HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
John Muir McKinley was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1894, to Anthony and Janet (Muir) McKinley. He had three sisters, Nettie, Mae and Catherine, and three brothers, Robert, Anthony and Samuel. He emigrated in 1906 with his family to Amherst, N. S., where he attended school and became a pipe fitter at Canadian Car and Foundry Company. He studied photography in Toronto and worked as a professional photographer for Carl Pridham in Amherst.
Mr. McKinley enlisted in the 260th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during World War I and was Regimental Photographer in Siberia. From 1919 to 1973 he owned and operated the Harvey Studio in Woodstock, where he was the only portrait photographer in the area for many years and became well known for his baby, school, family and wedding photographs, receiving many awards for his work. He set up the first photo finish equipment at the Woodstock Race Track and covered sports and other events for the newspapers.
He was a member of St. James United Church, Honorary Life Member of the Maritime Professional Photographers Association, Life Member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Life Member of the Woodstock Masonic Lodge No. 11, Royal Arch, Perceptory and Shrine. He was a Past Master of the Woodstock Lodge and was the recipient of the 50-year pin and bar.
Mr. McKinley had been married twice. With his first wife, Ethel, he had a son, Carleton, and with his second wife, Allie, a son, John Allison. When Mr. McKinley passed away on November 24, 1985, he was survived by his sister, Catherine, having been predeceased by both wives and his two sons.
CONTENTS: Originally numbered professional negatives and photographs; professional negatives and photographs for which the original numbers were apparently lost; amateur negatives and photographs brought in for developing but not collected, and documents relating to his photography business
