Living Heritage Podcast Ep144 Lewis Ferman and the Merchants of Main Street

In October 2018, Heritage NL staff rushed down Water Street to rescue an old shop sign from the business of Lewis and Grunia Ferman, Jewish merchants and WWII resistance fighters. That event unlocked a flood of stories and memories about the Ferman family, and about other merchants who had business in St. John's and beyond. 

In this episode, we look at the legacy of immigrant merchants in Newfoundland, with clips from interviews about both the Ferman shop, and the multicultural shopkeepers of Windsor who are featured in a new Virtual Museums of Canada exhibit. 

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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: Sewing in St. Anthony

Clara Tucker poses with one of her afghans, 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 Clara about the methods and materials used in various sewing, knitting, crocheting, and quilting projects click here.

A pot holder made by Clara Tucker, St. Anthony. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

An orange triangle motif quilt made by Clara Tucker, St. Anthony. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

“Remembering the Merchants of Main Street” explores the diverse history of Grand Falls-Windsor

Photo courtesy of Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society. 1965.

A new online exhibit by Heritage NL invites you to take a walk down Main Street with the residents of Windsor, Newfoundland, and to explore the vibrant history of this shopping district. The site combines recent and archival photographs from community members and the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society’s collection with written and audio memories about the food, shops and entertainments of Main Street.

“Remembering the Merchants of Main Street” is a partnership between Heritage NL and the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society (GFWHS). Developed with the assistance of the Virtual Museums of Canada Community Stories Investment Program, the exhibit helps visitors discover the stories behind the street’s many businesses, and learn how immigration and development have impacted the community.

The community of Windsor grew with the establishment of a railway station and the development of a paper mill in the early 1900s. From its inception, Windsor provided home and opportunity to immigrants, including people who travelled from China or war-torn Europe to find safety and livelihoods for their families. Their surnames have become part of the fabric of the town: Basha, Becker, Chow, Cohen, Münch, Riff, and others.

“Stories like the ones in this exhibit help us understand our relationship to local heritage,” says Heritage NL public folklorist Terra Barrett. “It showcases lesser-known aspects of the community in a way that is accessible to those from Grand Falls-Windsor and beyond.”

The Community Stories Investment Program helps smaller Canadian museums and heritage organizations work with their communities to develop virtual exhibits that engage online audiences in the stories, past and present, of Canada’s communities.

The “Remembering the Merchants of Main Street” virtual exhibit can be viewed at:

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/home/

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/virtual-exhibits/exhibit/remembering-the-merchants-and-memories-of-main-street-windsor/

Historic foundry that cast the 1845 Petty Harbour church bell under threat. #SavetheBellFoundry

Here is an interesting little news story in the built heritage and intangible cultural heritage world.  I while back, I blogged about the 1845 Whitechapel bell at St. George's Anglican Church, Petty Harbour.  Back in 1981, the bell had been identified as one of at least seven Newfoundland Whitechapel bells.

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry has a very long and impressive history, and the Petty Harbour St. Andrew’s bell has some very historic counterparts, as the foundry produced such notable bells as Big Ben and the Liberty Bell. The business has been on its present site since the mid 1740s, is one of just two remaining bell foundries in Britain, and the foundry is reportedly the oldest manufacturing company in the UK.

Currently, the building and business are in danger of closing and being turned into a boutique hotel, even though there is a partnership proposal in place by the United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust to keep the site open as a working foundry.

An online petition to save the foundry is rapidly gaining signatures.

Oral History Roadshow short-listed for Governor General’s History Award

Left to Right: Wanda Garrett and Elaine Spurrell of the Southwest Arm Historical Society, Terra Barrett of Heritage NL, Joanna Dawson of Canada's National History Society, and Lester Green of Southwest Arm Historical Society.
The Southwest Arm Historical Society were also nominated for the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming and were an honorary mention.

The Heritage NL project, the “Oral History Roadshow” has received an honorary mention for the 2018 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming.

The goal of the project was to capture the stories and memories of seniors, to share these stories with their communities, and make them freely accessible to the general public. The Oral History Night Roadshow saw Heritage NL travel to 10 communities to host Oral History Nights, conduct follow up oral history interviews, and create a series of community history booklets. In January 2019, Heritage NL public folklorist Terra Barrett was invited to Ottawa to attend the Canada’s History Forum, the Governor General’s Award Ceremony, and the History Makers Gala.

The complete Oral History Roadshow booklet series can be downloaded for free from the Heritage NL website at:

http://heritagefoundation.ca/discover/publications-ich/

Tying knots in trees, and randying on coasters - notes from Heart's Delight - Islington

Heart's Delight 1955 aerial photograph by Lee Wulff, photo A 14-77.2 at The Rooms.

Happy Friday, ICH fans!

We had a really positive workshop last night in Heart's Delight - Islington. They have a new town Heritage Committee, and seem to be really keen on doing some work documenting and safeguarding living heritage.   We chatted about what makes up “Living Heritage” and introduced the five categories of Intangible Cultural Heritage as defined by UNESCO.  From there, community members came up with a long list of local traditions, skills, crafts, customs, and knowledge.  One of the best parts of my job is that I'm always learning new things (and new words) and last night was no exception. People talked about fishing skills and berth names, bean suppers, candy-making, tying knots in young tree branches and letting them grow to make things like gavels, and "randying the girls home" - which isn't as rude as you might think.  Locally, "randying" means sliding (sledding, or what a mainlander might call "tobogganing") down a hill, or pulling someone on a sled/cat/slide. "Randy" gets its own entry in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.

