b'HISTORIC SCUGOGby J. Peter HvidstenIt all started in Prince Albert in 1863The first known photographer to venture north into Reach Township was Bryant F. Bradley. He arrived in Prince Albert in May 1861 and rented a large commodious room with a skylight, above a store at the corner of King and Old Simcoe St., and advertised a picture with likenesses twice as natural as life.Five years after arriving, on New Years day 1866, he married Catharine Walker, a Reach Township girl. Bryant decided to return to the United States, and in November 1866 they sold their home and household furnishings by public auction. Strangely, instead of continuing his career as a photographer, after settling in Grove Lake, Minnesota, he took up farming.Before the Bradleys left Prince Albert, and possibly one of the reasons they decided to move, was due to another photographer, T. Chesterfield, setting up in the village just months before they moved.There is virtually no information about Timothy Chesterfield who opened his Picture Gallery in February 1866. His advertisement announces he has opened his gallery over Cowans store in the village. But just as surprising as his opening, was his selling the business less than a year later.The new owner was Henry McKenzie, who a few months after taking over Chesterfields gallery and renaming it McKenzies Gallery, moved to Port Perry where he opened McKenzie Photograph Rooms.50FOCUS - OCTOBER 2021'