James William Topley was a photographer born in Montreal in February 1845. He was the son of Jon Topley and Anna Delia Harrison, and grew up in Aylmer, Quebec. He was most likely introduced to photography by his mother, and began a career as a photographer in 1863. By 1864, he had an apprenticeship at William Notman, where he became the first manager of Notman's Ottawa studio in 1868. In 1875, Topley left Notman and opened his own studio. By the late 1870s, Topley had been made the official photographer to Governor General Lord Lorne, and was doing good business in portraiture and scenic views. In the 1870s, Topley employed his brother Horatio and John. Topley's son, William DeCourcy, was also involved in the business and eventually took over the studio. The business was sold off in 1923 and closed in 1926. Topley died several years later, in 1930. Topley's studio collection was sold to the Public Archives of Canada (Library and Archives Canada) in 1936.