#CollectiveMemories Monday - Knitting in Conche with Gertrude Hunt

Gert Hunt demonstrating her knitting skills in Conche, Newfoundland.
Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010. Photo courtesy of MUN's DAI.

As part of the Collective Memories project the ICH office is showcasing community material which has been placed on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. Check out this interview from May 17, 2010, Lisa Wilson interviews Gertrude Hunt of Conche, Newfoundland. Gertrude discusses knitting, life in Conche, her family, making quilts, working in the Conche fish plant, working in Alberta, and social change in Conche.

The ICH office is helping communities place previously recorded materials online. If your community has material you would like to make publicly accessible reach out to the Heritage Foundation at 1-888-739-1892 ex.2 or ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Traditional snowflake pattern mittens with the cuff.
Made by Gertrude Hunt, Conche, Newfoundland.
Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010. Photo courtesy of MUN's DAI.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep098 Croatian Tales of Long Ago

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić might not be the first name you think of when you think of fairy tales, unless, of course, you had a magical Croatian childhood like photographer and researcher Bojan Fürst.

Bojan is the Manager of Knowledge Mobilization at the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Bojan leads the Harris Centre's knowledge-brokering team, connecting community needs with the resources available at the university.

Recently, Bojan has been working to translate some of the literary fairy tales of Croatian author, poet, and essayist Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, who has been praised as one of Croatia’s best writers for children, and whose work utilizing traditional Slavic names and motifs been compared to Hans Christian Andersen and JRR Tolkien, though her work is not widely known by English-speaking audiences. Today, we’re working to fix that, and delving into the enchanting fairytales of Ivana's imagination and Bojan’s childhood.

Download the mp3

#CollectiveMemories Monday - Whitbourne recollections with Winnie Gear

32.04.002: Whitbourne. "Whitbourne 1937" a view of Whitbourne.
Geography Collection - Historical Photographs of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Memorial University of Newfoundland. Libraries. Archives and Special Collections Division.

As part of the Collective Memories project the ICH office is showcasing community material which has been placed on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. Check out this interview which is part of a series of filmed oral histories, collected in 2005 by the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation, from over 40 elders who grew up in the area. The Baccalieu Trail HeritageCorporation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and protecting the heritage of the Baccalieu Trail Region. This project includes memories of living and working in the area, going to school, children’s games, home remedies, the first modes of transportation, supernatural beliefs, traditional industries and calendar customs and celebrations. This interview is with Winnie Gear of Whitbourne, NL. The interviewer is Linda Cooper. The camera was operated by Robin Baker. The video was edited by Mike Ryan and Darrell Barrett.

The ICH office is helping communities place previously recorded materials online. If your community has material you would like to make publicly accessible reach out to the Heritage Foundation at 1-888-739-1892 ex.2 or ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Lassy Tarts #FoodwaysFriday

Lassy Tarts. Photo by Maureen Power.

This recipe was collected by Maureen Power from Margaret Decker who was born and raised in Joe Batt's Arm. Margaret uses molasses in her pie crust to make them darker and for added flavour. Her recipe is as follows: 4 cups of flour 2 ½ tsp. cloves 2 ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp of ginger Mix together Cream 1 cup of butter. ¼ cup of molasses . Mix together. 2 tsp of baking soda and ¼ cup of tea . Stir in dry ingredients. Roll out on flour board Fill with jam and bake for 20 min. In moderate oven. -Katie Harvey

Living Heritage Podcast Ep097 Folklife Meets Fandom

In this episode of the Living Heritage Podcast, folklorist Dale Jarvis sits down for a geek-out session with Grace Shears, the Risk Manager at AbbyShot Clothiers Limited in Mount Pearl. Grace holds the advanced level certificate in Health, Safety and Environmental Processes through the University of Fredericton, NB. She is a former Military Veteran and has also served as a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross on the Disaster Management team. In 2014, Grace joined the AbbyShot team and has been dedicated to quality control, product development and supply chain management.

 AbbyShot is a privately held Canadian corporation founded in July 2002. Its garment designs are styled after clothing worn in movies, anime series, TV shows and computer games, including Doctor Who, Outlander, and Firefly. Grace is a contributor to the empowering energy and culture of AbbyShot. We talk about the work of AbbyShot, and how they are using traditional skills and knowledge to craft three of their most recent products related to the Outlander television series, plus a chat about Doctor Who, the world of conventions, Grace’s own Newfoundland family connection to the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and the AbbyShot blog.

Download the mp3

Want to hear more from Grace and Dale? They are both part of the Cosplay, Coffee, and Contemplation event organized by our friends at Admiralty House Museum on Saturday, January 20th. The event is free, but preregistration is required, so click 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 heritage alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

What's happening in heritage - January 2018

We are back in full swing for a new year safeguarding the built and intangible cultural heritage of NL. In this edition: we review the Adapting Heritage conference held in 2017; investigate hobby horse traditions; look at the ongoing restoration of the Harbour Grace railway station (above); explore a new mobile oral history phone app; dig into the history of the Crocker Root Cellar in Bradley's Cove; provide a brief history of samplers in NL; profile the restoration of the Petites church; and invite you to a special workshop on Czech gingerbread!

Download the newsletter in pdf format here

Traditional Czech Gingerbread Decorating Workshop

Jindra's Valentine's Day gingerbread. Photo courtesy Jindra Maskova.

Gingerbread plays a major role in Czech tradition and culture. It is a skill that is difficult to master, and so it is held in high regard. For Valentine's Day, beautifully-decorated gingerbread hearts are sold at markets all over the Czech Republic. In honour of Valentine’s Day, on Sunday, February 11 from 2:00-4:00 p.m., the Heritage Foundation will be hosting a gingerbread-making workshop at Easter Seals Kitchen (206 Mount Scio Rd).

At this workshop Jindra Maskova, owner of Gingerly by Jindra, will demonstrate how to make traditional Czech gingerbread while also discussing the history of gingerbread in the Czech Republic and its significance there. Participants will get hands-on experience decorating gingerbread cookies, and they will each go home with the cookies they've decorated.

The cost of the workshop is $35.00 per person. Space is limited. You can register by clicking here, or by emailing katherine@heritagefoundation.ca or calling 1-709-739-1892 ext. 6.

Damage from Woody Point Fire 1922 #FolklorePhoto

These photos show the damage that was caused by the devastating fire that took place in Woody Point in 1922. At the height of the area's population and commercial success, a fire destroyed roughly 58 buildings. The town never fully recovered to its former commerce level after this event. Images were collected from residents of Woody Point and donated to HFNL by Charlie Payne.

-Katie Harvey

#CollectiveMemories Monday - Boat Building in Joe Batt's Arm with Aiden Penton

Fishing stage in Joe Batt's Arm. 1997. Photo by Gerald Pocius.
Memorial University of Newfoundland. Folklore and Language Archive.
Fogo Island Collection 2017-225.
Photo courtesy of MUN's DAI. 

As part of the Collective Memories project the ICH office is showcasing community material which has been placed on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. This interview with Aiden Penton of Joe Batt's Arm was recorded on May 16, 2009 by Dale Jarvis at the Marine Institute of Memorial University as part of a boatbuilding fieldwork documentation course. In the interview Aiden discusses his life as a boat builder, his family history, and boat building in Joe Batt's Arm.

The ICH office is helping communities place previously recorded materials online. If your community has material you would like to make publicly accessible reach out to the Heritage Foundation at 1-888-739-1892 ex.2 or ich@heritagefoundation.ca