Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Hooking Away

Dale Wells assembles her mat hooking frame, St. Anthony. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Today's Folklore Photos come from St. Anthony collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. St. Anthony is located on the northeastern tip of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula. This site was first given the name of 'St. Anthony Haven' in 1532, for the way in which the area operated as a safe landing point for fishing fleets. The region was initially settled based on the fact that there were rich cod fishing grounds in the vicinity, a move that helped to establish a productive fishery that would last for several centuries. Despite the eventual collapse of the cod fishery, St. Anthony has had many development successes, making it a vital service center for residents of the broader GNP region.

Another important feature of St. Anthony is the community's historic affiliation with the legacy of Dr. Grenfell. Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1865-1940) - a British doctor-arrived in St. Anthony in 1892 as a medical missionary, sent by The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. Within a year of his arrival, Dr. Grenfell commenced building a medical system that eventually grew to serve the regions of Northern Newfoundland and Labrador. As his medical mission grew, his mandate expanded to include the development of schools, cooperatives, industrial work projects, an orphanage, and other social programs. One such program involved utilizing local textile-based craft skills to help sustain the region's economy. Grenfell style embroidered coats and hooked rugs with Grenfell inspired designs are being produced by residents of the Great Northern Peninsula to this day. These objects are now referred to as being a part of the 'Grenfell tradition' and can be seen and purchased at Grenfell Handicrafts, located in St. Anthony.

The St. Anthony inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as patchwork quilts, knitted items, and Grenfell-style hooked rugs. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Dale Wells about quilting and knitting click here.

A nautical themed quilt made by Dale Wells, St. Anthony. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

A tie dyed quilted wall hanging made by Dale Wells, St. Anthony. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Grand Falls-Windsor Memories Mug Up - Roy Oldford

Storytellers on stage.

On Friday, July 13, as part of the celebrations for Salmon Festival the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society hosted their second annual Memories Mug Up at the Classic Theatre on High Street. About a hundred audience members came out to listen to the six storytellers share their memories of growing up in Grand Falls-Windsor. The session was moderated by Mary Kelly, a recently retired teacher and member of the heritage society.

There were stories about growing up in during the Second World War, the newspaper industry, memories of High Street and Main Street, and stories about the paper mill. Today's story comes from Roy Oldford:

View of the Classic Theatre.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep120 Local experiences and fishcakes

Kelly Mansell is an owner, as well as sales and marketing manager, for the popular Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food on Water Street. She has a long history of creativity in entrepreneurship and, besides her bakery, she is also involved as a partner in the Toronto-based Comrags boutique and its acclaimed fashion line. She has worked as an account director and public relations consultant for several PR firms on international tourism accounts and, most recently for PraxisPR. In this episode, Kelly talks about how she came to Newfoundland to start the bakery, and her desire to create a space were people wanted to hang out. This summer, Kelly has all sorts of programs and events on the go, including “Fishcakes & Accordions” every Tuesday and “Fishing for Success” every Wednesday. Kelly also gave us a sneak preview of Rocket’s new space in Churchill Square, which she affectionately dubs “baby Rocket.” You can find more Rocket Bakery’s events and programs online here.

Download MP3



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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Lassy Days Photo Scanning Party, Spaniard's Bay

Church of the Holy Redeemer, Church of England, Spaniard's Bay, with car leaving church grounds, circa 1947.
The Rooms VA 15D-25.3.

Do you have an old photo album that might include images from Spaniard’s Bay?

During the town’s Lassy Days celebrations, the Spaniard’s Bay Heritage Society is hosting a scanning party, to help save and share old photos for all to see.

The society is looking for old photos of Spaniard’s Bay, from the 1880s to the 1980s, including anything showing old buildings, garden parties, family reunions, or cars decorated for weddings. The event will be hosted in partnership with the intangible cultural heritage office of Heritage NL.

“We want to see those snapshots Nan kept in the old biscuit tin in the closet,” says folklorist Dale Jarvis with the Heritage NL. “Sometimes photos from the 1970s and ‘80s include buildings or structures that have been torn down, so even if they aren’t ancient photographs, they can still help us document changes to the community.”

