Living Deadwood: Imagination, Affect, and the Persistence of the Past.

23 November, 2011 · 7pm
Memorial University,  Bruneau Centre, IIC 2001

Dr. Rebecca Johnson will speak on "Living Deadwood: Imagination, Affect, and the Persistence of the Past." Edward Said argued that stories about the past tell us less about that past than about cultural attitudes in the present. In this presentation, Rebecca Johnson turns to popular culture to explore that observation. We will consider the place of imagination, with its structures of feeling, in our current legal, social and economic ordering. 

Dr. Johnson uses the HBO TV show Deadwood as a point of entry to explore and re-consider the affective emotional investments that help sustain persisting colonial relationships in our contemporary legal, social, and economic orders. 

The George M. Story Lecture in Humanities is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and the Office of the Dean of Arts. It was established to honor the memory of Dr. George M. Story, a scholar of international repute and one of the editors of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.

Baskets, Belbin's, The Battery, and more.

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador, we go looking for traditional basket makers; Mel Squarey interviews Chris Belbin about the history of Belbin's Grocery; a new cell phone oral history project is launched in The Battery; and Tales of Town returns to The Rooms Theatre, with memories of Christmas past.

Download the newsletter in pdf format

Intangible Cultural Heritage Podcast - A Good Boat!

In the late 1970s an American folklorist, David Taylor, conducted a series of interviews in the Trinity Bay area while researching his Memorial University folklore thesis, "Boatbuilding in Winterton: The Design, Construction and Use of Inshore Fishing Boats in a Newfoundland Community".

In "A Good Boat!" - the first intangible cultural heritage podcast - we present short clips of two of those interviews.

The first, dating from March 22, 1979 is part of Dr. Taylor’s interview with Mr. Lionel Pearcey, who was born December 8, 1918, in Winterton, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Mr. Pearcey lived most of his life in Winterton, although he would spend time away from home working in mines, as a fisher, and as a carpenter. In the interview, Mr. Pearcey discusses different types of boats, and explains the difference between a speedboat and a trap boat.

The second clip, recorded in Winterton on August 15, 1979, is part of an interview with Mr. Herbert Harnum. Mr Harnum was born November 30, 1919 in Winterton, where he worked as a fisherman with his family. In this clip, Mr. Harnum describes the qualities of a good boat.

To listen to David Taylor’s full interviews with Mr Harnum, Mr Pearcey, and other traditional Newfoundland boatbuilders, visit Memorial University’s Digital Archive Initiative online at collections.mun.ca.

• Download the podcast in MP3 format
• Listen to a streaming audio version of the podcast.

Making Hobby Horses: Prepping for the 2011 Mummers Festival

This week, I taught two train-the-trainer Hobby Horse workshops here in St. John's. One was for the Arts Work conference, for teachers from across the province. The second was for MacMorran Community Centre, who plan on running hobby horse workshops for interested people in the neighbourhood.

Both sessions went extremely well, with a lot of laughter, and some gorgeous hobby horses.  I'll be adding some more hobby horse instructions to the Memorial University ICH page soon, but in the meantime, here are a few shots of our new hobby horse builders in action.

Remember, Remember: Bonfire Night Memories at The Rooms

Coffee and Culture at The Rooms
November 3, 2011 @ 2:30pm

Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, was a tradition looked forward to with great anticipation in many communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly by young people. Faced with concerns about fire safety and vandalism, the tradition faded, though it is now seeing a bit of a revival. At this special Coffee and Culture, graduate students in Dr. Jillian Gould's Public Folklore course at Memorial University present oral histories with some of the people they've interviewed who have warm memories of Bonfire Night from years past.

Coffee and Culture programs are included with the cost of admission to The Rooms.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Bonfire Night!

One of my favourite Newfoundland holiday's is fast approaching: Bonfire Night! Celebrated on November 5th, Bonfire Night is one of those traditions that has faded somewhat in recent years, with concerns about vandalism and fire safety. In 2010, however, over forty communities across Newfoundland and Labrador hosted official town bonfires, indicating rather clearly that the tradition is far from moribund.

