Item 64.0 - Rodomsky Mill (Foley, Manitoba)

W.J. Sisler traveled extensively throughout the province of Manitoba capturing over 400 images of the subsistence farming techniques, transplanted architecture from the “old country,” religious gatherings, and a large series of portraits. He elaborated upon his images through extensive field notes. Sisler’s approach to photography was not theoretical or artistic, though he had a fine technical eye, but far more practical, which would now be call applied. In his case he applied it to public school education. He organized his images for lantern slide shows for his students in large school assemblies. He wanted his students to be secure in the knowledge of the memory of where they came from, how their kin were successfully adapting to the harsh Canadian landscape, how they should be proud of their parent’s culture, language and religion, while they themselves were becoming Canadian. --