Marsden A. Kemp (1867-1943) was an amateur photographer who lived in Kingston and Picton, Ontario. Kemp was passionate about photography. He was known to travel eastern Ontario by bicycle, taking pictures of friends and acquaintances, in addition to his own family. There also some images from camping trips and picnics. I love these pictures because in many cases they are more colloquial, humane and ordinary than one is used to seeing in pictures from that era; in other cases they are just sort of strange. They also seem very “Canadian,” if I may put it that way.
Kemp had a promising start as a pianist but a hunting accident cut that future away; instead he became a piano tuner in Kingston. He eventually moved or retired to Picton where he was noted as an avid gardener. He also loved the outdoors, particularly canoeing. His main period of photography was from about 1900 to 1914. Marsden Kemp died on 2 April 1943.
See also: More scenes of everyday life in Canada: http://ww2.retronaut.com/2012/12/more-scenes-of-everyday-life-in-canada/
