This photo album was compiled by Arthur Malcolm Mushlian. Arthur was born in Stockport, England, in 1902. Sometime before 1924, he emigrated to Canada and started a family. In 1926, he had his first child, Joan, and in 1928, he had his second, Arthur Charles. By the time of his marriage and the birth of his children, he was already an established stationary engineer, operating and maintaining various technical equipment.

As a stationary engineer during the expansion of mining across Canada, Arthur followed where mining development took place, leading to his travelling all throughout Canada and the United States. He captured the conditions of mining in its earliest stages, hauling building materials across lakes, pulling tractors from the ice, and flying hundreds of miles across Northern Ontario, Quebec, Northern Manitoba, and Alaska.

Beyond mining, Arthur captured photos of all the beautiful things he encountered on his journeys: nature, his friends, family, and all the breathtaking North American landscapes he saw along the way. He did all of this with his trusty German Shepard, Prince (and later King), by his side. As you will see throughout this exhibit, he found humour everywhere and made sure to find and capture the charm in all the little parts of life.

Arthur Malcolm Mushlian died suddenly at the age of 59 in Ingersoll, Ontario, in 1961. His memory was carried with his children, who later passed this photo album on to their children. This album was donated in the name of Arthur Charles Mushlian, Arthur’s son, who passed away in 2025 in Burlington, Ontario.

This exhibit was developed by Breanne Yesno, a student in the Public History program at Lakehead University, with the support and guidance of Beverly Soloway and Sara Janes.

Please note that this set of photos includes terminology regarding Indigenous peoples that would not be seen as sensitive or appropriate today.