If you’ve ever seen my studio, you’ll know that I’m a minimalist. My parents on the other hand, never throw out anything. This usually leaves me in a state of angst during family get-togethers,  however on occasion, I love this quality in them. Rummaging through a closet and stumbling upon an abstract marble painting I made in Montessori school, really never gets old. I’m also thankful for their mild hoarding tendencies when I look at the awesome antique rug from my great grandmother’s house in my dining room, or the mid-century modern lamps in my living room, that I happened to find in my parent’s crawl space. Recently, while riffling through a closet after a family dinner, I found one of my dad’s old 35mm cameras. To my astonishment there was an exposed roll of film still in it.  I immediately dropped the film off at the lab; excited to see what my dad was shooting, since I’ve always thought he had a great eye.

Believe me when I say, that I was blown away when I picked up the prints. I thought to myself, clearly my father possessed some of Lee Friedlander’s talent. The photos looked like they belonged on the walls of a gallery, exhibiting early 1960s life in the Maritimes. When I called my dad to rave about the photos he told me there was no way he could have photographed what I was describing. After both my dad and uncle examined the photos, they informed me it was definitely my grandfather who deserved the credit. He was the one who would have had access to the only large tow truck in Heartland New Brunswick, where they lived. This explained why he’d be at the accident site in the photos below. Also, my favourite portrait on the roll was taken in a shop he managed.

Unfortunately I never got to meet my Grandfather, William Alfred Vincent. I’ve always been drawn to the few stories that I’ve heard about him.  He had an appreciation for older women (my grandmother was ten years older) and I like to think that he died of a broken heart. (After my grandmother’s funeral, he told my father that he wanted to be buried with his wife Amy. That same evening he passed away.) After seeing these photos I feel like I’ve had the chance to get to know him a little bit better. I hope you love looking at his images as much as I do.