Bauline Memory Mug Up

Bauline Memory Mug Up. 2018.

 On Sunday, October 21, 2018 Dale and I headed to Bauline to host a Memory Mug Up at their History and Heritage Fair. The event was organized by the town's heritage committee and including several themed displays, an ugly stick demonstration, photo identification, and the screening of several videos focused on the community and filmed in the 1950s and 1960s.

Model of the United Church in Bauline by Alton King.

30 residents came together to share stories and memories of growing up in the community. One of the first things we were told was the difference between under the hill and on top of the hill, and who was a gully rat. There were several stories about the dangerous fun people had as children including scaling cliffs, and sliding on dogsleds, canvas, and car bonnets. There were stories about a pair of mischievous boys who would often play tricks and were known for stuffing the chimney of the schoolhouse so they could have the day off school.

I also learned a new Newfoundland word when some of the women discussed keeping their quoit from year to year. I learned that a quoit is flat rock used for playing hopscotch. If you found a great rock you would keep it and use it for each game you played.

There were memories of jannying during the holidays, attending the watchnight service on New Year's Eve, and shooting off guns to ring in the New Year. Several people were able to sing the songs that local singer Edgar would sing to start and end the dance that followed the Orangemen's parade.

At the end of the day we were take to two of the local cemeteries including one where the stones are no longer visible above the ground. It was a great heritage event and we look forward to working with the heritage committee on some of their future heritage projects.

United Church Cemetery.

Did you grow up in Bauline? Do you have any memories to add? Let us know in the comments!

~Terra Barrett

The House on the Highway - Spaniard's Bay 1965 #FolklorePhoto

Graham Clarke’s childhood home, Conception Bay Highway, Spaniard’s Bay, circa 1965.

Photo courtesy Graham Clarke. Photo collected as part of the "Lassy Days Photo Scanning Pary" held Wednesday, August 8th, 2018 at the Wesley Gosse Heritage Museum. If this photo elicits memories for you, or if you'd like to arrange a photo scanning party for your community, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep131 Nasir Muhammed of Curry Delight Shares his Passion

Nasir Muhammad owns Curry Delight with his wife, Afiya Altaf. The couple has been serving up Pakistani and Indian cuisine at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market for the past four years and has become a favorite stop at the Market for many visitors. In this episode, Nasir talks about starting his own business while working full time, learning to cook from his mom, and the unexpected similarities between his engineering background and cooking great food. You can find Curry Delight at the St. John's Farmers' Market every Wednesday and Saturday, or on their website and Facebook.

This episode is part of a series showcasing the people and stories of the St. John’s Farmer’s Market, from farmers, to craft and food vendors, and more.

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.

Putting Heritage to Work: Exploring Development Opportunities in Heritage Districts

The Town of Carbonear is continuing with work to revitalize its historic business district. In this half-day session, business owners, heritage enthusiasts, students, and local citizens will network to discuss opportunities and needs for developing business and bringing new life to the heritage area. What are local assets and how can they best be utilized? Local entrepreneurs will give insight into their inspirations and plans for building art, craft, culinary, and tourism businesses that are heritage-friendly. 

Event facilitated by Heritage NL in cooperation with the Town of Carbonear.
Monday, November 5th 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Princess Sheila Seniors Club Building
163 Water Street, Carbonear

Free event, but registration required.

That '70s Wedding! Harbour Grace 1976 #FolklorePhoto

Here is a blast from the past for you! Check out that wallpaper!  Wedding photo, Pike’s Hotel, Harbour Grace. 1976.

Front row: Cecil Clarke, Violet Clarke.

Back row left to right: Norma (Clarke) Churchill, Hedley Clarke, Elsie (Clarke) Parsons, George Clarke, Sadie Mercer, Graham Clarke, Jean (Clarke) Peddle, Mildred (Clarke) Smith.

Photo courtesy Graham Clarke. Photo collected as part of the "Lassy Days Photo Scanning Pary" held Wednesday, August 8th, 2018 at the Wesley Gosse Heritage Museum. If this photo elicits memories for you, or if you'd like to arrange a photo scanning party for your community, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep130 Zainab Jarrett on Cooking and Kindness

Zainab Jarrett (center) with three employees of the Multi Ethnic Food Kitchen at the St. John's Farmer's Market.

