David Ballantyne - Urban Prairies Photographs

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts, I traveled around the Canadian prairies photographing small towns. I concentrated my vision on the older, mainly commercial buildings. Many of these structures no longer exist and those that do have often been 'modernized' to such an extent that very little, if any, of their original character remains. The purpose of this project was to document the rapidly disappearing vernacular architecture of the rural Canadian prairies. What is shown here is just a small selection of the work. Various sizes available.

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Back Alley, Nanton, Alberta 1983	Shiny Building (Hockey Arena), Margaret, Manitoba 1983	Groceries and Hardware, Broadacres, Saskatchewan 1983	Gas, Broadacres, Saskatchewan 1983

Buckingham Cigarettes, Lougheed, Alberta 1983	Pink and Blue Wall, Lougheed, Alberta 1983	Main Street and Railroad Avenue, Leslieville, Alberta 1983	Alberta Pacific Grain Elevator, Hardisty, Alberta 1983

Beauty Parlour, Bently, Alberta 1983	Movieland, Gainsborough, Saskatchewan 1983	Quality Press, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan 1983	Yellow House Alley, Boissevain, Manitoba 1983

Street Scene, Clive, Alberta 1983	Robertson's Store, Huxley, Alberta 1983	Richardson's Bread, Medicine Hat, Alberta 1983	Holben's Funeral Chapel, Galahad, Alberta 1983

Champion Plugs, Medicine Hat, Alberta 1983	Bawlf Community Hall, Bawlf, Alberta 1983	Street Scene, Gadsby, Alberta 1983	Shop Door, Fleet, Alberta 1983

Precious Cargo Transport, Gleichen, Alberta 1983	Pool Hall, Broadacres, Saskatchewan 1983	Neal's Auto, Gleichen, Alberta 1983	Masonic Hall, Forestburg, Alberta 1983

Gent's Furnishings, Botha, Alberta 1983	Abandoned Gas, Fleet, Alberta 1983	Dairy King, Swift Current, Saskatchewan 1983	Ye Ole Ice Cream Shoppe, Gadsby, Alberta 1983

Martin's General Store, Leslieville, Alberta 1983	Gas Station, Rimbey, Alberta 1983	James Gibson Merchant, Botha, Alberta 1983	Modern Cafe Rear, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan 1983

Moose Jaw Alley, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan 1983	Corner Clapboard, Piapot, Saskatchewan 1983	Truck Route, Cereal, Alberta 1983