The photo above was taken on Bonfire Night in Carbonear in 2010. Carbonear is one of the communities participating again in this year's Festival on Fire, and their community bonfire will start at 6:30 PM at the community Recreation Complex. Hot chocolate and marshmallows will be served!

To learn more about Bonfire Night, listen to some of the interviews on Memorial University's Digital Archive Initiative.

In the hills above town: Tea and tales in Pippy Park

7:30pm
Thursday, November 3rd
North Bank Lodge, Nagle's Place
Pippy Park, St. John's

The Pippy Park Heritage Committee and Friends of Pippy Park have organized "Tea and Tales in Pippy Park". Join them at North Bank Lodge to hear stories and remembrances of life, living, and working in Pippy Park.

I'll be moderating the event, and there will be opportunity for you to share your own stories of Pippy Park. Or you can just relax by the fire and enjoy the tales!

Playing with Fire! Celebrate Bonfire Night at Bitters Nov 1.

1 November · 8pm
Bitter Grad Pub @ MUN
Field Hall, 216 Prince Philip Dr.

The Public Folklore graduate class at MUN and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador are hosting a variety show celebrating Bonfire Night and fire traditions, featuring music, storytelling, spoken word.

Come enjoy our line-up of fiery entertainers and if you feeling the burning urge to share your own fire stories, songs or memories we warmly invite you to take part in the open mic portion of the night.

Admission is pay-what-you-can and all proceeds will go to support Shriners Hospitals.

There will also be FREE barbecued hot dogs/veggie dogs available.

So come watch the sparks fly in celebration of Bonfire Night. It's guaranteed to be a sizzling time!

For full list of events and community bonfires, see:

www.festivalonfire.ca

Walking on Water: Vernacular Architecture walk of St. John's

Last week, I met up with students of Gerald Pocius's Vernacular Architecture graduate level class, and gave them an overview of the Heritage Foundation's work, and a tour of a few sites in along the west end of Water Street.

Tomorrow, we're heading east, and I compiled a list of places we'll pass by for the participants. I thought that since I had it, I'd share it with you, my beloved blog audience, so you can take a little virtual walk along historic Water Street from the comfort of your computer screen.

On the route tomorrow:

Murray Premises
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2232

O'Dwyer Block
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2154&pid=12030&h=Odwyer,Block

Yellow Belly Brewery
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5341
http://www.greatcanadianbeerblog.com/2008/06/yellowbelly-brewery-public-house.html

Grace Building (Model Shop)
http://www.heritagefoundation.ca/property-search/property-details.aspx?id=1890

Bowrings
http://bowring.com/about.asp
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/merchants.html

O'Brien's Music
http://obriensmusic.com/site/obriens-history/

Rocket (Neil Soper Hardware/Auntie Craes)
http://www.thetelegram.com/Business/Economy/2010-10-18/article-1856592/Historical-Auntie-Crae%26rsquo%3Bs-shutting-its-doors-in-December/1

Commercial Chambers Building
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2149&pid=0

And I'll also be talking about the [Here]Say project.

Full list of conference participants tweeting #AFS11

For those of you not at the American Folklore Society conference here in Bloomington Indiana, several participants have been posting observations and notes on Twitter under the hashtag #AFS11.

I'm going to list those who have been posting, below, so check them out and give them a follow. If I've missed anyone, let me know @dalejarvis or email ich@heritagefoundation.ca

@AndreaKitta
@barrchristina
@britas
@chickenpickin

@dalejarvis
@DebraLattanzi
@folklore_wadam
@foxyfolklorist
@ibrodie
@ICH_NL

@jasonjackson2
@johnfenn3
@LynneSMcNeill

@RebesaurusRex
@TradArtsIN
@USUFolklore
@wldoyle

Documenting traditional knowledge relating to Labrador inuksuit and stone markers

"They used to be waiting for caribou and when the caribou started comin' they'd go from one inukshuk to the other to get closer to the caribou" 
- Gus Semigak, Hopedale, Labrador, March 23, 2011


Inuksuit (the plural of inukshuk) have become an emblem of the north and an inukshuk appears on the official flag of Nunatsiavut (above). An inukshuk construction scene is pictured on the cover of the 2004 Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, and is clearly an important symbol of Labrador Inuit identity.