Zainab Jarrett is the owner and operator of the Multi Ethnic Food Kitchen. She sells multi ethnic food at the St. John's Farmers Market, including African food, Caribbean food, Indian food, Middle Eastern food and Asian food. She is also Coordinator of the new St. John's International Bazaar held monthly at the Farmers Market location, which supports new vendors and teaches entrepreneurial skills to recent immigrants. In this episode, Zainab also talks about her work with the We Care Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador and their most recent project; filling a school bus with books, school supplies, toys, and clothes for people displaced by Boko Harem.

This episode is part of a series showcasing the people and stories of the St. John’s Farmer’s Market, from farmers, to craft and food vendors, and more.

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. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

A mystery in the attic! Adventures in built heritage.

Last week, I got an email from a local acquaintance doing renovation work on their old house in St. John's. The email subject: "Mystery in my attic!" That is the surefire way to get my attention. They wrote:

"The opening to the attic is a small port, 20 inches square, but the only thing up there is a very large wooden box that is bigger than the opening; 69" long, 29" wide, and 20" deep. It seems to be lead lined, and has two long bolts attached on the outside short end. There doesn't seem to be a lid for it but the wood throughout is quite thick, so is likely very heavy."

I dropped by today, got a tour of the house, and then climbed the ladder up into the very short attic space, to try and photograph the very coffin-like mystery box. It turned out not to be lead-lined, but it did have a remnant strip of lead or zinc along one edge, so perhaps it was lined at one point. At the bottom of the box were a number of holes, which look like they were covered with some sort of flange or gasket, possibly to fit a pipe. Due to the confined space and angle, it was hard to get good photos, but this will give you an idea of the box:

My theory was that it was part of a cistern or water basin, possibly to power a gravity-fed flush toilet or shower. The use of the reinforcing rods might support this theory, if the box was meant to hold a heavy quantity of water. 

I came back to the office and did some searching, and while I can't say exactly where the box came from, it is very similar to two boxes I found in old catalogues, digitized as part of the rather fascinating Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), which is primarily a collection of American and Canadian, pre-1964 architectural trade catalogs, house plan books and technical building guides. If you are a buildings nerd, don't go there unless you have some time to kill!

The first example is from the circa 1912 Wood Tanks catalogue of the New England Tank & Tower Co, made of cypress. Note the rods:

The second is a slightly later example, from the  1937 "Wood Tanks Catalog No. 37" by the National Tank and Pipe Co out of Portland, Oregon:

Mystery solved (with no corpse to dispose of).

Argentia Naval Station #FolklorePhoto

Photo from Helen Griffin, Jerseyside, Placentia collection.

This week's #FolklorePhoto is of the naval station in Argentia. This was a naval base for the United States Army from 1941-1994. At the time, this was the tallest building in Newfoundland.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep129 Jams, Mustard, and Chutneys, Oh My!

This week, Natalie talks with Steve Curtis, owner of Condiments by Steve Curtis. Steve launched his condiments business is 2012 at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market. He had decided to take a break from the restaurant industry and began making chutneys, jams and mustard at home as gifts for friends and family. Now, Steve drives a Metrobus and spends his days cooking up condiments for his booth at the Market. In this episode, we chat about some mouthwatering food podcasts, local ingredients (including jams made with Newfoundland Distillery Company spirits), and what Steve is cooking up in the kitchen. You can find Steve at the St. John's Farmer's Market every Saturday.

This episode is part of a series showcasing the people and stories of the St. John’s Farmer’s Market, from farmers, to craft and food vendors, and more.

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. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Textiles in St. Anthony Bight

Ruth Pilgrim holds a knitting project, St. Anthony Bight. 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 Ruth Pilgrim about rug-hooking, knitting, painting, quilting, cross-stitching, and crocheting click here.

Hooked mat of a school house belonging to Ruth Pilgrim, St. Anthony Bight. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

A caribou scene painted by Ruth Pilgrim, St. Anthony Bight. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Living Heritage Podcast Ep128 Welcome to the Farmer's Market

Photo by: Ritche Perez Photography

The Living Heritage Podcast goes to the Market! This episode is the first in a series showcasing the people and stories of the St. John's Farmer's Market, from farmers, to craft and food vendors, and more.

