Extent and Medium of Descriptive Unit
223 photographs: See also P210
Administrative History Biographical Sketch
Isaac Erb (1846-1924) was born in Kars, Kings County, the son of John Erb and Mary Ann Morrell Erb. He married Frances Huestis and they had two children, John H. and Lavinia F. A professional photographer, his career spanned more than 50 years, from 1870 to 1924. Whether in the studio or on location, Erb’s camera captured the many facets of contemporary Saint John, and his work led him throughout New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine. The composition of his portraits and commercial photographs show the artistic temperament of the 19th century cameraman. This personal style continues well into the 20th century. His attention to detail and unique perspective on his subjects contributed in equal parts to his success in a business marked by transiency and brevity. By the end of his career he had produced more than 12,000 images, all of which he meticulously recorded in his logbooks. The approximately 3,400 extant glass negatives make up one of the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the Maritimes, and one of the best in Canada.
Although studio portraiture and commercial product work (i.e., photographing goods for catalogues and advertisements) likely provided reliable sources of income for Erb at various points, he is best remembered for his work out of doors. Judging by the extant negatives, although he was based in Saint John, Erb traveled extensively including to Nova Scotia and up the St. John River valley from around 1900 onwards. He evidently did some contract work for the railways (including the Intercolonial Railway or ICR) showing picturesque scenes "on the line of the ICR" and was engaged for a lot of commercial work photographing construction projects, businesses, and private residences.
In the 1870s, Erb appears to have moved around a fair bit and worked with various partners, but by 1877 he had more or less settled down for a 40+ year career in Saint John. Specifically, between 1874-5, Isaac Erb may have done some early photographic work in Truro, but by 1875 he had moved to Fredericton where he had a short-lived partnership with James F. McMurray (dissolved 4 August 1876). He moved on to Saint John by 1877. In Saint John, Erb undertook another partnership, this time with William L. Cameron from 1878-1880 at 34 Charlotte Street (in 1878) and then at Charlotte Street, corner of King Street (1879-1880). Erb mainly worked at 13 Charlotte Street.
Other aspects of Erb's early career are still relatively unknown. For instance, PANB's P885-9 is an oval view albumen carte-de-visite bearing the stamp "Isaac Erb, Photographer corner of King & Water Sts., St. Stephen, N.B.", the only piece of evidence linking Erb to that town. Further, in PANB's P665-album 3, there is an albumen carte-de-visite which appears to be of an earlier style (perhaps c. 1870), which bears the stamp “Erb & Williams Photographers, Queen St., Fredericton, NB” it is a concave “stamped” oval similar to some of the CDVs of JP Tuck. This little-known partnership may consisted of William J. Williams (active in Campbellton and thereabouts) and Isaac Erb. Perhaps Erb and Williams tried out a very short-lived photographic partnership together between 1875-1877.
Isaac's son, John Erb (1876-1939) was also an accomplished photographer in his own right. By at least as early as the time of the 1900 directory, Isaac's studio was listed as "Erb & Son". According to his death certificate, John Erb continued in the trade until his death in 1939.
Custodial History
By at least as early as 24 June 1953 (but likely a bit earlier), the P11 Isaac Erb negatives had been acquired Lord Beaverbrook, or, perhaps, by R.A. Tweedie, director of the New Brunswick Travel Bureau, on Beaverbrook's behalf. See Moncton Transcript story "Old New Brunswick to Relive In Beaverbrook Photo Record" from 24 June 1953 which mentions the acquisition (already complete by then) of an "extensive collection" of glass plate negatives "from Saint John". Presumably these are the P11 silver gelatin dry plate glass negatives which were stored at the Bonar Law-Bennett Library at UNB and stayed when the library was converted to the Provincial Archives in 1967.
Scope and Content
This collection is mainly comprised of Erb's outdoor commercial work showing scenes circa 1900-1910. Common subjects include lumbering, saw mills, public buildings, and town views.
Some specific locales include Saint John and area scenes, including the waterfront, harbour, Customs House, Old Union Station, Reversing falls and Bridge, Queen's Square, Royal Kennebecasis Yacht Club, Millidgeville, Caverhill Hall, Martello Tower, Market Slip, and library.
In Fredericton, some scenes include Christ Church Cathedral, Sewell Boom, Queen Street, Legislature, Officer's Barracks, Provincial Normal School, City Hall, Victoria Public Hospital, Old Government House, ice jams, the Bicycle and Boating Club and UNB.
Some of Erb's contract work included herein (for ICR and for the production of his own commercial pamphlets like 'New Views of the Maritimes') took him up the St. John River valley to Hartland, Florenceville, Woodstock, Edmundston, Madawaska, Saint-Basile, Grand Falls, and Perth - Andover. Other NB areas and settlements include Plaster Rock, Campbellton, Milltown, the Bay of Chaleur, Morrissey Rock, Bathurst, Newcastle, Rothesay, Hampton, Boiestown, Moncton, St. Martin's, St. Stephen, St. Andrews, and Dalhousie. Scenes outside of NB include North Sydney NS, and Calais, Maine.