Item 55 - Alma Mater Society

Wallace R. Berry (1917-1999) was born and raised in Brantford Ontario. In 1937 he entered Queen's University graduating in 1942. While at Queen's he was coach and instructor for swimming and water polo and it was also during these years that he developed an interest in photography. After his graduation from Queen's, in 1942, Wally Berry entered the Royal Canadian Navy. Following the war Wally worked with a motion picture company in Montreal, Associated Screen News. Later he returned to Kingston and established Cinema Television Productions as an outlet for his ideas, as well as opening a photographic studio. Around 1971, he opened The Village Studio in Photography located in Portsmouth Village at 670 King St West. In addition to portraiture he did some freelance news and aerial photography. In 1951 he was appointed official photographer to the Queen's yearbook. In 1954, in addition to still photography, he began filming and latterly video taping Queen's football games. In fact he pioneered this work and it brought him membership in Queen's Football Hall of Fame, builder category. he was also awarded what is now known as the Padre Laverty Award from the Kingston Branch of the Queen's Alumni Association. He closed up his studios in 1996.