1

The Bay
October, 1894
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Marshall's Bay is names after John Marshall who operated a forge in the northwest corner of Fitzroy Township from 1825 to about 1860. 'The Bay', as Charles Macnamara called it, stretches from Goodwin's Bay to the lower bay near the mouth of the Mississippi river. The first cottage was built around 1884 by R. G. Moles, a former Reeve of Arnprior. Richard Macnamara built their cottage in 1894. It remains with the family, 100 years later.

3

Charles Macnamara at his cabin
August, 1912
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Charles Macnamara was forty two years old when this photograph was taken. The cabin became a peaceful refuge at the Bay during the summer months and a welcome shelter from the elements during his winter walks.

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Charles Macnamara's cabin
October, 1910
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Macnamara designed the cabin which is almost square in proportion He photographed the logs being towed down the river from McLachlin's in August 1910 and every stage of the cabin's construction until its completion three months later. The builders from left to right were: Baptiste Charbonneau, Severe St. Jules, Eugene Grenier, Edward Diener, Henry Malette and John Rowe (chimney mason).

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Ojibway motto
November, 1914
Arnprior, Ontario, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


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The Ojibway motto; "No-pim-ing en-dad ondiji ja-wen-imid" or "The dweller in the woods is always happy" is written here in Charles Macnamara's small, leather notebook This motto is inscribed on the fireplace mantle in Charlie's cabin.

9

Charles Macnamara in cabin
1910
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Charles Macnamara's great niece, Alison Stein, wrote an article about the log cabin for The Lady's-Slipper in 1992.
"He seemed to take a real interest in providing the cabin with amenities. He bought the Quebec style furniture from a furniture maker in Hull. He painted the spokes of the chairs in alternating colours of yellow and green to go with the set of tin pots and pans tha hung on the wall. At times, the paint job appeared garish, but when asked about his decorating style, he said, "This is to please the shantyman in me!".

11

Marshall's Bay
October, 1896
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Charles Macnamara's earliest photographs of Marshall's Bay were taken in 1894. Richard Macnamara purchased the Bay property from Thomas Elliott in 1893; one year later than his friend David M. Finnie purchased the adjacent lot from William Willis. This photograph shows Charles looking towards the 'Upper Bay' and Mohr's point.

13

Marian Macnamara, Jim Cranston and Musie Lett swimming at ''The Camp''
11 August 1895
Marshalls Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Charles Macnamara captured a humorous moment between his sister Marian and friends Jim Cranston and Musie Lett. Many similar images are contained in four albums of black and white, sepia toned and cyanotype prints which cover the period from 1894 - 1896. They are preserved with the rest of Macnamara's collection at the Arnprior & District Archives.