Jarvis and Spaniard’s Bay Heritage Society workers will be on site to scan the photographs and ask questions about who or what is in the photo. If you bring your own USB flash drive, you can take home a digital copy as well as your original photographs.

The digital copies will be used by the society, shared on Facebook with the owner’s permission, and a copy will be uploaded to Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative, which is indexed and archived for history buffs everywhere to see.

So go ahead and dig out those old photos, and come out Wednesday, August 8th, at 7pm for tea, treats, and a chat. The scanning party will take place at the Wesley Gosse Heritage Museum, located in the former United Church, 6 Church Hill, across from the Harold Gosse Park and Gazebo.

Update from the St. James Anglican Cemetery project, Carbonear

Last year, Heritage NL was asked by one of our Registered Heritage Structures, St. James Anglican in Carbonear, to give some advice on their cemetery cleanup project (see past blog entries here). A year into the project, they've made great strides to cut back invasive bushes and trees, trim rose bushes, and expose some hidden stones and markers.  A big shout out to Judy Symonds who has taken the lead on this project, and to last year's summer students for their excellent and careful work.

Yesterday, I was back in Carbonear to help give some training on this summer's phase of the project. The cemetery has been partially mapped, with the majority of the pre-1900s graves transcribed. Several plots were left unfinished, and there are quite a few 20th century grave markers that have not been recorded at all. So I worked with their current batch of summer students, and taught them how to use the Marker Record Form designed by the Family History Society.  The goal is to finish recording the south half of the cemetery.

One of the intriguing finds made this year was of a First World War Memorial Plaque (sometimes called a Dead Man's Penny) firmly mounted on concrete. The plaques were issued to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war, but it is rare to see one used as a cemetery memorial.

The plaque bears the name William Stephenson, who might possibly be this person:
https://www.therooms.ca/sites/default/files/stephenson_william_3737.pdf

More to come as research and documentation continue!

If you want to learn more about the process of cemetery transcription, we are holding a Cemetery Transcription Bee Thursday, August 9th, 2018 at 9am in partnership with Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum. This combination workshop/documentation project will instruct participants on how to transcribe grave markers. You’ll learn about the DOs and DON’Ts of recording inscriptions, tombstone symbols and stone types, how to fill out cemetery marker forms, and assist the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum in collecting tombstone information at the St. Francis of Assisi RC Cemetery.  Pre-registration required (right here!)

Origin of the word "Bee" (the work party, not the insect)

DID YOU KNOW?

Origin of the word “Bee”

“Because the word describes people working together in a social group, a common false etymology is that the term derives from the insect of the same name and similar social behavior. According to etymological research recorded in dictionaries, the word probably comes from dialectal been or bean (meaning "help given by neighbors"), which came from Middle English bene (meaning "prayer", "boon" and "extra service by a tenant to his lord")”

Source: Wikipedia


We're organizing a work party of our own, part bee, part workshop, on how to transcribe tombstone inscriptions. You can read all about that right here.

Photo: Digby County, Nova Scotia quilting bee

Grand Falls-Windsor Memories Mug Up - Barbara Smith

Storytellers on stage.

On Friday, July 13, as part of the celebrations for Salmon Festival the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society hosted their second annual Memories Mug Up at the Classic Theatre on High Street. About a hundred audience members came out to listen to the six storytellers share their memories of growing up in Grand Falls-Windsor. The session was moderated by Mary Kelly, a recently retired teacher and member of the heritage society.

There were stories about growing up in during the Second World War, the newspaper industry, memories of High Street and Main Street, and stories about the paper mill. Today's story comes from Barbara Smith:

View of the Classic Theatre.

The Outer Cove Cemetery Transcription Bee! August 9th

Thursday, August 9th, 2018
9am-12pm
Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum
744 Logy Bay Road, Logy Bay

(backup rain date: August 16th, 2018)

This combination workshop/documentation project will instruct participants in how to transcribe grave markers. You’ll learn about the DOs and DON’Ts of recording inscriptions, tombstone symbols and stone types, how to fill out cemetery marker forms, and assist the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum in collecting tombstone information at the St. Francis of Assisi RC Cemetery. Participants will take a walk about the cemetery and then will record contemporary grave markers, as part of the Museum’s ongoing project to maintain a database of cemetery inscriptions.