In this episode, we chat with Ann Connors about the transition from the Lion's Club Chalet to the Market's new home at 245 Freshwater Road. Ann talks about the Market's grand opening, partnerships with the Rabbittown community, market vendors, as well as upcoming workshops, performances and more.

Before taking on the role of Executive Director of the Farmer's Market, Ann was the general manager of the Resource Center for the Arts at LSPU Hall in St. John’s. She was also a manager for High Performance Rodeo in Calgary.

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. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Bonne Bay Maternity Ward #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy Julia Ann Walsh Heritage Centre.

This week's #FolklorePhoto shows a nurse tending to a newborn baby at the old Bonne Bay Cottage Hospital. The date of this photograph is unknown. 

Folklorist looking to interview Lebanese Newfoundlanders.

Tooton's The Kodak Store, Water Street, St. John's. Photo from Facebook via Anthony M. Tooton.
The company was founded in 1905 as the "Parisian Photographic Studio"
by his great-grandfather Anthony Maurice Tooton (1886–1971) in St. John's.
Tooton immigrated from Damascus in 1903 after studying photography in Paris.

Newfoundland is home to an over century-old Lebanese community, representing some of the earliest non-European immigrants to settle on the island. Many of the descendants of these immigrants, who arrived in Newfoundland between the late 1800s and early 1900s, still live in the Province and identify with their Lebanese heritage.

Despite this, there is relatively little public visibility of this diaspora in Newfoundland today. Privately, however, many members of the Lebanese diaspora still practice elements of the folk culture of their ancestors.

Folklore graduate student, and third-generation Lebanese-American, Wyatt Hirschfeld Shibley is working on a project called “Cedar Roots on Pine Clad Hills: the folklore of Lebanese Newfoundlanders." His project focuses on the ways in which Lebanese Newfoundlanders use folklore to construct and/or maintain their ethnic identity.

"As this research pertains to a group that has been living in Newfoundland for several generations," says Shibley, "a further focus will be placed on the narratives Lebanese Newfoundlanders tell about themselves, and the way they remember their collective past. My goal is to understand and present the lives of Lebanese Newfoundlanders from an insider’s perspective, in hopes of deepening the understanding of this diaspora and Newfoundland’s ethnic history."

If you have family memories you are willing to share as part of the project, or if you know someone who might be a good interview candidate, you can contact the researcher directly at wjs167@mun.ca or call (709)-770-6800.

A peek at John & Phonse Ducey’s Root Cellar, Keels

If you've followed the ICH Blog for any amount of time, you probably already know that we love root cellars. Like, really, really LOVE root cellars. Well, my mother and father were off for a 50th wedding anniversary jaunt around the Bonavista Peninsula, and Fadder snapped these pics of John and Phonse Ducey's root cellar in Keels, Bonavista Bay. It is of a type we'd call an above ground cellar, but of a specific sub-type that features an exterior wall holding back a layer of insulating sod. The final photos in the series below show the cellar from the rear, where some degradation over time allows you to see the construction process a bit better. The diagonal side braces, acting as a type of buttress, helped keep the outer walls up against the weight of the sod. It is a feature you will sometimes see in old fishing stages called a "side span" -- a wooden exterior brace on the side of a stage which kept the side of the stage from breaking out when a large amount of salted fish was stored inside.

The root cellar was featured in the booklet Living Spaces: The Architecture of the Family Fishery in Keels, Newfoundland which was produced by the first Memorial University Folklore Field School, under the direction of Dr. Gerald Pocius. Then MA candidate Kristin Catherwood, now the ICH Development Officer for Heritage Saskatchewan (insert heart emoji here), wrote the following about the cellar:

The root cellar owned by John and Phonse Ducey is located on the eastern outskirts of Keels. It was built in the early 1950s by Henry Thomas Curtis, a carpenter from the nearby community of King’s Cove for Kenneth Mesh. The bulk of the work done by Curtis consisted of pouring the cement for the interior structure. Roland Mesh, Kenneth’s brother, recalls that the cement was poured first, and left to set for several months. In the meantime, a wooden exterior structure was constructed of spruce split logs cut in the woods surrounding Keels. A space of five feet was left between the cement interior cellar structure and the exterior wooden structure. This space was then filled with turf. Much of the turf was brought from Pigeon Island in Keels’ harbour, since turf was in short supply in the surrounding area of the community itself. The turf was dug by hand and loaded in punts (a type of small boat often used for transporting fish), then brought to the family’s stage on Keels’ shore. 

