Capturing a Legacy

Gushul Photography Studio, N.D.  
Vern Decoux photo of the Gushul’s Studio. This iconic space was restored by the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation in 1985. Image courtesy Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa, 20151020306 

The legacy of Evan Gushul extends throughout southern Alberta. As the son of Ukrainian immigrants, Evan grew up with a profound appreciation for his Ukrainian roots. The Gushul children attended music lessons, Ukrainian language classes, and Ukrainian dance classes, with his parents instilling in him the values of hard work and perseverance. Throughout his life, Evan applied these lessons, forging a storied career of his own.

Evan Gushul, June 21, 1980 
Evan Gushul poses with the photos that won him the William V. Gordon Award for Advancement in Biological Photography. Image courtesy Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa, 19911076112308310 

Raised in the Gushul Photo Studio, Evan was immersed in the world of photography. At the age of six, he began assisting his mother, Lena, during her portrait sessions and learned to craft glass frames and mattes for the studio. Evan's matting and framing services became popular staples of the business. Continuously experimenting with new photography techniques, his innovations in camera design marked a turning point in his career.

Sharing his father Thomas's curiosity about wide-angle photography, Evan collaborated with him to create a revolutionary camera lens. Their innovation led to the capture of the first panoramic photograph of the entire Frank Slide in a single image. Like his father, Evan's work gained widespread recognition and admiration, with his photographs featured in newspapers across southern Alberta, spanning from community members to plant and animal life in the Crowsnest Pass. However, it was his nature photographs that garnered particular attention.

In 1955, Evan assumed the role of Head Photographer for the Lethbridge Research Station (Experimental Farm), responsible for documenting the station's scientific research through photography. His images played a crucial role in the study of insects at the station. During a winter research project, Evan invented a camera lens capable of photographing immature mosquitoes in their natural habitat, even enduring temperatures as low as -40°C. His innovations in camera techniques and designs revolutionized the biological photography community, earning him the William V. Gordon Award for Advancement in Biological Photography in 1979.

Evan played a key role in the donation of the Gushul Photo Studio to the University of Lethbridge. Today, The Gushul Residency Program operates out of the studio, hosting over 200 artists, scholars, and other international professionals. In 2014, Evan Gushul received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Crowsnest Historical Society.

Evan Gushul, 2009
View of the Canadian Pacific Railway High Level Bridge illuminated in celebration of the structure's 100th anniversary. The sculpture made to celebrate the bridge's anniversary is in the foreground. Image courtesy Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa, 20101014002

The legacy of Evan Gushul persists in southern Alberta and the biological photography community. Explore more about Evan Gushul with the exhibit Transplanted Sunflowers: The Ukrainian Immigrant Experience in Southern Alberta from the 1940s to Present, currently showcased at the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa (eternal gathering place)!