The workshop component will take place at the LBMCOC Museum, followed by fieldwork at the nearby cemetery. Participants should bring comfortable closed-toe shoes/boots, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring their own bug spray/sunscreen.  This event is a partnership between Heritage NL and the LBMCOC Museum.

Cost: $10 (includes refreshments, instruction, and materials)

Pre-registration required at www.heritagenl.ca

Proposed Audience: heritage and church volunteers, genealogists, researchers

Biography of presenter:
Dale Jarvis is the Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the province of NL, helping communities safeguard traditional culture. Dale holds a BSc in Anthropology/Archaeology (Trent), and a MA in Folklore (Memorial). He has worked for Heritage NL since 1996, and is Adjunct Faculty with the Memorial University Department of Folklore. He regularly teaches on oral history, cultural documentation, and public folklore.


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For more information:

Katie Crane
Museum Coordinator
Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum
lbmcocmuseum@gmail.com

(709) 726-5272

Living Heritage Podcast Ep119 A giant garden party

Chris Neary is President of the 2018 Royal St. John’s Regatta, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. In the past nine years, Chris has worn many hats with the Regatta. He’s been Vice President and Captain of the Course, Commutations Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. Chris is also an avid rower and has competed in many regattas across the province, including the Placentia and Harbour Grace Regattas, Fogo Island Punt Race, Canadian Henley Regatta, and Atlantic Championships. In this episode, Chris talks about the history of the Regatta, beginning with recreational races in the 1700s and the earliest known document announcing the St. John’s Royal Regatta in 1818. The Regatta isn’t just about sport- Chris also describes how the Regatta came to be the “a giant garden party,” with games of chance, food, and live music. The 2018 Regatta is the largest in history with 156 teams competing in 36 races. To learn more about the Royal St. John’s Regatta, visit the website here.

Download MP3



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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

What to do with those buckets of capelin

This pair found a quiet spot along the beach at Middle Cove, despite the crowds. (Photo on Saturday, July 14, 2018).

As many Newfoundlanders know, July is the time to watch the capelin roll. These small, sardine-like fish swarm the beaches in early summer to spawn. Crowds gather to collect the fish with buckets and nets. As a come-from-away who has been offered capelin from the freezer of more than one friend, I wondered; what’s the best way to cook capelin?

From the looks of it, simple, pan-fried capelin is best. Barbara Noel Drover out of Mount Pearl said:

I like to clean and then dust with flour and fry with a little bit of fat back ... leftovers clean and freeze in small batches.

Another option is to cook them right up over a fire on the beach, or salt them for later. Robin Dooley said:

I cook them fresh on a stick around a campfire with lots of friends of course lol, I also roll in flour, salt and pepper and fry in oil on the stove for a brunch or breakfast.

Some people salt or smoke and dry for preservation, and I especially like these on a stick over the campfire. I don’t know the exact method but I’ve been told the gist of it; you add fresh water to a big bucket, add fisherman’s salt until a potato floats in the briny, buoyant liquid and then add your capelin until the eyes turn white. Then arrange on a flake, in a good breeze to keep the flies away. They are ready when they are dry but still pliable. We store these in the freezer in bags to keep fresh, but some leave in the cupboard! *eww, I’m a wuss for botulism*

In these photos, shared by Scott Sparks, you can see that not much has changed since the 1950s down at Middle Cove during the capelin run. Sparks’ father, William Sparks (pictured below), was the school principal at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base from 1957 to 1960.

William Sparks and friends at Middle Cove Beach in the 1950s. (Photo courtesy of Scott Sparks).

William Sparks collecting capelin at Middle Cove Beach. (Photo Courtesy of Scott Sparks).

