A meta-realist origin story (1851 – present)
by Christian Joore
This blog uncovers the remarkable, poignant legacy of William Percival Pyle: a man caught in a ghost story. One that intertwines farming, photography, baking, and the occult.
The Totem and the Bunny-Man The Farm, Bakery and Studio were the busiest they’ve ever been. And with Margaret gone, William began hiring people to help out, which was easy for William as his reputation attracted...
The Camera and the Chemist, the Picselles and the Pies: William first encountered photography at the county fair in 1860. A travelling photographer had wheeled his wagon over near the livestock pens, advertising 25 cents per...
Reading Margaret's Diary William recalls: It took me a year to open her Diary. Grief has its own timing. I needed the shock to wear off, to build my emotional armour; opening it too soon was like reopening...
A Fiddler in the Orchard It was late October, and William was in the barn preparing batches of cider for winter storage, when Henry came for a visit. “Is that cider ready yet?” Henry said jokingly, entering...
The Visitor It was the winter of 1892, and the county was silent as snow lay thick across the fields. William sat alone in the parlour, beside an oil lamp, flipping through a box of tintypes on...
From the memoirs of Henry Whitcomb: An Ontario woodsman remembering William Percival Pyle. Henry Whitcomb writes: I knew William well. We spoke often and had a good friendship. He would invite my family and I over for...
Down by the river Turbulent days for Margaret & William Farming is a constant struggle. Physically taxing and a strain financially. Margaret decided to get a job in town, just three days a week. She left before...