User:KylePugh/sandbox

Article Evaluation

Article of choice: North-Western Territory

Observations:
 * While not everything is wholly relevant to the topic, a nice context is provided (such as the area not being clearly defined, giving some reason for the HBC to be using it), or it provides some sense of closure (such as giving a brief statement of what future land transfers would occur).
 * It is claimed that the British, at the time, did not try asserting power over the aboriginals. It would be interesting to see the FN opinion, as well as some sort of citation for it.
 * There are absolutely no citations in the article, which is disappointing, and calls into question validity over some of the lesser-known information or more specific information provided. What treaties of 1825 and 1839? What proof is there that the HBC had long been operating outside of its assigned territory? (I do not doubt it happened, but sources are needed).
 * There was, a decade ago, a fairly in-depth series of conversations regarding British territorial claims (2007), border treaties of the 1860s (2007), as a map depicting territorial boundaries (2008), all by someone who spent five years editing/updating the page. They all seem to be surrounding the history of the boundaries/borders, particularly with Russia and America. The discussions are rather detailed but, again, they lack any citations. (*Note*: There is a tendency to say something along the lines of "according to this treaty," but do not cite the relevant sections of the treaty, and instead sometimes link to the page on the treaty itself).
 * The article seems to be largely unbiased, as there is no blatantly obvious opinions being presented, but this is also conditional on my limited knowledge of the topic.

Peer Review:

This is a very well-written and well-organized draft. It is clear and unbiased. You have done some great research and have used your sources in a very balanced way. I did not find much to critique in content -this a very thorough article. You have a really good writing style: it is very readable, clear, and proper. One (minor) suggestion I have is to simplify some of your sentence structure. I found a couple of run-on sentences that you could break into shorter simple sentences (I highlighted a couple by changing the text to bold). I also removed a few unnecessary commas and changed some sentence structure (also in bold text). I am not sure what research there is on this topic, but if you came across anything on the impact that Hime's photography had on the perception of Western Canada, this might be a good addition.

Overall this is clearly a well-researched, scholarly contribution. I look forward to reading the final article!

Humphrey Lloyd Hime

Humphrey Lloyd Hime (17 September 1833 - 31 October 1903) was an Irish photographer, surveyor, and businessman who accompanied Henry Youle Hind on his 1858 Assiniboine and Saskatchewan Exploring Expedition, meant to assess the viability of settling Western Canada. '''After the expedition, Hime returned to Toronto and continued to work at the firm Armstrong, Beere and Hime, Civil Engineers Draughtsmen, and Photographists. The firm had produced the Armstrong, Beere and Hime panorama in 1857, the earliest known photographs of Toronto.'''

In 1860, Hime established his own brokerage firm despite having no experience in stocks or brokerage, a trait shared with nearly half of Toronto's brokers at the time. Hime joined the Toronto Stock Exchange the following year, remaining a member until its collapse in 1869, and joined its replacement in 1871 and retained his membership until 1898. As a member of the TSE, he held various executive positions including Committee Member, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President.

Early Life and Emigration to Canada

Hime was born in Moy, Co. Armagh, Ireland. At 15, he travelled to England to pursue an education in business and manufacturing. Moving to Canada in 1854, he soon acquired work with surveying crews in the Bruce Peninsula, working under W.H. Napier. In 1856, Hime joined the firm Armstrong and Beere, and by December of that year was made a junior partner with the firm changing its name to Armstrong, Beere and Hime. While the precise date is unknown, the firm produced four sets of photographs of the city of Toronto, either in 1856 or 1857, the first comprehensive series of photographs of the city. The sets were included in Toronto's unsuccessful application to the Colonial Office to become the capital of Canada.

The 1858 Hind Expedition

In 1858, Henry Youle Hind, a professor of geology at the University of Toronto, after leading an expedition the previous year, (I moved this clause from where you had it at the end of the sentence to make it flow better), was financed to undertake a second expedition to the western interior. The governments of Britain and Canada had already sent two expeditions to the west, led by Captain John Palliser and Hind, respectively, for surveying and environmental assessments to determine the habitability of the interior. Hime was approached by Hind in the Spring of 1858 and asked him to join the expedition as a photographer. It is speculated that Hind initially heard of Hime through Hime's business partner William Armstrong, who was a member of the Canadian Institute with Hind. The pair concluded negotiations in April, and Hime settled on the rate of £20 per month. Departing from Toronto on 29 April, the expedition moved to Detroit, through the Great Lakes to Grand Portage, where they canoed to Red River, arriving 1 June. Upon their arrival, Hime took the first photograph of western Canada. He brought with him over 200 glass plates required for photo development, but it is unknown exactly how many photographs were taken, and only eight survived to 1975. The expedition lasted until September and had long-standing effects on Canadian society. Hind described the "fertile belt" of the prairies and the forested region to the north, which fueled a growing Canadian expansionist movement.

Hime's performance on the expedition is subject to question. While Hind had initially been satisfied with Hime's conduct, he later wrote that Hime had "...neglected his duty, and proved a very undesirable companion on an expedition of this kind, retarding its progress and work." Hind did not elaborate in his complaints, but he may have been unsatisfied with the photographs Hime was taking, and the quality of those developed. With photography in its infancy, controlled environmental conditions (humidity, temperature) were critical for clear photographs. In the western interior, however, (I moved this from where you had it at the start of the sentence) these conditions could not be controlled, and Hime relied on stream water for developing his photographs.

Upon returning to Toronto, Hime returned to working with Armstrong, Beere and Hime, and was responsible for developing the photographs to be submitted with the final report. He enlisted the help of his partner Beere, charging $80 for the services. Hind did not approve of the additional costs, and would only pay half of the fee, resulting in legal action being taken.

Post-Expedition and the Toronto Stock Exchange

Hime continued to work with Armstrong, Beere and Hime until the firm's closure in 1861. In 1860, Hime had established his own brokerage firm despite having no previous experience in the field, something he shared with nearly half of the city's brokers. He became a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1861, holding various positions including Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Having no permanent headquarters,  the TSE bounced between various members' offices, including Hime's brokerage office. Hime was President at the time of the Exchange's collapse in 1869, by which time membership had dropped from twenty-four members to six. Hime joined the reborn Stock Exchange in 1871, and remained a member until his retirement in 1898. Hime died in 1903.

Peer Review

This is a very solid start on the article. I liked how much information you were able to provide about Hime's life, from his immigration to Canada to the career he had made for himself. One thing I think may be worth including is just why he was chosen by Hind to go on these expeditions? Did he offer some skill that nobody else could? Another area that could use some expansion is his post-expedition days. How did he go about setting up his own brokerage? How did he become the President of the Toronto stock exchange? What made him return to the stock exchange after it had already collapsed once? I think by answering these questions, you will have a very good article, not that you were already well on your way. I am not sure if it is possible, but if you could try to get more modern sources, I feel as though they would bolster your article. I like that you included a source from 2017. That has been very rare in the case of my article. Good luck with writing the rest of it!

Best,

Brendan Bell-Earle (talk) 00:42, 15 February 2018 (UTC)