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Handmade Quilts and Guitars

Marie and Oliver Reid pose for a photo in their livingroom, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Today's Folklore Photos come from the Roddickton collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. Roddickton is a community located between Main Brook and Englee on the eastern side of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula.

This community got its start with help from the Grenfell Mission when in 1906, when they built a sawmill operation in the region. Setting up this land-based industry was a direct attempt to address the uncertainties of the fishing industry. Previous to this development, the Main Brook area was known as Easter Brook and was mostly used by residents of Englee as hunting and fishing grounds. The name Roddickton was given to the new settlement in honor of a Grenfell Mission supporter named Thomas G. Roddick. The town was officially incorporated under the name of Roddickton in 1953.

The sawmill history of Roddickton is one riddled with contrasting times of growth and decline. The original sawmill only lasted until the early 1920s-a closure that saw most of the residents evacuated. This economic slump was temporary, however, as within four years, the Bowater Company moved into Roddickton to establish new mill operations. This industry motivated consistent growth for the community until the 1970s when Bowater too, was forced to shut down. Roddickton now operates as a service center for the greater region, helping to sustain the local population.

The Roddickton inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as the Newfoundland Quilt, patch work quilts, and knitted items. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Marie and Oliver Reid about knitting, quilting, taxidermy, and homemade guitars click here.

A painted Newfoundland quilt made by Marie Reid, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

A guitar made by Oliver Reid, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up at Admiralty House

Memory Mug Up participants at Admiralty House Communications Museum.

On Wednesday, July 18th, Dale, Natalie, and I were out in Mount Pearl at Admiralty House Communications Museum for their first Memory Mug Up. The Mug Up was hosted by several staff members at Admiralty House and it focused on Mount Pearl memories.

A dozen people showed up to tell stories about climbing haystacks and stealing turnips from farmers' fields, swimming at Twin Falls, and flattening pennies on the railway track. The main memories people shared were about the sense of community and the strong relationships which developed in Mount Pearl.

There were several residents who moved to the community in the 1960s through the 1980s and discussed the development over the years. Another common memory which was shared was of time spent volunteering with different organizations. Several people mentioned the sport alliance, and the Frosty Festival and how volunteering for these events helped build the community spirit of Mount Pearl.

If you want to learn more about how to run a Memory Mug Up in your community check out our easy how-to-guide or contact Dale Jarvis at 739-1892 ex. 2 or dale@heritagenl.ca

Sharing stories and memories of Mount Pearl.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep118 Victoria Park Lantern Festival with Elizabeth Tuck

Elizabeth Tuck is the Coordinator for the 2018 Victoria Park Lantern Festival. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about how the 2018 festival is the biggest yet, with even more fire and light performances, workshops, musicians, volunteer opportunities, and chances to make your own lanterns. The Lantern Festival is celebrated the last Saturday of July every summer, from 2- 8 p.m. at Victoria Park in St. John’s, and is a free event.

Download MP3

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

How do you cook your capelin?

It's capelin season! I was down at Middle Cove last Saturday watching everyone with their nets and buckets. What is the best way to prepare and cook capelin? And what do you do with leftover fish?

Salmon Fishing #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy Daphne March.

This week's #FolklorePhoto is of Jeff and his father, Arthur Hodder. This was the first fish he ever caught on a salmon fishing trip with his father. Jeff recalls:

"I remember it was a pretty exciting time. I remember it was in the evening, and the sun was just setting. Everything was perfect. It was calm. And the next thing you know, I had this fish on. Was I excited! I remember mom squealing and getting the camera ready for a picture. Dad was saying 'Keep your pole up! Keep your pole up!' I landed him, I didn’t need anybody’s help. He netted it for me. I just remembered everything he told me, and he was there coaching me. It was pretty exciting. Needless to say, I was pretty proud at the end of that day. I woke up the next morning, and I figured I was old enough now to shave. I put Dad’s lather on my face, took the razor out. You know those old razors with the blade you’d put in? I took the blade out and started shaving. There is a picture of me shaving somewhere. That was the next day, I figured if I was man enough to catch a salmon, I was man enough to shave!"

