019.016)
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Community

The Hayashi Studio

A Moment In Time

Leaving behind the familiar, immigrants to Canada in the early 1900s faced the heart-wrenching reality of potentially permanent separation from loved ones. A single photograph might become their only tangible link to the life they left behind - a poignant reminder of cherished memories, frozen in time.

Senjiro Hayashi captured these moments.

Records indicate that Senjiro Hayashi arrived in Canada in either 1903 or 1904, at the age of 23.

The Japanese Government issued two passport types, one for work in another country and one for travel.

Senjiro chose the working passport.

Born into a family of traditional potters, Senjiro Hayashi planned to follow in their footsteps. The scarcity of potting clay around Vancouver led him to seek an alternate career. He decided on photography.

Initially self-taught, Senjiro sought formal training, and began a one-year apprenticeship under the guidance of Shuzo Fujiwara, a professional photographer in Vancouver.

After honing his craft under his fellow countryman’s guidance, he moved to Vancouver Island, arriving in Cumberland in 1911.

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Portrait of Senjiro Hayashi (986.047.001)

Senjiro settled at No. 5 Japanese Town where he set up his first studio. By 1914 or 1915, the business was successful enough to move to a more central location in Cumberland, on the third floor of the Willard Block at the corner of Third Street and Dunsmuir Avenue.

Constructed in 1896 as Cumberland's first brick edifice, the Willard Block was a thriving hub of commercial activity. It was home to a diverse array of businesses and organizations, including the dental practice of Dr. Tai Kuzuhara, the law office of P.P. Harrison, George H. Wycherley's Cumberland Supply Store, and the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) offices, which occupied the majority of the main floor.

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Willard Block (983.128.005)

On entering the studio, to the left was a small table with a gallery of the photographer’s work, mostly 8 by 10 inch images of local scenes. Under the skylight at one end of the studio was the posing area, where a wooden floor was covered with a faded floral-patterned wool carpet. A painted photographic backdrop on the wall behind the posing area depicted a dramatic scene, apparently set in an Italian villa.

Jan Gates (2005)

Using a simple box camera made of cherry wood, Senjiro captured a visual history of the diverse communities in Cumberland.

In the early 20th century, a half-dozen copies of a photograph would cost $5 or $6, more than a day's wages at the time, equivalent to approximately $125-$155 today.

The photos showcase a variety of subjects, from solo sitters and social clubs to family groups and candid moments of daily life. They offer a fascinating window into the lives and personalities of the people of Cumberland.

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Four Japanese miners with lunch buckets (981.326.011)

Within the local Japanese community, many of Hayashi's photographs played a significant role in the traditional practice of "picture brides" or "shashin hanayome," where matchmakers used photos to facilitate arranged marriages between Japanese immigrants and potential brides in Japan.

This common practice among early 20th-century immigrant workers helped establish and strengthen Japanese communities in Canada, the US, and Hawai'i (then an independent territory). The picture bride system was instrumental in building these communities, as it enabled men to find partners and start families, despite being separated from their homeland.

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Portrait of two men (987.018.095)
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Albert “Ginger” Goodwin funeral procession (989.018.001)

On July 27th, 1918, renowned labour leader Albert "Ginger" Goodwin was fatally shot by Constable Dan Campbell on the hills surrounding Comox Lake, near Cumberland.

The outpouring of grief was immense, as evidenced by Goodwin's funeral procession on August 2nd, where his casket was borne down Dunsmuir Avenue, followed by a massive crowd more than a thousand strong, stretching over a mile in length.

Capturing the historic procession was none other than Ken Hayashi, Senjiro’s son.

But the photo isn’t without its own tale.

Prior to the scheduled procession time, Ken meticulously set up the camera and equipment by the studio's exit, awaiting his father's return from a tennis match.

Things took a turn when Ken’s friend ‘Fish’ inadvertently knocked the camera case while being chased around the studio, damaging the equipment. Without a backup lens, Ken resourcefully substituted a fresh negative plate for the shattered ground glass, aware that the photo quality might be compromised.

As the funeral procession drew near and his father remained absent, he seized the moment and took the photo.

It is the only known photo of this iconic moment.

While a significant portion of the photographs highlight the thriving Japanese community, the studio's lens also captured the lives and experiences of the Chinese, European, and Black communities, providing a comprehensive portrait of the town's multicultural fabric.

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Matsubuchi family portrait (987.019.024)

The Hayashi photo collection holds immense significance as it provides a rare glimpse into the lives of minority communities in Cumberland.

These portraits are, in many cases, the only remaining record of these individuals. Unfortunately, the passage of time has erased the names and details of many of these subjects, leaving us with lingering questions.

The sparse identification of the subjects only adds to the mystery, leaving us to ponder the lives and experiences of these enigmatic figures.

Portrait of a Black Man
African American man portrait (987.018.086)
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Interior of Hayashi Studio (985.115)

In 1919 Hayashi sold the studio to his apprentice Taki Matsubichi, who operated it until 1929.

The studio eventually fell into disuse in the late 1920s, leaving behind a treasure trove of over 700 abandoned glass plate negatives. Initially, some of the glass was repurposed as replacement panels for greenhouses, but the true significance of the collection was later recognized.

There are no Japanese Canadians living in Cumberland today from the first groups of immigrants portrayed in the photos. In April 1942, over 600 Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from the area under the War Measures Act. The glass plate negatives of this vanished community are all that remains.

When the museum relocated to its current site in 1981, the Armstrong family, last owners of the Willard Block before its demolition in the 1950s, generously donated many of the negatives to the museum’s archival collection.