Thanks, Dad! Happy Anniversary!

Living Heritage Podcast Ep127 Heritage and Environmental Conservation with Megan Stuckless

Megan Stuckless began working with Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2007 and her appreciation for the cultural and environmental well-being of our beautiful province, as well as the as the not for profit sector, has grown with each passing year. As the current Programs Manager she finds great value in being able to support and advance the goals of the organization. Being a mother and working with youth inspires her to continue working toward sustainability and cultural and environmental integrity for those to come. In this episode, Megan talks about the intersections between heritage and environmental conservation, and the different job and internship opportunities with the CCNL. Special thank you to the CCNL, which made the Living Heritage Podcast Broadcast Assistant position possible.

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.

Memories of Georgestown Walking Tour - Sept 29th

Memories of Georgestown: A walking tour of Georgestown

Saturday, September 29th

1 pm

The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road 

Free event! 

For the month of September graduate students of Memorial University’s Folklore Department have been learning about and researching historic and contemporary Georgestown. They will share their discoveries of the neighborhood in a public walking tour on Saturday, September 29th at 1pm. Tour begins at the Lantern, 35 Barnes Road. In case of rain, students will present their findings indoors. Tea, coffee, and conversation at the Lantern following the tour.

photo: Rawlins Cross, St. John's, circa 1930. Parsons family collection S.H. Parsons and Sons sous fonds, Community views and sportsmen activities Series, Item E 20-8. The Rooms.

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Hard Bread and Hand-knit Sweaters

A sweater made by Doris Norman, 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 Doris Norman about quilting, and tole painting click here.

A country themed patchwork quilt made by Doris Norman, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

An applique Purity bag from a Newfoundland quilt made by Doris Norman, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Living Heritage Podcast Ep126 Designate a Person, Event, or Site in Your Community

Dr. Shannon Lewis-Simpson is the Newfoundland and Labrador representative for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Board declares and commemorates sites, events and people of national significance. In this episode, Dr. Lewis-Simpson explains how you can nominate a person, place, or thing for designation (write a letter to the Board!). She also shares some of the Board's recent designations and projects, including reviewing plaques across the province, recognizing the shore crews in the Grand Banks, and the designation of Indian Point, Newfoundland as a cultural landscape.

Dr. Lewis-Simpson is also a Coordinator, Community Engaged Learning, Student Life, and Adjunct Professor of Archaeology at Memorial University. Her research interests are in the medieval and early modern North Atlantic, naval history, and the history of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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.

Frances and Willie Cadigan #FolklorePhoto

This week's #FolklorePhoto comes from the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum's collection. Pictured are Frances and Willie Cadigan on Marine Drive in Logy Bay.

What's happening in the ICH Office? Let us tell you!

We've said goodbye to our fabulous Conservation Corp Heritage Broadcast Intern, Natalie Dignam, but you haven't heard the last of her. She worked on a score of new Living Heritage podcast recordings, which will be coming to you each week, including a series of podcasts featuring the St. John's Community Market.

Terra Barrett is working away feverishly on our Virtual Museums of Canada exhibit on the merchant life of Main Street, Windsor. We're still a bit away from our launch date (after Christmas, hopefully) but we'll soon have everything ready to send for French translation.

Dale Jarvis is hosting an event this coming Monday, in partnership with the Georgestown Neighbourhood Association and the Memorial  University Folklore Fieldschool. At 7pm, Monday, Sept 10th, we'll be at The Lantern (35 Barnes Road) with a crowd of people sharing stories and memories of growing up in the neighbourhood. It promises to be a very entertaining evening, and you'll get a chance to meet all the new folklore grad students who are studying and working in Georgestown for the first three weeks of September.