During the 2010 Nunatsiavut Heritage Forum in Nain, elders in attendance voiced their concerns about how inuksuit were not being constructed in traditional ways, and how they lacked the meaning that the elders of Nunatsiavut are accustomed to. Elders also pointed out potential dangers associated with randomly built inuksuit, which had no meaning, but which might appear to mean something they didn't.

As a response, the Nunatsiavut Government, with funding though the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Program and the Tasiujatsoak Trust Fund, has prepared a research report on inuksuit in Labrador. You can download the full report, in pdf format, here.

Flag photo from Paul Illsley's web site.

Folklore 6740 Looking for Community Bonfires

Register Your Bonfire Night Event

Living in Newfoundland and Labrador has historically involved fire, from kitchen woodstoves to “mug ups” to community bonfires. One of the most important fire-related events is the November 5th bonfire celebrations, which have been a long standing, province-wide tradition.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL), in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Folklore 6740: Public Folklore graduate level class, is organising a list of community events surrounding this lively and interesting tradition, as well as hosting celebratory events for the Second Annual Festival on Fire: Bonfire Night.

The Second Annual Festival on Fire: Bonfire Night will take place during the beginning of November. The project is a part of both HFNL’s goal to maintain the intangible cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador, and of the graduate students’ education in public sector folklore, preparing them to have a part in preserving such traditions and helping communities to do so as well.

Dr. Jillian Gould, the professor of the Folklore 6740: Public Folklore graduate class, asserts: “The project is a unique opportunity for our students — to experience the entire range of public folklore fieldwork: from planning and interviewing, to presenting and celebrating. And most importantly, it’s a chance for students to tap into a significant cultural and historic event, giving them a greater sense of place, while strengthening relations between MUN and the larger community.”

To begin, organizers are asking communities to contact them about any Bonfire Night events they have already planned.

Communities or local fire departments wishing to register supervised, official town bonfires should send the following information by Friday, October 21st, 2011:

1. Name of community
2. Location of bonfire in the community
3. Start time and date
4. Backup bad weather date if applicable
5. Name/Contact information of official contact person.


Send information to:
Festival On Fire  
festivalonfire@gmail.com
www.festivalonfire.ca
Telephone: 709-739-1892 ext 3
Toll Free: 1-888-739-1892 ext 3
Fax: 709-739-5413

Along with registering your event you can also mark it on our Bonfire Map!

Tales of Town, this Wednesday night at The Rooms

HFNL and The Rooms kick off the Tales of Town series this Wednesday night, at 7pm. I'll be sitting down with three engaging locals: businesswoman Margaret Dunn, music shop owner Gordon O'Brien, and author Lisa Moore. We'll be sharing memories and stories about growing up in St. John's, and hope you will join us!

The Rooms, Wednesday, October 5th
7pm
Tickets $5, free for members

Resource Links: Museums and Social Media 101

I'm teaching an introductory workshop today for the Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador on social media and museums.  As a resource for workshop participants, and for those of you out there with an interest in museums and how social media can be, or is being, used, here are links to some of the materials I'll be talking about today:

Video Introductions:

• Social Media Important Tool for Holocaust Museum
• Social Media in Plain English
• Social Media Revolution 2011
• Museum uses email, social media to drive interaction

Websites:

• Ask a Curator reviewed
• Ask a Curator website
• Social Media Case Study: Brooklyn Museum
• Social Media and Museums: Royal BC Museum Blog
• Museums Pursue Engagement with Social Media: NY Times article
• Social Media Handouts: National Museums Scotland
• @ICH_NL on Twitter
• Intangible Cultural Heritage Newfoundland Labrador (Facebook)
• Tweetdeck
• Twitterfall

Folklore students on fire, hookers, townies, and the #sjtweetup

In this edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador, a group of folklore students under the direction of Dr. Jillian Gould is on fire; we celebrate Culture Days in St. John's with a tweetup and panel on social media and culture; Melissa Squarey talks rug hooking with Betty White; and we launch a new public oral history interview program, Tales of Town, in partnership with The Rooms.