Memory Mug Up - Bell Island U-boat Attacks & Sinkings, July 20

The two German U-boat attacks in 1942 sank four ore ships off Bell Island and left 70 sailors dead. Do you have memories or family stories you can share of the attacks or the sinkings? Or of the care of the survivors or the funerals for the dead? If so, then we would like to invite you to a Memory Mug Up at the Bell Island Community Museum on Friday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m.

The Memory Mug Up is an informal story-sharing session, where people gather, have a cup of tea, and share memories. The goal of the program is to help participants (especially seniors) share and preserve their stories.

Join folklorist Dale Jarvis of the NL Heritage Foundation and members of the Bell Island Heritage Society for an evening of memories. This event is part of a larger project which the Bell Island Heritage Society is working on with the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland & Labrador, to create a new website on the WWII sinkings and how they affected Bell Islanders.

To register for the Memory Mug Up, please call Teresita McCarthy at 709-488-2880 or email bellislandhs@nf.aibn.com

Facebook event listing

Living Heritage Podcast Ep117 Virtual Museums and Memory Mug Ups

Terra Barrett is a public folklorist with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. This week, Terra talks about a Virtual Museums Canada project in Grand Falls-Windsor, which will make oral histories and photographs from the town available online. Terra and Dale also talk about Memory Mug Ups, including a Mug Up in Grand Falls-Windsor and another on Bell Island, along with some tips and tricks for collecting stories. As part of her next project, Digital Storytelling, Terra will help community members tell stories by collecting and digitizing their photographs.

Download MP3


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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

New Broadcast Intern joins the Living Heritage Podcast

Good morning, Newfoundland and Labrador! You might not hear my voice on the radio, but this summer I’ll be at the ICH office bringing you the latest on heritage and culture in our province. We’ll be talking to artisans, craftspeople, musicians, and more about festivals, food, farmers markets, and regattas (just to name a few!). Throughout the summer, I’ll be looking to chat with people who practice all kinds of culture, from crafts to music and more. If you or someone you know wants to be on the Living Heritage Podcast, email Natalie at livingheritagepodcast@gmail.com.

The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep heritage alive at the community level. We talk about their work, their passions, and the day-to-day safeguarding of culture, history, and tradition.

Hillview School Memories Mug Up

Hillview Memory Mug Up.

On Tuesday, July 3rd Dale and I headed out to Hillview and their 50+ Club Centre to a community Memory Mug Up on school memories. We were invited by the Southwest Arm Historical Society to facilitate the event.

Twenty seven community members attended the Mug Up and shared stories from their school days as both students and teachers. Several people had memories of attending or teaching in one room schools with outhouses, while others attended larger schools in St. John's or Grand Bank that were fancy enough to have indoor plumbing! One person told a story of how in his mother's time if they wanted a day off school they would simply clog the chimney and the students would be free for the day. Another woman remembered walking to school and passing the piano rock which her and her sisters would "play" each day. Several people discussed children's games including tidley (or pidley), and marbles.

Do you have a memory that stands out from your time in school? Let us know in the comments below!

Hillview Memory Mug Up.

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Textiles in St. Lunaire-Griquet

Louise Bussey poses with her patchwork leaf quilt, St. Lunaire-Griqeut. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Today's Folklore Photos come from St. Lunaire-Griquet collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. St. Lunaire-Griquet is scenic community located about twenty minutes north of St. Anthony on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula. It is a community of approximately 1000 residents, spread across a region that was once two distinct communities. During the 1950s, sudden development in the area precipitated the conjoining of St. Lunaire and Griquet into one incorporated town-site. Unlike the vast majority of GNP communities, St.-Lunaire-Griquet has always seen a continual rise in population rather than a decline, with exception to the cod moratorium years, which invariable saw many people leave their homes to pursue work elsewhere. It is often said that the local post office marks the spot where the two communities come together.

The French began visiting this region as early as the 16th century, in order to exploit the renowned cod fishery. Despite the early arrival of these seasonal fishermen, the vicinity was not officially mapped until 1784, when the infamous French sailor Liberge de Granchain pursued the undertaking. He is still remembered for his work in the area, by an island near St. Lunaire Bay that bears his name. Granchain Island still holds evidence of the French presence, by the archaeological remains of French bread ovens that can be observed on the site.