Prioritizing our list of possible living heritage themes.

After MUCH discussion, there was a general consensus that the best place to start would be to do some further work documenting, recording, and promoting the knowledge and practice of the traditional Heart's Delight - Islington Christmas Carols. These are two very old traditional carols, which exist in modified versions in some of the nearby communities, but which are still widely sung in Heart's Delight - Islington. Traditionally, they were sung by men, who would travel to every house in the community. The custom continues with some changes over time, but more work is needed to safeguard this very special local tradition. There were other recommendations which you can peruse here.

Want a "Where is our Living Heritage?" workshop in your town? Drop me a line at dale@heritagenl.ca.

Mayor Clayton Branton, Dale Jarvis, and Wayne Ford. Photo by Allan Boyce

Looking for NL step mothers to take part in a visual project on step motherhood.

Freelance photographer and documentarian Vaida Nairn is working on a project to challenge and break down the traditional folktale motif of the wicked stepmother, and she is looking for step-mothers who might be interested in taking part in a photography project which will travel to Scotland for Mothers Day.

Vaida writes:

Through images and testimonies the exhibition explores motherhood as blended family experience in the times when such families are almost as common as traditional nuclear ones. The interviewed and photographed women represent a wide range of ages, ethnicities, nationalities, and length of time they have been mothering children they are not related to biologically.

However, what the women do seem to have in common are personal joys, challenges and pressure that often come with the prevalent image of the ‘evil stepmother’ found in folklore and popular culture. Still, more importantly, the thread that connects the women the most is the universal experience of motherhood and all its joys and challenges.

The attitudes are changing and countries like Australia and USA have annual National Step Family Day celebrations. Therefore it is, perhaps, a good time for us too in other countries to revisit the stories we tell about stepmothers, rethink the importance of a more constructive narrative and show due appreciation to all who join motherhood - through blood connection or not.

Visual element of the exhibition: documentary photography style photograph of each stepmother participating in the project in her own home environment.

Written text: A quote from each participant on their personal experience on step mothering, including, but not limited to:

• personal challenges
  
• challenges imposed by the modern day societal stereotyping and judgement
  
• prevalence of the negative step mothering image in folklore and popular culture
  
• difference between step mothering and mothering, if any
  
• positive and rewarding side of the step mothering experience
  
  Important:
  

• Confirmation of interest in taking part in the project: until the end of January, 2019
  
• Interviews and photography sessions: January - end of February, 2019
  
• Project is non commercial, so participation is voluntary.
  
• If preferred, anonymity is guaranteed.
  
• I work in a respectful, non-intrusive and fun way so that the project is rewarding to all participating parties.
  
• The project is scheduled to be exhibited at The Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland March 20 - April 13, 2019 to coincide with the UK's Mother's Day. I am also looking for opportunities to exhibit the project in St.John's, NL in 2019 around Canadian Mother's day.
  
  For more information and/or express your interest in the project, please contact:
  Author: Vaida Nairn, freelance photographer Website: www.vvnphotography.comInstagram: @vaidavnairn
  Twitter: @vaidavnairn
  Email: vaida.vaitk@gmail.comMobile: (709) 325-1129

Public Lecture - "Georgestown: A Neighbourhood Talking Tour" Feb 27

Public Lecture - "Georgestown: A Neighbourhood Talking Tour" 

The Georgestown Neighbourhood Association annual heritage event. 
Wednesday, February 27th, at 7:30 p.m. 
The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road. 

In September 2018, the incoming class of Master's and Ph.D. students in the Folklore Department at Memorial University researched the oral history of Georgestown for their Field School project. They presented their findings as a walking tour to great success. Now, they're back again to share their stories of Georgestown with the neighbourhood. Stories of ghosts, childhood shenanigans, and bygone family businesses as well as the sights, sounds, and scents that bring Georgestown to life will showcase the neighbourhood's favourite memories and lasting influences. If you have fond memories of Georgestown, or want to learn its hidden history, come to this Folklore Field School reunion talk! 

One night only! Discussion, tea, coffee, and treats to follow.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep143 Roadside memorials, anniversaries and conferences with Holly Everett. #FolkloreThursday

Terra Barrett and Holly Everett.

In this episode, Holly Everett discusses her research on roadside memorials, grave markers, memorial assemblages, and culinary tourism as well as the 50th anniversary of Memorial University's Department of Folklore, and the upcoming Folklore Studies Association of Canada conference. Dr. Holly Everett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Folklore at Memorial University, cross-listed with the School of Music’s Ethnomusicology program. She is the author of Roadside Crosses in Contemporary Memorial Culture (2002), as well as articles in Contemporary Legend, Cuizine, Ethnologies, Folklore, the Folklore Historian, the Journal of American Folklore, MusiCultures, and Popular Music and Society. Holly is also the current Head of the Department of Folklore at Memorial and the President of the Folklore Studies Association of Canada.

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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.