Download the pdf here.

Panelists bios for the Sept 30th #sjtweetup

On Friday, September 30th, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Newfoundland Historic Trust, will be hosting a St. John’s Tweetup event at the Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site on Water Street as part of Culture Days. It is a chance for anyone to learn more about how social media is being used in the arts and culture sector in St. John’s, and to meet those people face-to-face that you’ve only ever talked to in 140 character tweets. As part of the event, folklorist Dale Jarvis will moderate a panel discussion with people in the cultural sector on the role of social media in local arts, how it is working, and where it is going.

The Tweetup doors open at 6:30pm, with the panel discussion starting at 7pm.

Who are the panelists?


Jennifer Barnable (@JennaOfAvalon) is a writer, photographer and communications professional from Ferryland, Newfoundland who now resides in downtown St. John's. With degrees in cultural anthropology and public relations, Jennifer has spent most of her career working in the arts and cultural industries.

John Gushue (@JohnGushue) is an online editor with CBC News in St. John's, and contributes regularly to radio and television programming. He writes a weekly column on digital culture for the St. John's Telegram, and publishes a blog called Dot Dot Dot.

Elling Lien (@thescopeNL) is editor of The Scope, a weekly, independent alternative newspaper which focuses on local arts, culture, and current affairs in the St. John's region, and which provides live tweets of St. John's City Council meetings.


You can RSVP for the event here.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Knot Tying

This week's photo is of Captain Jan Negrijn tying knots at the Twine Loft, Trinity, as part of Doors Open in 2007.

Knot tying is one of the topics that comes up from time to time as I do workshops in communities about skills and traditions they are worried about losing. At one time, every sailor and fisherman knew dozens of knots, a huge body of specialized knowledge that is not as widespread today as it once was.

Along with that, there were all kinds of folk beliefs about knots, such as knots in a piece of string, which, when buried, could be a cure for warts.

If you've got memories or thoughts on knots and knot tying in Newfoundland and Labrador culture, drop me a line, so to speak.

If a piece of string of any kind is placed outside the house on the eve of St. Brigid, the good saint will walk on it, and that a piece of the cord worn about the leg or foot will be a talisman against all injury from falls and accidents due to stumbling. 

 -PJ Kinsella, Some Superstitions and Traditions of Newfoundland

A few quick pics of Henry Vokey's schooner, Trinity, Newfoundland

I'm here in Trinity for the Wooden Boat Museum of NL conference and AGM. It's been a while since I was in Trinity, so it is great to see the fantastic progress Mr. Henry Vokey, master  boatbuilder, has made on his schooner. Last time I was out this way, it looked like this.

Now, she looks gorgeous. A few quick pictures below.

Here is an interview with Mr Vokey one year ago.

Recitations on the air! CBC radio hosts folk poetry phone in

This Friday, CBC Radio Noon with host Ramona Dearing will be all about the old-fashioned yet timeless tradition of recitations! Local author and recitationist Dave Paddon will be in studio doing a couple of his incredibly witty pieces. And they want to hear from you, too! Phone in at 709-722-7111 / 1-800-563-8255

The show will be broadcast 12:35-1:30 in Newfoundland / 12:05-1 in most of Labrador.

The Voices of Nurses: Clothilda Benson

As part of a partnership between our office, the School of Nursing, and Memorial University's Digital Archive Initiative, we've been putting a series of interviews with nurses online. One of those recently-added interviews is one conducted by Marilyn Marsh with former nurse Clothilda Benson, recorded in 1987, when Ms Benson was in a nursing home with Parkinsons disease.

