Man identified after Royal BC Museum receives mysterious delivery of old photographs
The Royal BC Museum says one person has been identified after the museum received a box of old photographs simply labelled "Brentwood Bay" by an anonymous donor.
On July 23, the museum turned to the community to try to identify the people in the seven photos, noting that the "Brentwood Bay" label could mean anything from the location of where the photos were taken, where the donor was from or where the subjects were from.
On Friday, the museum said a prominent entrepreneur, Thomas Blake Glover, had been identified in one of the photos.
According to the museum, Glover was a Scottish merchant who moved to Nagaski, Japan in 1859. He moved to the city to manage the office branch of a British trading house, says the Royal BC Museum (RBCM).
During his time there, he worked with the founders of Japanese company Mitsubishi, including brothers Yataro Iwasaki and Yanosuke Iwasaki.
The museum says the other four men in the photo have not yet been identified, though they could be colleagues of the Iwasakis.
"We want to thank everyone for their patience. While we’ve suspected for some time that Thomas Blake Glover was one of the figures in the photographs, we needed to independently corroborate this idea to be certain," said the museum in a social media post Friday.
The museum believes that the photo was likely taken at Glover's home in Nagasaki, which has gone on to become a park and tourist attraction.
The RBCM adds that the lion statue shown in the left of the photograph, called a "komainu" in Japanese, may be a precursor design for the logo of Kirin Beer, which Glover "played a role in founding with the Iwasaki family."
"Thanks to additional community sleuthing, we now have strong leads to guide our next steps, which includes researching how these photos came to be on South Vancouver Island and, ultimately, at the museum."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.