The St. Lunaire-Griquet inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as embroidered and pieced quilts, knitted items, and Grenfell-style coats. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Louise Bussey about textile projects including quilts and parkas click here.

An embroidered Grenfell coat made by Louise Bussey, St. Lunaire-Griquet. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Close-up of a patchwork Canada goose quilt made by Louise Bussey, St. Lunaire-Griquet. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Heritage Update Summer 2018 - Documenting Traditional Places and Skills

In this summer edition of the Heritage Update newsletter, we are focusing on traditional skills and knowledge around our historic places. Jerry Dick writes about an oral history project to document the knowledge of traditional artisans and carpenters; Terra Barrett writes on “Remembering the Merchants of Main Street" -- a Windsor-based project which is part of the Virtual Museum of Canada’s Community Stories investment program; and summer intern Keith Burgess writes on the designated St. James Anglican Church in Battle Harbour Labrador.

Download the pdf here

Mother M. Bernard Clune #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy The Sisters of Mercy. 

This week's #FolklorePhoto is of Mother M. Bernard Clune. She was the nun who purchased Sir Little's property that eventually became Littledale in 1883-1884.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep116 Pigeons, podcasts, and public history

Today on Living Heritage, we’re talking pigeons, podcasts, and public history with the staff of the Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl. Our guests are Sarah Wade, and Lauren Lambe. Sarah Wade is museum manager and holds a BA in History/Archaeology, and an Honours in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College. Lauren Lambe is the museum’s collection assistant and is currently completing her Masters in Public History from University of Western Ontario. Together, they have created "Pigeon Post" -- a podcast produced by staff at Admiralty House. Through storytelling as well as oral history interviews, this podcast aims to keep the history of Admiralty House alive, while also focusing on elements of the community of Mount Pearl.

Download the mp3


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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Seal Skin Slippers

Doreen Noseworthy poses with a pair of sealskin boots that she made, Green Island Brook. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Today's Folklore Photos come from The Straits collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. The Strait of Belle Isle is a geographic region on the northwest coast of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula. Colloquially know as 'The Straits,' this coastal strip runs from the community of Plum Point in the south, to Eddies Cove East at the northernmost tip. 

Between these two locales, several small communities dot the coast. Families first arrived at The Strait of Belle Isle in the 1880s, to exploit the salmon fishery and perhaps set up a base for the fur trade. Early inhabitants were there seasonally, but by 1884, permanent settlers arrived and began fishing for cod, herring, and began sealing practices as well. Although resources may have shifted in value, abundance and importance, over the years, the local drive to work the land and sea has remained consistent. While the cod fishery ultimately saw its demise in the 1990s, forms of this industry continue to fuel the local economy today. In Anchor Point, for instance, many of the residents continue to work as fish harvesters, or alternately in the shrimp plant, which employs upwards of 150 people each season.

The Straits inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as sealskin boots, Newfoundland Quilts, knitted socks, and embroidered cloth. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices. Straits communities present in this collection include Green Island Brook, Pines Cove, Bird Cove, Black Duck Cove, Eddies Cove East, Anchor Point, Sandy Cove, and Flower's Cove. Flower's Cove, due to its comparably large population, has been given its own community inventory on the DAI.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Doreen Noseworthy about the process of making seal skin boots, slippers, and mittens click here.

Doreen Noseworthy demonstrates how to make sealskin boot pleats, Green Island Brook. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Doreen Noseworthy demonstrates how to make pleats in sealskin, Green Island Brook. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Memory Mug Up at the Senior’s Club in Hillview, July 3rd

Students with teacher Marcie Drodge, circa 1942-43.

School is finishing and we are seeing lots of graduation pictures – from Kindergarten to High School. Does this make you nostalgic about the “old days” of attending school in Southwest Arm? If it does, we have an event for you – a Memory Mug Up at the Senior’s Club in Hillview on Tuesday, July 3 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m

The Memory Mug Up is an informal story sharing session for seniors, where people gather, have a cup of tea, and share memories. The goal of the program is to help participants share and preserve their stories.