In this recording Ms. Benson recalls her nursing career; early memories at Cook St.; nursing training at the Grace; the 3 year nursing program; Margaret Canning; her days as a nursing student; her active life before she was a senior; working 12 hour shifts; nursing teachers; doctor lectures; nursing curfews; social activities of a nursing student; discipline; 12o' clock late leave; changes in the career; the Grace in the past and present; manual labour; patient care; family; nursing standards; and treatments for childbirth.

Listen to the interview here

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Folk Art, Compliments of Vic

I'm not sure exactly how old this photo is, but I know I snapped it, on slide film, in Bay de Verde, possibly about 2001.  I love how much is crammed into this little display: fishing boats, dorries, part of what looks like an old make-and-break engine.

If you know anything about Vic, or about the objects in the photo, email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

#SocialMedia #sjtweetup @newmanvaults for @culturedays

A tweetup and panel on social media, the arts, and culture in St. John’s

Friday, September 30th, 6:30 pm

Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site

436 Water Street,

St. John’s, Newfoundland

What is a Tweetup?
A tweetup is an event where people who Twitter come together to meet in person. At a tweetup you meet the people you might only otherwise know virtually. A tweetup is a great opportunity to connect with people in your online network. There have been a few tweetup events organized for St. John’s so far, with meeting places as varied as a local restaurant and a local beach.

What is Culture Days?
Culture Days is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Annual, Canada-wide Culture Days events feature free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind the scenes,” to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers at work in their community.

What’s happening in the Newman Wine Vaults?
On Friday, September 30th, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Newfoundland Historic Trust, will be hosting a St. John’s Tweetup event at the Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site on Water Street as part of Culture Days. It is a chance for anyone to learn more about how social media is being used in the arts and culture sector in St. John’s, and to meet those people face-to-face that you’ve only ever talked to in 140 character tweets. As part of the event, folklorist Dale Jarvis will moderate a panel discussion with people in the cultural sector on the role of social media in local arts, how it is working, and where it is going.

Panelists TBA in a future posting!

• RSVP on Twtvite
• Visit the Culture Days Event Listing

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Norman Currie and Bull Bird, Britannia Newfoundland

I've got a lot a great photos that I've been amassing over the past three years of the intangible cultural heritage project, and it seems a shame to not share some of them. So, with that in mind, I'm going to start a new weekly folklore photo posting, and put a new photo up each week.

This week is a favourite, of Uncle Norman Currie with his boat model, Bull Bird, shown here at the dock in Britannia, Random Island.  I'm not sure of the date on this one, but Uncle Norm passed away a few years ago, and this was one of his last model projects.

One of my favourite stories about him was one I heard from Jim Roy, his nephew-in-law. Apparently, Uncle Norm had an old boat that he had made, with an inboard motor of some type. The propeller shaft had snapped, and when he was told it would cost him $100 to have it welded, Uncle Norm took a cheaper and slightly more ingenious route. He got someone with an angle grinder to smooth off the end of the shaft, then cut a foot off the stern of the boat, and rebuilt it a foot further up, shortening the boat, and allowing the shorter propeller shaft to protrude the correct distance from the back of the boat. Apparently, it worked, and the boat was reportedly even more stable than it had been before the alteration.

A great example of making do with what one has.

Thanks to Jim Roy, Lower Lance Cove, for the story and the photo.

6-hour marathon telling of Jack Tales now online

Earlier this year, the St. John's Storytelling Festival hosted an event called "Jack Cycle" at The Ship Pub. That 6-hour marathon telling of Jack Tales is now online at www.jackcycle.ca, with full videos of each performer.

As the Cycle website relates, "Jack Tales encapsulate elements of the Newfoundland character that have evolved over five centuries: courage, cleverness, generosity, handiness, hardiness, honesty, humility, naïveté, wit, and a general belief in the impossible (amongst other traits). In the stories, Jack comes to represent the Newfoundland character."

And so, the stories include not only traditional Newfoundland folktales, told by the likes of Anita Best and Andy Jones, but also cultural commentary on Newfoundland identity by speakers including Richard Cashin, and Ryan Cleary.

"We hope this will be a resource," says organizer Chris Brookes, "so please pass on the URL to anyone interested."

