In 1920, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) celebrated its 250th anniversary through national and international events, as well as honours and benefits for its employees. The year 1920 was an important moment for the HBC, as it underwent institutional change to support the expansion of its department store operations through public relations and advertising strategies. Central to these strategies was an emphasis on the HBC’s central role in Canadian nation formation, and in particular its fur trade history. This article discusses the use of photography in the HBC’s 250th anniversary celebrations through an analysis of photographs of fur. I trace photographic representations of fur through three moments: in the process of extraction (as trapped animal or dead pelt); in the process of preparation (as Indigenous bush labour); and in the process of consumption (as fur goods in a department store window). While the fur trade was declining in significance at the time of the 250th anniversary celebrations, its symbolic status was essential to the Company’s burgeoning retail operations. In this article, I argue that the photograph of fur replaced the fur pelt as the central trade item of the HBC, and, further, that photography fused together nationalist and capitalist expansion in Canada.

中文翻译：

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Pro Pelle Cutem：为 Hudson's Bay Company 在加拿大的 250 周年庆典拍摄皮草

1920 年，哈德逊湾公司 (HBC) 通过国内和国际活动以及为员工提供荣誉和福利来庆祝其成立 250 周年。1920 年对 HBC 来说是一个重要的时刻，因为它经历了体制变革，以通过公共关系和广告策略来支持其百货商店业务的扩张。这些战略的核心是强调 HBC 在加拿大国家形成中的核心作用，尤其是其毛皮贸易历史。本文通过对毛皮照片的分析，讨论了摄影在 HBC 250 周年庆典中的使用。我通过三个时刻追踪毛皮的摄影表现：在提取过程中（如被困动物或死皮）；在准备过程中（作为土著丛林劳动）；以及在消费过程中（如百货商店橱窗中的皮草商品）。虽然在 250 周年庆典之际，毛皮贸易的重要性正在下降，但其象征地位对公司蓬勃发展的零售业务至关重要。在这篇文章中，我认为毛皮照片取代了毛皮成为 HBC 的中心贸易项目，而且，这种摄影将加拿大的民族主义和资本主义扩张融合在一起。