Join Folklorist Dale Jarvis of the NL Heritage Foundation and members of the Southwest Arm Historical Committee for an afternoon of memories. Come and share your memories of attending school in Southwest Arm.

To register, call Elaine Spurrell at 435-2013 or email info@swahsociety.com

Facebook event here.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep115 Mentor & Metalsmith - the metal art of Wesley Harris and Arthur Brecken,

Wesley Harris began silversmithing under his high school Art teacher, Arthur Brecken. Both this gentleman and his subsequent instructor at Cranbrook Academy of Art allowed Wesley to learn by trial and error. The underlying inspiration in Wesley’s work is Nature. He lives in ruggedly beautiful western Newfoundland and his studio overlooks the ocean where he creates high-end hollowware and jewellery. In 2015 Wesley was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA), and we are delighted to feature him on this episode of Living Heritage.

This episode is part of a series of programs in partnership with the Craft Council of NL, to document craft traditions in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Image: Mustache comb by Wesley Harris, 2002. 

Download the mp3



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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Online resources for understanding tombstone symbols

Grave marker at the United Church Cemetery, Lower Island Cove.

People often ask "what does this particular symbol mean on this tombstone" but there is not always a clear answer. It isn't always possible to know why a particular symbol was chosen for a grave marker or memorial. Sometimes people picked symbols from a catalogue, or went with a motif seen on another family member's stone.

Symbolism is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. Tombstone carvers used (and continue to use) symbolism to hint at ideas or refer to larger stories, without having to explain those stories or ideas in detail.

Meanings of symbols shift and change over time, and motifs on gravestones often reflect the culture which created the work, and can have multiple meaning. Similar symbols may be regarded differently by ethnic groups or religions.

Having said that, if you want some general ideas about what tombstone designs might mean, here are a few websites to get you started:

http://www.graveaddiction.com/symbol.html

https://stoneletters.com/blog/gravestone-symbols

http://www.thecemeteryclub.com/symbols.html

http://www.gmct.com.au/media/720756/gmct-information-sheet-_cemetery-symbols_lr.pdf

Behind the Counter at Pelley's #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy Joyce Clouter. 

This week's #FolklorePhoto is of Viola Greening behind the counter at Pelley’s in Port Blandford c. 1960. Daniel Pelley, the owner of Pelley's, established his first store in Southwest in 1920. In 1936, he moved locations. This building is still standing in Port Blandford but is not currently in use.

Grave of Phillip Louis, The Mount, Lower Island Cove

On a cold and wet Friday, June 15, 2018, I visited Lower Island Cove, Conception Bay North, with Judy Rogers as my guide. While there, Judy took me to one of the oldest burying places in Lower Island Cove, a section of the community on a hill close to the water, which is locally called The Mount.

The cemetery sits in a windswept, barren spot, overlooking the community, and wild grasses have largely obscured the majority of the rough-stone grave markers. There is only one visible carved tombstone, marking the grave of Judy's fourth-great-grandfather, Phillip Louis. The inscription reads:

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IN

MEMORY OF

PHILLIP LOUIS

A NATIVE

OF THE ISLAND OF JERSEY

WHO AFTER A RESIDENCE

OF MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS

IN THIS PLACE

DIED ON THE 19TH NOVEMBER 1821

IN THE 78TH YEAR OF HIS AGE

RESPECTED AND ESTEEMED

FOR HIS HONESTY

AND

INTEGRITY

He came to his Grave in a Full age

like as a Shock of Corn cometh in

in his season

_____________

Be not Slothful,

but Followers of them who through Faith

and Patience inherit the Promises

---

The stone, reset in a more modern concrete base, also features a well-carved hourglass and scythe motif, surmounting a crossed arrow and trumpet. The scythe can be seen to represent the reaping of life and the hourglass representing that earthly time has run out. The hourglass has also been interpreted as a memento mori, reminding we visitors that we are one hour closer to our own deaths. More cheerfully, the ivy (or vines, botanists feel free to weigh in on this) on either side of the stone could be interpreted to represent memory, immortality, friendship, fidelity, faithfulness, undying affection, or eternal life.