More photo treasures from the Newman Wine Vaults

A while back, I posted about a small digitization project we were undertaking with Provincial Historic Sites and the Newman Wine Vaults. Those photos have been scanned and placed online as part of Memorial's Digital Archive Initiative. They show the interior and exterior of the Vaults and adjacent buildings, and show that the Vaults were used for storage of more than Newman's Port, including things like Javex bleach and potatoes!

This exterior photo, taken from Water Street, shows the west end of the Vault warehouse, and two now-demolished buildings. Also visible is the "Book and Bible" shop, located where Babb Lock and Key is now.

Any vintage car experts out there? I'd love a rough date for this one! Post your suggestions.

Celebrating our History – The Restoration of the Colonial Building

The Association of Heritage Industries is pleased to support and applaud today’s joint funding announcement by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada of $22.3 million to complete the restoration of the Colonial Building.

Located in the heart of a nationally significant historic precinct, the Colonial Building is the finest example of neoclassical architecture in the province. As the seat of government for 90 years, the Colonial Building has played an important role in the province’s history and political culture.

The heritage community, under the umbrella of the Association of Heritage Industries, collectively lobbied for the restoration of the Colonial Building when the Provincial Archives relocated to The Rooms in 2004. The heritage community rallied to have the Colonial Building carefully restored, maintaining the historical and architectural integrity of both the exterior and interior. We also recommended transforming the building into a public space to interpret and celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador’s political history.

The provincial government adopted AHI’s recommendations and, in the intervening years, completed a management plan, making an initial commitment of $3 million towards the restoration project, along with a $648,000 contribution through Canadian Heritage’s Building Canada fund.

Today’s landmark announcement means there will be sufficient resources to complete the restoration work to a high standard - a fitting contribution to this significant building. AHI Chair David Bradley notes that, “The Colonial Building may be the province’s most important, surviving historic structure, and we are pleased that both levels of government recognize its importance and are prepared to make the necessary investment in its preservation and redevelopment. We will watch the progress with great interest.”


Contact:
Kim Shipp
Executive Director
Association of Heritage Industries
709-738-4345
ahi@nfld.net
PO Box 2064, Stn C.
St. John's, NL A1C 5R6

Labrador kayaks old and new, and adventures with polar bears.

This morning, Peter Cowan, reporter and video journalist for CBC in Labrador, tweeted a link to this story, about Noah Nochasak's journey to Hebron in a handmade, traditional style kayak. It is well worth a listen, particularly the part about Nochasak's run-in with a polar bear.

As a sometimes kayaker, I was interested in Nochasak's construction of the kayak, which is built along traditional Inuit lines, but using nylon instead of skin as the covering. It is a good example of one of the basic tenets of intangible cultural heritage: that ICH comes from the past but is in a constant state of evolution.

Give the interview a listen here.

A few years ago, I got a "backstage" tour of the collection vaults at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec. In a darkened room full of boats from all across Canada, there was one treasure that stood out for me: a traditional Inuit skin kayak from Labrador. A few pics below:

Roadside Gardens, Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland

I'm back in the office from our HFNL/ANLA workshop in Plum Point. Along the way, I took a few photos of one of my favourite "roadside attractions" on the Great Northern Peninsula: roadside gardens.  In conversation with David Adams in Cape Onion, he explained that when the highway was put through, the existing peat had to be moved to the side of the road to make room for laying a new roadbed.  That resulted in thick layers of peat on the sides of the road.

In a region with thin topsoil, it is perfect location with gardening, as long as you build the requisite moose fence and scarecrows. A few shots:

A little jaunt - 900 kilometres to Plum Point

In the morning, I'm heading out on the road to Plum Point - over 900 kms betwixt here and there. I'm giving a workshop with ANLA on Wednesday. So, you might not have a blog post for a few days, depending on internet availability.

And what does that have to do with Edward Teach, commonly known as Blackbeard? Not much, really, but any excuse to put up a picture of a pirate is a good one. Teach, reportedly, hung his hat at Plum Point (North Carolina, however, not Northern Peninsula).

