Introduction

The Canadian Illustrated News site is a selection of almost 4000 images of people, places and events across Canada and around the world taken from the popular 19th-century magazine. Canadian Illustrated News was published in Montreal, Quebec by George Desbarats from 1869 to 1883 and was notable for its innovative use of half-tone photographs.

Experience a bird's eye view of Paris or Vienna. Contemplate Louis Riel's or Sir John A. MacDonald's portraits. Chuckle at the hapless experiences of boarders. Read how the Red River Rebellion or the Franco-Prussian War were reported. Revisit Canada's politics in the late 19^th century. See how life was lived in Canada's past!

Get a sense of the range of subjects covered by Canadian Illustrated News by browsing through the complete first and last issues of the magazine:
October 30, 1869      December 29, 1883