When visitors came to Copper Island, a common activity was to browse through Nelson's several photo albums.
The album he is showing is now lost. Notice that it contains a photo of the front of the first cradle he made (inset). Photo from Bamfield Museum and Archives.
As with many albums, most pages were filled with family photos, the most pertinent of which I included in the book. Madge allowed me to photograph Nelson's only surviving album, and I thought a few of the pages might be of interest. Here they are:
A sketch of Nelson and Snuggles by an unknown artist.
I assume that many people sent Nelson photos they had taken of him and Mina.
Some dear friends, including Ron Pollock, who often brought random useful objects with him.
The Covenant was the mission boat operated by the group that formed the Wilderness Retreat Society, to which Nelson sold his property for a loonie to start a camp that still operates today.
Nelson sometimes used an ancient instant Polaroid camera. Here are his photos of our visit in 1986 with our 8-month-old son, who is now 38.
A Christmas visit with Don and Patty Cameron, a few years after they had lived with Nelson. That's the frozen waterfall at Pebble Beach.
I assume the house is a cake someone made for Nelson. Again, the frozen waterfall at Pebble Beach. He bought nearby Davies Island at the same time as the property on Copper Island, and later sold it.
Photos, letters and memories of Nelson continue to surface! Please don't hesistate to contact me if you discover anew any old thing related to Copper Island. Coming up: A newly found letter with a sketch of a machine Nelson hoped to build. And a photo essay on the island where Nelson met Mina, and the manner of life that she lived there.