Fair winds, all!

Aug 22nd, 1846 - Happy Birthday, Folklore!

On August 22, 1846, antiquarian William John Thoms coined the term "folk-lore." Writing under the pseudonym Ambrose Merton, in a letter to the editor of the London magazine The Athenaeum, Thoms wrote:

Your pages have so often given evidence of the interest which you take in what we in England designate as Popular Antiquities, or Popular Literature (though by-the-by it is more a Lore than a literature, and would be most aptly described by a good Saxon compound, Folk-Lore,—the Lore of the People)—that I am not without hopes of enlisting your aid in garnering the few ears which are remaining, scattered over that field from which our forefathers might have gathered a goodly crop. No one who has made the manners, customs, observances, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, etc., of the olden time his study, but must have arrived at two conclusions:—the first how much that is curious and interesting in those matters is now entirely lost—the second, how much may yet be rescued by timely exertion…. It is only honest that I should tell you I have long been contemplating a work upon our “Folk-Lore” (under that title, mind Messes. A, B, and C,—so do not try to forestall me);—and I am personally interested in the success of the experiment which I have, in this letter, albeit imperfectly, urged you to undertake.


[reposted from the American Folklife Centre facebook page]

Rare historic photo of Newman Wine Vaults interior

Earlier this summer, I borrowed a collection of photographs from Provincial Historic Sites which show various interior and exterior scenes of the Newman Wine Vaults on Water Street, and the associated Newman Building on Springdale Street, here in St. John's.  Vaults staff have scanned those photos, and we are currently compiling metadata for the photos, which will be added to a new sub-collection for St. John's on Memorial's Digital Archive Initiative.

The photo above is undated, but is probably from the early to mid-twentieth century.  I don't know the identity of the gentleman with the cane; if you know, email ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

The back of the photo reads:
"Pipes" of Newman's Port ageing in a bonded warehouse in St. John's 
Story 15 
V.P. 3
E 1-3 
53%
CANADIAN COLLECTOR


A "pipe" is an old unit of measurement for wine or port, sometimes called a "butt" and equal to two hogsheads, approximately 475 to 480 litres.

What is a Hay Barrack, you ask? A Newfoundland-wide photo hunt

I'm hoping that someone out there in Newfoundland has a photo (or memories) of a hay barrack. I'm working on a little article on hay barracks for a future newsletter, and would love a good illustration.

Here is what the Dictionary of Newfoundland English says:

barrack n Cp DAE hay barrack (1807-). Structure consisting of four posts and a movable roof, designed to protect hay from rain and snow (P 245-56). M 71-39 A barrack is composed of a square base of criss-crossed poles, to keep the hay from the ground, and at each corner a large upright pole. In each pole there are holes through which a large bolt can be passed. Resting on four large bolts, one in each pole, is a four-faced cone-shaped roof. These barracks are usually boarded in for about four feet from the ground. 1974 MANNION 176 ~ A roof sliding on four posts, under which hay is kept.

I'm hoping that someone might have seen one in a photo, perhaps not really knowing what it might have been. If you've seen one, let me know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Thanks to Philip Hiscock for pointing me towards this excellent photo of one in the Ukraine. The illustration above is of both a five and four pole barrack, the four pole barrack showing boarding similar to the description in the Dictionary. Illustration taken from the Dutch Barn Preservation Society website, which writes:  Five-pole hay barrack (left), published in van Berkhey, 1810 (Vol. IX). The Dutch wagon size suggests this barrack is about 24' wide and 33' high. Note the winding jack set in position to raise the roof using a long pole. Its form is similar to that of a cheese press. Its relative size, however, appears exaggerated for clarity. Four-pole barrack at right, also from van Berkhey.

See also:

• Quebec example
• Netherlands example
• More about haystacks, hay barracks and hooibergs than you ever wanted to know

Two Tasty Riddles

I started off my Food, Folklore, and Tourism talk on Monday with these two riddles, and I figured I'd include them here for other lovers of traditional riddles:

Riddle One:

Flour of England,
Fruit of Spain,


Met together


In a shower of rain,

Put in a bag


And tied with a string,


If you tell me this riddle,
I'll give you a ring.

