Emilio Galardo taken by daylight with blinds and screens
Toronto. The Photographic business of Galardo & Miron thrives today. The business was founded by Emilio Galardo early last Century. In 1994, His granddaughter Gloria (Galardo) Miron and her husband Conrad put up an elaborate display and spoke with enthusiasm at one of our Toronto meetings. The business was well known to future journal editor Bob Lansdale who wrote a fully illustrated article for issue 20-5 of our journal.
Bob begins, “Continuously operated by the same family for more than 90 years [as of 1995], this studio has been a real part of the community since Emilio Galardo first decided to make the mining town of Copper Cliff a place to practice the craft he had learned in his native Italy.
“Born in Migriano (Naples) in 1877, he trained as photographer before going to Paris to learn retouching. Our immigrant photographer worked in a Montreal studio for two years before heading north in 1902.
“From campsite to campsite he trekked, photographing laborers anxious to send photographs home for “mail order” brides.
“In 1903 he returned to Italy to meet the Rosilla Galardo girl he had seen only in a friend‘s picture. Then, with his new bride Emilio gave up the itinerant life and set up a home and studio “up the hills in little Italy”, a section of Copper Cliff populated by his own people.
“In a photo we see his horse and buggy with the Diroid St. studio in the background. The year was 1 904. Life in the mining town was eventful and on one occasion Emilio settled an argument in the studio by drawing his revolver and uttering the word ‘Out’.
“He became a Canadian citizen in 1912. There were five children, of which Pasquale was the eldest. Emilio was largely self-educated and fluent in English, French and Italian.
“The portrait of Emilio Galardo, made by day light is a fine example of the use of blinds and head screens as well as positioning of figure. …”
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