You may not know of 19th-century photographer Frederick Dally, but you’ve probably seen his photographs. They featured prominently in the Royal BC Museum’s Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition and have come to symbolize the British Columbia experience of the 1860s. Many of Dally’s photographs were reproduced as engravings in the popular press of the 1860s and 1870s, introducing the world to the rugged landscape and conditions of the gold seeker. Dally was only active in British Columbia from 1866 through 1870, yet his striking images have become an enduring vision of our province.

The Royal BC Museum strives to expand and share the Frederick Dally Collection, reaching new audiences through scholarship, publication and exhibitions of Dally’s wonderful images.