Many years ago, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Crime Detection Laboratories1 sponsored a series of Seminars relating to forensic science and two of those events, RCMP Seminars 4 and 5, focused on forensic document examination; a.k.a., questioned document examination.

The first seminar, #4, was entitled “The Examination of Questioned Documents” and it was held May 10-11, 1956 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada at R.C.M.P. Headquarters.  In 1958, again in Ottawa and at the same location, seminar #5 was held Oct 27 through Nov 1. The second seminar was entitled “Questioned Documents in Crime Detection”.  Both seminars were attended by several R.C.M.P. examiners and many invited guests from various laboratories around the world as well as several well-known private examiners. The event produced several interesting papers and each of the resulting books of proceedings included a photograph of attendees together with their names and affiliations. Each of the proceedings was published by the Federal Queen’s Printer, Ottawa, Canada.

A number of document examiners have asked about the photograph and attendees because often the photograph has been distributed without the accompanying attendee information.

Physical copies of the proceedings are difficult to come by. A while ago I got ahold of some good-quality copies of these seminars.  Not in perfect shape as the cover images show, but still very good.

RCMP Seminar #4 book cover
RCMP Seminar #4
RCMP Seminar #5 book cover
RCMP Seminar #5

Each book included an image of attendees along with their names and affiliations.  For the purpose of aiding future research and as a public service, I have decided to post the two images, one from each meeting. I have tried to reproduce the image and information faithfully though the text had to be re-typed due to staining on the original material that made some entries rather difficult to read.

Neither photograph included an actual photographer’s credit, but it is very likely that they were taken by the R.C.M. Police photographer at the Ottawa Laboratory.

Please note that these images remain under copyright of the Crown (Government of Canada). More specifically, these two reproductions are copies of an official work published by the Government of Canada and they have not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Government of Canada.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Attendees at RCMP Seminar #4, 1956, Ottawa, ON
R.C.M. Police Seminar #4, Ottawa, Ontario. 1956.
Attendees at RCMP Seminar #5, 1958, Ottawa, ON
R.C.M. Police Seminar #5, Ottawa, ON. 1958.

 

Footnotes

  1. Now part of the National Police Services and known as the National Forensic Laboratory Services.

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