Pitton family portrait, Powell River, BC, 1924

Black and white studio portrait of the Pitton family taken in Powell River, BC in 1924. Antonio and Antonia Pitton stand on either side of a wrought iron chair. Their two daughters stand on the chair; Nellie is standing in the back wearing a dark coloured dress, while her sister Armida is in the front wearing white.

Antonia Pitton (née Montico) met Antonio Pitton in Italy while he was serving in the Italian Army during World War I. The couple married in Italy and soon after Antonio migrated to Canada to set up a home for the family. Antonia Pitton migrated to Canada to join her husband in 1921, along with their young daughter Nellie. The family first settled in Paul River and then moved to Vancouver.

Nellie began working for the Italian Consulate in Vancouver during the 1930s. It is due to her work at the Consulate that Nellie was declared an enemy alien by the Canadian government during World War II. She was required to report monthly to the local authorities.