Bread, boats, papers and pillow tops: The ICH Update for August

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador, we present a review of the ICH workshop held in North West River, Labrador; our summer intern Joelle Carey reviews the Make and Break Festival in Bonavista; we introduce our occasional papers publication series; and Nicole Penney discusses the sewing of pillow tops by men working in the lumber woods, and how it served as a means of group socialization.

• Download the update in PDF format.

The occasional papers in ICH referenced in the newsletter can be downloaded from www.mun.ca/ich/resources.

Contributors: Dale Jarvis, Joelle Carey, Nicole Penney.

Occasional Papers in Intangible Cultural Heritage: Best practices in conservation and safeguarding of ICH

The Intangible Cultural Heritage office of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is always working on one type of workshop, presentation, research project, or another. I try to post some things here on the blog, but it seems I rarely have time to go into any great detail on many of the projects we are involved with.

In order to let you know a bit more about what we are working on, and to share some of the ideas we are developing around the safeguarding and best practices for intangible cultural heritage (ICH), I've started an occasional papers publication.  So far, we have two short papers, which deal with the project-based training model we are developing for ICH projects. Thanks to Graham Blair for the design work, and to Nicole Penney and Joelle Carey, our ICH interns, for proof-reading.

Future papers to follow!

Occasional Papers in Intangible Cultural Heritage:

No. 001 - July 2012 - Project- Based Training Initiatives: A Model for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

No 002 - August 2012 - Old Time Concerts on the Baccalieu Trail: A Project-Based Training Case Study

(photo: Baccalieu Trail project focus session, Cupids 2010)

Hay Barrack photo from Cape Anguille, Newfoundland.

In my ongoing quest to document the seemingly now-vanished tradition of hay barracks in Newfoundland, I've come across another photograph.

This one comes courtesy of John Pratt, who took this colour slide in the early 1990s around Cape Anguille, on Newfoundland's west coast. It shows the pyramidal wood roof laid on the ground, and the four support poles caught mid-twist.  Left empty and unattended, these structures quickly toppled over.

Hay barracks were once a typical technology for the storage of hay in certain regions of the province, in particular the Codroy Valley area and in the Goulds/Killbride region. If you have a memory of a structure like this, or know of a photograph, please email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca or call me toll free at 1-888-739-1892 ext 2.

Looking for Newfoundlanders who've worked high steel

This famous photo, Lunch atop a Skyscraper, was taken by Charles Ebbets on September 29, 1932 on the 69th floor of the RCA Building in New York during the last months of its construction. Various names have been suggested for the men in the photo, with the third man from the left having been possibly identified as Austin Lawton of King's Cove, and the fifth as Claude Stagg of Catalina.

On November 14th of this year, The Rooms museum and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is looking at presenting a live, informal talk-show style interview in the Rooms theatre on Newfoundlanders working on high steel, past and present.

Right now, I am looking for a couple people with good memories of working high steel, who might represent different generations of workers. If you know of someone who might be up for a conversation with me (Dale Jarvis) about the topic, you can call me at 739-1892 ext 2, or email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

For more on the work of Newfoundlanders working High Steel in New York and other places, check the documentary by CBC's Curtis Rumbolt: Men of Iron.

Avalon Folklore Project - working with communities to safeguard culture

We are launching new folklore project which I'm very excited about!

Since 2008, the Intangible Cultural Heritage office of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) has worked to provide a broad range of training workshops throughout the province. While this approach has reached a lot of communities, there is often little opportunity for follow-up support, or on-site guidance, as community groups develop their own projects.

In response to this lack of follow-up, we have developed a project-based training program to help community groups, this year with a focus on the Avalon peninsula region.

The Avalon Folklore Project is exciting for me because I will get to work alongside a community group, from start to finish, as they develop a small local folklore project.

Communities in the area will submit ideas for projects to the foundation, which will select two projects for work in 2012.

The foundation will walk the community through the process of planning and implementing their project. We will give project-specific training and lead community-based workshops.

The training will culminate in a final presentation or community activity, where the general public will be invited to see the collected research.

We often hear about traditions that are under threat. The Avalon Folklore Project will allow us to work with communities on those parts of their culture that they feel are important to safeguard.

Interested communities can contact me toll free at 1-888-739-1892 ext 2, or email ich@heritagefoundation.ca. Priority will be given to projects where traditions are currently in danger of being lost, or which are in communities where the ICH office has not done work in the past.

Deadline for submissions is July 31st, 2012.

Avalon Folklore Project, Max Clarke's Make & Breaks, and ICH in Labrador

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador: The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador's ICH office launches its new Avalon Folklore Project, a project-based training initiative where communities can apply to work with a folklorist on local traditions under threat; Memorial University public sector folklore co-cop intern Joelle Carey interviews Max Clarke of Paradise about his love of make and break engines; the Make & Break Flotilla and Parts Swap draws closer; and the Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador offers a workshop on ICH in museums in North West River, Labrador.

Download the pdf.

Traditional Boat Launch, Trinity, NL – July 7, 2012

Henry Vokey Launches Two Masted Wooden Schooner
The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Trinity Historical Society Inc. are pleased to announce that a Traditional Boat Launch will be taking place in Trinity, Trinity Bay, NL onSaturday, July 7, 2012. Henry Vokey, recipient of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, will be launching his schooner at approximately 1:00 PM (time of launch is tide dependent – we are encouraging people to arrive by 11:00 AM)

Garden Party with food and music will be held following the launch (approximate time 4:00 – 6:00 PM) at the Ball Field / Bandstand area in Trinity on Church Road. 

A historic part of our Heritage and Culture, and a possible once in a lifetime event will be witnessed. Not to be missed!

Join the Vokey Family and fellow boat enthusiasts as we celebrate Henry’s accomplishments.

Looking for supernatural stories, and poems and songs about Bay Roberts

Do you have a ghost story from the Bay Roberts area, or a memory of someone who was a wart charmer? The Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation is looking for stories, and would love to hear from you! We are interested in stories of the supernatural, as well as recitations, songs and poems about Bay Roberts. Call Cyndi toll free at; 1-888-739-1892 ext 3 or email her at cak046@mun.ca

Help wanted - The Cultural History of Jam Jams, Billy Boots, and Pineapple Crush

Purity Jam Jams, Billy Boot garbage bags, and Pineapple Crush pop have become iconic Newfoundland products, with unique ties to Newfoundland history and culture.

Morgan Murray at The Scope is trying to unravel/uncover/figure out the history of the cultural significance of these products in NL, e.g. how and why they have become so popular, and the important political, historical, and social factors that have made them, and kept them so.

If you have any information, theories, insights, or wild guesses about any of these products, please contact Morgan at morgan@thescope.ca.