In the spring of 1914, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [1859–1930] (of Sherlock Holmes fame) was invited to travel on the newly opened Grand Trunk Pacific Railway from Montreal to Jasper National Park. Conan Doyle accepted the invitation, and he and his wife, Jean Leckie, conducted the trip between May and July, 1914. The point of the expedition was to promote the Canadian West and its newly minted national park.

The official photographer for the journey was the celebrated William James Topley. [1845–1930]. Topley’s son-in-law, Robert Chamberlain Westover Lett [1870–1957], held a prominent position with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and persuaded him to photograph Conan Doyle’s travels.

On June 11, Conan Doyle and his wife travelled to the town of Jasper. A special train was organized to take the Doyle party to visit the area near Mount Robson [1] [2].