Riddle Two:

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Spell me that in four letters?

Guess away!

Thoughts on pudding, folklore, and culture

Folklorist and Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer Dale Jarvis introduced the Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop in Cupids, Newfoundland on Monday, 15 August 2011, with some thoughts on steamed and boiled puddings, and on how food, folklore, and culture are intertwined.



Download Dale's talk as a MP3

Seeds To Supper Festival Midpoint

The Seeds To Supper Festival is in full stride right now. We've just hosted two successful events, our Food Folklore and Tourism workshop in Cupids on Monday, and our Evening With Century Farmers last night at Lester Farms Inc on Pearltown Road in St. John's (picture above with, left to right, Michelle and Jim Lester, and Leonard and Lena Ruby and family).

We've still got lots to come! This Wednesday and Thursday, we're partnering with the Eastern Edge Gallery for their Art Garden Workshop running 11am-2pm at 72 Harbourside Drive, St. John's. As part of their Art Marathon Festival, workshop participants will create a Moveable Art Garden, which will be part of FEASt's Third Annual Open Garden Day on Sunday, August 21.

Head on down to Eastern Edge to help create the art garden, or download the map for Sunday's Open Garden Day.

Which interesting townie would you like to see interviewed?

I've been asked  to think about doing a public interview series, where interesting local people and personalities are interviewed on stage. Who would you like to see talk about their lives? What St. John's businessperson or character do you think would have an interesting story to tell?  If you have a suggestion, let me know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop Sold Out!

Our Monday workshop on culinary tourism in Cupids is sold out! Thanks all!  Hope to see the rest of you at one of our other events between August 13-21! For full list of events see www.seedstosupper.ca

Stories from farmers: An evening with the Rubys and Lesters

An Evening with Century Farmers: The Rubys and Lesters

Tuesday, August 16
Free admission
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Lester Farms Inc, 92 Pearltown Rd., St. John’s

As part of the Seeds to Supper Festival, host Kevin Aucoin, of the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, will sit down with Leonard and Lena Ruby, and Jimmy and Michelle Lester, and share stories about farming past, present, and future. Jimmy Lester represents the 6th generation Lester to continue farming in this area. Jimmy and his wife Michelle produce vegetable crops, bedding plants and flowers and operate the Lester catering facility on Pearltown Road. Leonard and Lena Ruby continue to grow vegetables on their own historic farm, where others might choose to retire and travel, reflecting their close connection to the soil. Join us, and fill your ears with some home-grown stories!

(NOTE: Lester Farms, Inc. is located at 92 Pearltown Road, not to be confused with the Lester's Market on Brookfield Road. If driving from St. John's along Brookfield Road, pass the Market, and turn left onto Pearltown Road).

Boxes Under the Bed Archives Workshop in Plum Point, Newfoundland

Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Office, Heritage Foundation of NL

Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives

Partnered Workshop

Boxes Under the Bed: Dealing with backlog interview collections

August 24th, Plum Point Motel
9:30am – 4pm

Well, maybe they’re in your storage room, or in your bottom desk drawer – those shoeboxes of cassettes or videos that were collected by a summer project, seniors’ group or JCP worker. These were the recordings that were going to preserve the voices of the past – but here they sit with no voice at all! You don’t know what’s on the recordings, you don’t know much about who made them – maybe you don’t even have the equipment to play them!

How can you get access to those voices from the past? How can you preserve and use them? Dale Jarvis and Mary Ellen Wright will guide you through the process of identifying, arranging, describing, preserving and providing access to older collections that have been donated or made available to you or that already exist in your holdings. Topics to be covered include:

• Recording formats
• Documentation and consent
• Describing, indexing and transcription of contents
• Access issues
• Digitization
• Preservation of originals

Registration deadline: Participants must register for this course by August 19th, 2011

Fees: $35

Participants must register by email at anla@nf.aibn.com