Fonds C 3 - Gilbert A. Milne fonds

Gilbert Alexander Milne (1914-1991) was a Toronto based professional photographer who operated his own studio and ran a national photographic service for the Canadian press.

He was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta where his father operated a photographic studio. In 1918, Milne Sr. relocated his family to Toronto. There, in 1922 he established a Toronto studio at 106 Yonge Street and a decade later, in partnership with Sir Ellsworth Flavelle, he opened another at 96 Yonge Street.

In 1930, Gilbert Milne joined the family photography business. During the 1930s, he also freelanced for the Toronto Daily Star. Later, after service in World War II as a lance corporal with the Toronto Scottish reserves, Milne obtained a commission in the Royal Canadian Navy as an official Navy photographer. In this capacity, he took some of the first Allied photographs of Normandy invasion. Milne later published numerous wartime photographs in his book, "H.M.C.S.: One Photographer's Impressions of the Royal Canadian Navy in World War II".

In 1945, Milne opened his own photographic studio. During the late 1940s and 1950s, he also ran a national photographic service for Canadian Press and is credited for setting up Canadian Press' national picture network and for introducing photographic innovations such as the mobile darkroom. Eventually, Milne gave up his Canadian Press contract and focussed on his commercial studio.

Milne received several honours in connection with his work. In 1966, he was awarded the Master of Photographic Arts Award from the Professional Photographers of Canada. Further, during the Canadian Centennial in 1967, the Milne studio was chosen to document "Canada and the Country".