If you grew up in the Georgestown area of St. John's, and would be interested in sharing your stories and/or being part of an oral history interview, you can email Dale at dale@heritagenl.ca

Sangro, the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment Monkey. #monkeylore

Here is your slice of offbeat Newfoundland history for the week, courtesy of the Newfoundland Quarterly (Spring Number 1945), all about a monkey and the 166th Royal Artillery:

A pet monkey that thrives on a diet of peanuts, roast potatoes, bully beef, milk and vermouth has been mascot of the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment, R. A. for the past year.  

Named "Sangro " because she was found in an enemy gun position during the Sangro River crossing near Ortona last year, the monkey has long since been taken on strength for discipline, rations and quarters. Lance-bombardier Tasker Cook of Woodland Farm, St. John's East, who owns the monk, claims "she's as cool as any gunner in the battery. I hope I can bring her home with me."  

Before the war Bdr. Cook worked at dairy farming and though he admits he had many kinds of pets, a monkey is something new to him.  

Gnr. Jack Hayworth of St. John's and Gnr. Avalon Frampton of 5 Long Street, St. John's also bunk in with Cook and Sangro. Gnr. Frampton is one of the Monk's best friends- "She's a very clean monkey, and she has never had a flea since we got her."  

Before the war, Gnr. Frampton was a dry goods clerk at James Baird, Ltd., Water Street. He is a transport driver now with the regiment. His brother, Ralph, is in the Canadian Merchant Navy.

If you have a Newfoundland monkey story (maybe a memory of the Bowring Park monkeys?) I'd love to hear it!  dale@heritagenl.ca 

Photo: Royal Artillery Trainees, May 1940.  Fifteen signal trainees with nine officers outside Redford Barracks at Bollington. Archives and Special Collections (Coll. 217 3.04.001), Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep125 The Music and Travels of Andy Irvine

Andy Irvine is a world music pioneer and an icon for traditional music and musicians. Although an integral part of the finest Irish bands of our time, including Sweeney's Men in the mid 60s, Planxty in the 70s, his duo with Paul Brady in the later 70s, as well as Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher’s Island, Andy Irvine continues along the path he set for himself so long ago - a vibrant career as a solo artist in the old style, a teller of tales and maker of music. In this episode, Andy talks about his upcoming Woody Guthrie album, his travels, and his music. Andy performed at the 2018 St. John’s Folk Festival.

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.

An Evening of Georgestown Memories, Sept 10th. You're invited!

An Evening of Georgestown Memories. 

Monday, September 10th, at 7:00 p.m.

The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road

Georgestown resident and folklorist Dale Jarvis will facilitate a staged oral history event with past and current residents to discuss the neighbourhood they call home. Plus, refreshments!

In partnership with the Georgestown Neighbourhood Association, Heritage NL, and the Memorial University Folklore Fieldschool.

Facebook Event listing:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1880079538747418/

Photo credit: An exterior view of the store at Monkstown and Military Rds circa 1940s.

1.08.004, Memorial University

Arranged and Described by Linda White and Claire Jamieson

Archives and Special Collections Division, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Embroidery, and Knitting with Mary Bussey

Close-up of an embroidered panel for a quilt, St. Lunaire-Griquet. 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 Mary Bussey about textiles click here or to hear about changes to the Northern Peninsula click here.

Crochet pillow made by Mary Bussey's mother, St. Lunaire-Griquet. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

A pair of slippers knitted by Mary Bussey, St. Lunaire-Griquet. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Grand Falls-Windsor Memories Mug Up - Bryan Blackmore

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 Bryan Blackmore:

View of the Classic Theatre.

Notes on the history of Sou'Westers and Oilskins

A Canadian-manufactured Sou'Wester in the collection of the Wooden Boat Museum of NL,
Winterton, photo by Jeremy Harnum.

Last week, I wrote on the origin of the Newfoundland word “linkum” - a variant of the word “Lincoln” denoting a specific type of Sou’ Wester oilskin hat often worn by fishermen.

The word “Sou’Wester” itself has a somewhat complicated history, and today it can mean either a long oilskin coat worn especially at sea during stormy weather, or, in the usage related to linkums, a waterproof hat with wide slanting brim longer in back than in front.

