Elias Breidford
Elias Breidford was born April 6, 1900, in Southern Manitoba, Canada, to August and Margret Breidford, both of whom immigrated from Iceland. When only three months of age, Elias contracted polio, which left him partially paralyzed. Despite his limited mobility, Elias was described as a resourceful and mechanically inclined child, who was good at repairing clocks and other mechanisms. At age 17, he built himself a three-wheeled bicycle that was propelled by a hand crank. By this time, his parents had moved their eight children to Blaine, WA to escape the harsh Manitoba winters, and Elias used the bike to explore his adopted hometown. Although Elias had been taking photos since age 13, his new found freedom fueled a growing interest in photography.
A Man of Many Talents
Given his physical limitations, Elias' family encouraged him to become a jeweler and watchmaker. After apprenticing several years, he went to work for a watchmaker in Burlington, WA, where he repaired railroad watches and train clocks. "Then," according to Elias, "I suddenly decided photography was much more interesting than jewelry." Elias learned the basics of professional photography by hanging around George Schank's photography studio in Blaine. In 1928, Elias purchased his own studio in Blaine and quit work as a jeweler to be a full-time photographer. He used his engineering talents to construct much of his own photographic equipment, including a tripod that fit in the window of his car; an enlarger and contact holder; and even a camera from scratch. Elias' subjects were varied, but he may be best known for his photographs of the Peace Arch, which he shot from virtually all angles and in every light.
In addition to photography, Elias was also passionate about music. He was choir director for 51 years at Blaine's Free Unitarian Church, and directed and sang with the Bellingham Norwegian Men's Chorus. He was President of the local Lion's Club chapter for several years and a member of Blaine's Historical Society. He set up a letter writing campaign during World War II, encouraging people to write and send care packages to Blaine soldiers that included photographs he took of their families and the area.
An Enduring Legacy
In the 1950s, for health reasons, Elias sold his studio; a sale that included many of his photographic negatives. Sadly, the new owner discarded them in the bay. What remained were only the photographs in Elias' private collection. Undaunted, Elias continued to photograph and collect photographs of Blaine, its people, and its environs. All told, he pursued his interest in photography for more than 70 years. Before Elias' death in 1986, he quipped, "When we [photographers] leave, we leave stuff people will be looking at for years and years … I have just a big enough ego to think that's great!" Years later, we are thankful for Elias' foresight and photographic legacy.
The Elias Breidford Collection was donated to the Whatcom Museum in 2005, a gift of the Breidford family.
Source: Nelson, Sonja. (1982, July 28) Breidford Records History in Photos. Westside Record-Journal, Annual Old Settlers Edition.
Curated and written by Kristin Converse
