'Big dreams from small places': A photographer's love letter to rural Alberta

A distinguished, award-winning Calgary photographer has published a love letter to small town Alberta in a photo essay with four decades of images.

George Webber's photos typically end up in places like the National Archives, the Glenbow Museum or the Art Gallery of Alberta. But 251 of them dating back to 1979 are now showcased in Alberta Book.

"I was born in Drumheller in 1952," Webber told The Homestretch, of his small town inspiration for his latest of many books.

"My parents were married in the church. I saw my first movie at the Napier Theatre. It's really in my blood. I feel an incredible connection not only to Drumheller, but to all of the little towns that constitute a big part of this province."

Many of the images seem to show a vitality, but at times in the rear view mirror.

"That's kind of a part of the DNA of the province. That's the way it was in the Depression era. Some people might say it's like that today, but there's a resilience which is part of the provincial character. People starting with big dreams from small places andenduring through difficulties," Webber said.

"Some of these little places have disappeared but there's just that quality of heroism and optimism that got things started here and it goes through ups and downs but it always comes back and serves us well."

Photographic technology has changed a lot since the late 1970swhen he started out, but Webber says there are some constants.

"A lot of the early photographs were taken with Kodachrome slide film, scanned and then digitized for the book. Work from the mid-2000s was digital but my choice of lenses, composition, approach to what I photographed I've tried to use a classic, simple, straightforward and respectful approach to what I photograph so those habits have stayed with me," he said.

Alberta Book ended up having more images than originally planned.

"I looked at things like thematic unity, colour unity, subject and that sort of thing. Originally, the book was going to be 200 photographs. But I couldn't get it down, and the publisher generously cut me some slack. So 251 made the final cut," Webber said.

And themes, over the years, began to come into focus.

"The commercial signs you'll see in these small communities speak eloquently about the ravages of time but they also talk about the way products were distributed. There's the classic Coke signs. How did some little company in Georgia with some secret formula embed its heart into places like Craigmyle, Alberta, right?"

Webber says, even in a world of iPhones and Instagram, there is a place for the enduring hard copy.

"The idea that work which might have a future, a value and a meaning, stuff that is well taken care of and accessible that still makes the printed book valuable to me."

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Who left a dead newborn in a parking lot last Christmas remains a mystery
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Why parents and wheelchair users want these barriers removed from Calgary walkways
• Read more articles by CBC Calgary, like us on Facebook for updates and subscribe to our CBC Calgary newsletter for the day's news at a glance.

With files from The Homestretch.