One possible etymology (given by Wikipedia) is that the name has to do with the Sou'wester wind which is the prevailing wind in the seas around the UK. Interestingly, the word has similarities in other languages: in Dutch it is zuidwester; in German, südwester; and in Swedish, sydväst. The use of “South Wester” to describe both the cap and the coat date back to the early 1830s.

Below: Sou'Wester owned by Patrick Kinsella in the collection of the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum, photos by Katie Crane. The label reads: Miner Weatherseal Black Diamond Made in Canada.

The use of linseed oil (a colourless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant) to make oilcloth probably dates to the 18th century, when it was primarily used as an inexpensive floor and roof covering.

The journal Scientific American included this description of oilcloth in August 1869:

Manufacture of Oil Cloth 

The manner of making oilcloth, or, as the vulgar sometimes term it, oilskin, was at one period a mystery The process is now well understood, and is equally simple and useful.

Dissolve some good resin or gumlac over the fire in drying linseed oil, till the resin is dissolved, and the oil brought to the thickness of a balsam. If this be spread upon canvas, or any other linen cloth, so as fully to drench and entirely to glaze it over, the cloth, if then suffered to dry thoroughly, will be quite impenetrable to wet of every description.

This varnish may either be worked by itself or with some color added to it: as verdigris for a green; umber for a hair color; white lead and lampblack for a gray; indigo and white for a light blue, etc. To give the color, you have only to grind it with the last coat of varnish you lay on. You must be as careful as possible to lay on the varnish equally in all parts.

A better method, however, of preparing oilcloth is first to cover the cloth or canvas with a liquid paste, made with drying oil in the following manner: Take Spanish white or tobacco pipe clay which has been completely cleaned, by washing and sifting it from all impurities, and mix it up with boiled oil, to which a drying quality has been given by adding a dose of litharge one fourth the weight of the oil. This mixture, being brought to the consistency of thin paste, is spread over the cloth or canvas by means of an iron spatula equal in length to the breadth of the cloth. When the first coating is dry, a second is applied. The unevennesses occasioned by the coarseness of the cloth or the unequal application of the paste, are smoothed down with pumice stone reduced to powder, and rubbed over the cloth with a bit of soft serge or cork dipped in water. When the last coating is dry, the cloth must be well washed in water to clean it; and, after it is dried, a varnish composed of gumlac dissolved in linseed oil boiled with turpentine, is applied to it, and the process is complete. The color of the varnished cloth thus produced is yellow; but different tints can be given to it in the manner already pointed out.

An improved description of this article, intended for figured and printed varnished cloths, is obtained by using a finer paste, and cloth of a more delicate texture.

Source: “INVENTION.” Scientific American, vol. 21, no. 8, 1869, pp. 123–123. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26037689.

If you have memories of someone making oilskins, or know of a traditional recipe from your community, call Dale at 709-739-1892 x2 or email dale@heritagenl.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep124 A Grand Time with Aidan O'Hara

In the episode, Aidan O’Hara and Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw talk about Aidan’s research on Newfoundland’s Cape Shore in the 1970s and “A Grand Time,” a series of homecoming events for Aidan’s research that took place in August of 2018.

Aidan is also the recipient of the 2018 NL Folk Arts Society Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his work in Newfoundland. Born in County Donegal and now living in Longford, Aidan O’Hara is an award-winning broadcaster, writer, and historian. Through his travels for work and education, he also became an accidental collector of songs, music, and oral history. During the mid-1970s, Aidan collected over 130 audio reels-to-reels and tape cassettes of songs, stories, and music on Newfoundland’s Cape Shore.

Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw is an Archive Assistant for the Digital Collections with Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA). In this episode, Rebecca tells us about “A Grand Time” and about Aidan’s audio recordings, which have been digitized by the ITMA and are now available online here.

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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.

Dancing in Cape Broyle #FolklorePhoto

Photo courtesy Dot O'Brien.

This week's #FolklorePhoto is of a Halloween dance at the old Parish Hall in Cape Broyle. The style of dances that were popular at the time were jiving, waltzing and swing. This photo was taken in 1963.

Grand Falls-Windsor Memories Mug Up - Kay McDermott

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 Kay McDermott:

View of the Classic Theatre.