EARLE & ESTELLE DICKEY

STUNNING SCENERY, PROUD PIONEERS,

VIBRANT COMMUNITY

These are all thoughts that come to mind when one looks at the images of Earle and Estelle Dickey. Over a period of more than 40 years, these local photographers captured so much of the history of this district through their camera lenses. Revelstoke Museum & Archives now holds over 1500 images by the Dickeys, comprising color slides, negatives and prints.

William Earle Dickey was born in Revelstoke on October 8, 1893 to pioneer residents William and Sarah Dickey.

Earle was a accomplished musician, as were most of the members of the family. He was a member of the Revelstoke Band and played in an orchestra formed by his sister,  Shella. In his youth, he was a noted lacrosse player. He began working for the city electrical department as a young man and eventually became electrical superintendent for the city.

For many years, Earle Dickey was the chairman of the tourism and publicity bureau of the Revelstoke Board of Trade ( now the Chamber of Commerce). In this capacity, he took photographs for local tourism brochures and sent photographs and newspaper articles on local events to the Vancouver Sun newspaper. His photographs of the Big Bend Highway and Mount Revelstoke National Park  were widely distributed throughout national media.

In 1920, Earle married Estelle Elizabeth Jones. Estelle came to Revelstoke in 1916 at the age of 19 to work as a cashier in C.B. Hume's General Store. Estelle was a niece of C.B. Hume's wife Emily and a niece of Mrs. G.O.P. Davis. Earle and Estelle worked as a team, with Earle taking the photographs and Estelle developing them in her darkroom. Estelle also hand colored many of the prints,  and these prints were sold worldwide.

In 1954, Earle travelled to Arrowhead to witness the last trip of the S.S. Minto, the sternwheeler that had plied the Arrow Lakes since 1898. Earle suffered a stroke en route and was brought to the Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke, where he died a few months later. Eight Mile Peak, towering over Eva Lake on Mount Revelstoke, was renamed Mount Dickey in Earle's honour in December of 1954.

After Earle's death, Estelle began photographing local events, taking over from where Earle left off. She sold much of her work commercially, as a portrait photographer, and through postcard sales. Estelle retired to Sicamous and died in Vernon in 1980. Their legacy continues through their granddaughter, Lynn Cerolini, who learned the art of handcolouring photographic prints from Estelle.

Revelstoke Museum and Archives is profoundly grateful for the work that Earle and Estelle did in recording the history of this community through their photographs and research. We are also grateful that their family chose to donate this significant body of work to the museum for all to enjoy.

Available in our gift shop for  $35.00