Lake Louise Alberta by Mary E. Vaughan No. 51 Postcard SP25

This card caught my attention today because it's the first postcard I've seen by Mary E. Vaughan of Philadelphia.

Naturally, I did a little digging. A search turned up a few other cards from the same series, including this view and No. 39 that I found preserved in the University of Alberta's Peel's Prairie Provinces collection.

A dive into Philadelphia photographic archives and online references came up empty. So far, I haven't found any evidence that Mary E. Vaughan worked professionally as a photographer or publisher, nor have I uncovered any biographical information that can be confidently tied to the postcards.

I did find a grave record in Chester County, Pennsylvania, that may belong to her, though there is no occupation listed:

Mary E. Vaughan
Born 12 February 1862
Died 7 August 1928
Buried at Rosedale Friends Cemetery, West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

My guess is that Vaughan was an enthusiastic amateur photographer who traveled to the Banff and Lake Louise region and, like so many visitors before and since, was captivated by the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. Perhaps she decided to share those experiences through a series of postcards produced from her photographs.

Of course, that's only speculation on my part. For now, Mary E. Vaughan remains something of a mystery, and I'll keep looking for more clues. In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful 1911 view of Lake Louise.