Workshop: tips and tricks for a quality audio recording.

Audio Equipment and Tips WorkshopTuesday, June 26th, 2018
7pm-9pm
1 Springdale Street, Newman Building Boardroom, 1st floor

Registration $20
So, you are ready to do an oral history or folklore interview. You have a digital recorder, but maybe you don’t know that much about how it works, or about how to adjust settings. We have the workshop for you! Professional audio engineer Lee Tizzard will guide you through your audio equipment, and provide you with the tips and tricks you need to make a quality recording.

The workshop will cover:

- Voice recorders versus hand held high def recorders.
- Odbfs and the db scale, and what is it?
- What is the optimum level ( gain setting ) for recording?
- What is a bass rolloff?
- Mic power/ powered mics
- Stereo versus mono recording.
- Compression /limiting, what does it mean?
- SD card file storage and USB data transfer.
- Bit rates / sampling frequencies what does it mean?
- Using external microphones, why use clip on lav mics?
- Recording apps for smartphones, tablets etc.
- Various audio formats
- The recording environment
- The law, as it applies to recording people in Canada.

Participants should bring any recorders that they have, including earbuds.

Pre-registration required:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/audio-equipment-and-tips-workshop-tickets-47067254425

Presented by Heritage Foundation of NL

Living Heritage Podcast Ep114 Setting Newfoundland Language in Stone

Erin Callahan St. John is a full-time professional artist working in clay. She initially learned her craft from Isabella St. John of Blue Moon Pottery – her aunt, and potter of 45 years. Later, Erin attended the Textiles Studies program at The College of the North Atlantic as well as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, where she majored in Ceramics with a minor in Art History.

During the 15 years she has been working with clay, Erin has apprenticed, graduated and received funding to create one of a kind pieces and developed production lines. Today she is an active member in the local art and craft community, and from her studio in the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation, makes work based on the wildlife and folklore of Newfoundland.

In this podcast, Erin talks with Wyatt Shibley about how she came to be a potter, the history of studio pottery in Newfoundland, and the process of setting Newfoundland language in stone.

This episode is part of a series of programs in partnership with the Memorial University graduate course Folk 6740 - Public Folklore, and the Craft Council of NL, to document craft traditions in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Download the mp3





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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Knitting in Bird Cove

Annette Myers poses with her knitting, Bird Cove. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Today's Folklore Photos come from The Straits collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. The Strait of Belle Isle is a geographic region on the northwest coast of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula. Colloquially know as 'The Straits,' this coastal strip runs from the community of Plum Point in the south, to Eddies Cove East at the northernmost tip. 

Between these two locales, several small communities dot the coast. Families first arrived at The Strait of Belle Isle in the 1880s, to exploit the salmon fishery and perhaps set up a base for the fur trade. Early inhabitants were there seasonally, but by 1884, permanent settlers arrived and began fishing for cod, herring, and began sealing practices as well. Although resources may have shifted in value, abundance and importance, over the years, the local drive to work the land and sea has remained consistent. While the cod fishery ultimately saw its demise in the 1990s, forms of this industry continue to fuel the local economy today. In Anchor Point, for instance, many of the residents continue to work as fish harvesters, or alternately in the shrimp plant, which employs upwards of 150 people each season.

The Straits inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as sealskin boots, Newfoundland Quilts, knitted socks, and embroidered cloth. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices. Straits communities present in this collection include Green Island Brook, Pines Cove, Bird Cove, Black Duck Cove, Eddies Cove East, Anchor Point, Sandy Cove, and Flower's Cove. Flower's Cove, due to its comparably large population, has been given its own community inventory on the DAI.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Annette Myers about life in Bird Cove, knitting, crocheting, and selling textiles click here.

A sweater Annette Myers made for her husband, Bird Cove. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.

Dark pink winter hat made by Annette Myers, Bird Cove. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010.