Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday's Folklore Photo
I know that it's spring now and snowy landscapes are not exactly what we want to be looking at, but I thought it would be nice to say goodbye to winter by looking at this fantastic photograph of unbridled winter fun. This photo was taken by Ted Rowe in Heart's Content during the early 1960s and shows boys playing hockey on harbour ice. Nowadays the harbour doesn't freeze over like this, and groups of children no longer gather together to play hockey outdoors. This photo is a nostalgic peek into days gone by--a special thanks to Ted Rowe for sharing it.
-Lisa
Friday, May 3, 2013
Quidi Vidi Village Oral History and Folklore Project Launch
Quidi Vidi Village Oral History and Folklore Project
Wednesday, May 8th, 7pm
The Plantation
Starting this summer, MUN Folklore and the Heritage Foundation will be researching the folklore and oral history of the Village. On Wednesday night, folklorists Jerry Pocius and Dale Jarvis will be presenting on this exciting project, and who will be involved.
Hope to see you there!
Coffee, tea and conversation to follow.
Facebook event listing here.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Water Wells on Cable Ave.
Cable
Avenue in Bay Roberts was always known for having certain services
before other parts of town. The Western Union Telegraph company ensured that
their company houses had electricity, sewage, running water, and an
attractive streetscape, all of which were maintained by hired caretakers.
Originally there were two main wells that serviced both the cable station and
the avenue, but each of the staff duplexes were eventually given individual wells that were located in their basements. Some of these wells can still be seen in the buildings,
and one of the main service wells is still present in the backyard of
Randy Collins. Mr. Collins is a long-time resident of Cable Ave who lives in the
former Superintendent’s house. He has covered this large well with a gazebo,
but it is connected to a faucet that supplies Mr. Collins with water for
his garden. He took the time to show me two different wells:
“This
here, this is built over a well. It’s 18 feet deep, 15 foot wide. You
could put a boat into it. That was the well that supplied all the avenue
at one time. And everyone of them got wells--see, there’s a well in
each one of those houses. I’ll show you. This one here, I built that
over it but in the middle of July in the hottest weather, you can get
icy cold water out of that.”
“I’ve
got a submersible pump down in mine that keeps the water down below
three feet from the top. There it is, there’s the well there. I left the
cover off. Each one supplied two households, see. And those wells would
be perfectly good you know, if you wanted to pump them out through a
line, get some water, you’d have no trouble.”
I
wonder how many communities have old water wells that are still in use?
If you know of any, please contact us, we’d love to hear about it.
lisa@heritagefoundation.ca.
-Lisa
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Hi Ho Silver! Stories with metalworkers tonight at The Rooms
To highlight The Room’s new exhibit Silver: a Noble Metal, this Engaging Evening will explore the craft of metalworking. Folklorist Dale Jarvis will host Don Beaubier, Susan Lee Stephen, and Jason Holley, three local artists who work with metal, and who will join us to talk about their experience creating their pieces of art with silver and other metals.
The presentation is organized to coincide with a recent Rooms exhibit, “Silver: A Noble Metal.” In chemistry, silver is considered a noble metal; it is resistant to corrosion and oxidation and is considered precious due to its rarity in the Earth’s crust. From silverware to jewelry, pocket watches and trophies, silver was once mined and worked right here in Newfoundland.
Silver has been a status symbol for centuries, its artisans creating functional works of art but also paying attention to styles and trends. It has also been considered a great reward and is given as an award to important dignitaries, athletes and heroes on the battlefield. The exhibition examines silver (sterling and plate), its uses and markings and its production within the province.
Photos courtesy Susan Lee Studios.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Woodcarvings by Kevin Coates
Kevin Coates is a talented local artist who draws inspiration from traditional Newfoundland industries for the subject matter of his work. Coates, who is self-taught, picked up caricature carving about 15 years ago after reading about it in a magazine. He had been looking for a new hobby and this style of wood carving peaked his interest. Much like caricature drawings, these carvings exaggerate the peculiar features of a person or object. Coates, who grew up and still resides in Winterton, is inspired by the fishery and the majority of his carvings reflect this.
When you first see a Kevin Coates carving your eye is immediately drawn to the face, which he works on for about a third of the time it takes to complete the rest of the carving. When asked where he gets inspiration for the faces, Coates replied, “it’s something about someone I remember, especially from back when I was a kid. We spent a lot of time down by the wharf, at this and that, with the fishermen and the old fellows.”
Coates mostly uses pine or fir along with several different tools to carve his pieces. Interestingly though, Coates' favorite tool is a modified right-handed filleting knife, or splitting knife, that he cut down to about five or six inches. As Coates describes, "where I'm left-handed and it's a right-handed splitting knife the turn is perfect for me."
For more information on Kevin Coates and his carvings, check out the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Researched and written by: Nicole Penney
Works Cited:
Penney, Nicole. Interview with Kevin Coates on the Subject of Wood Carving. Recorded April 26, 2013The heritage of craft and traditional art
Contributors: Dale Jarvis, Doug Wells, Amanda-Marie Hillyard, Lisa Wilson, and Nicole Penney.
You can download the newsletter in pdf format from:
(look for the PDF link on the left side of the page)
Photo: Mr. Cecil Greenland, by Lisa Wilson
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tuesday's Folklore Photo
This detailed little scene is a Heritage Fairs project created by Mr. Noel Strapp's Newfoundland Studies class at Roncalli Central High School in Avondale. This adorable diorama is an example of a traditional outport community in Newfoundland and Labrador.
For more information on the Heritage Fairs, check out the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Photo courtesy of: Sarah Wade, Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
Exploring Our Roots: A Heritage Inventory of Newfoundland’s Root Cellars
The research was conducted by Crystal Braye, hired through MUN’s Division of Co-operative Education, in collaboration with Julie Pomeroy of the Agricultural History Society (AHS),
Crystal has recently completed a report on her root cellar work with HFNL, and we are pleased to release it as the third in our Occasional Paper on Intangible Cultural Heritage series. If you have an interest in root cellars, folk architecture, or traditional knowledge, give it a read!
Download Occasional Paper 003 as a pdf
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The Port Union Heritage District
Exterior of the Union Electric Building, 2013. |
The Port Union Heritage District is both nationally and provincially recognized, and is thought to be the only union built town in the country. Now under the stewardship of the Sir William Coaker Heritage Foundation, this site has many architectural structures that are worthy of attention. During a recent visit, I took over 100 photographs of buildings in the district, and was amazed by the number of heritage buildings that are still standing. I was particularly interested to see the row housing here, as this type of housing is virtually non-existent in other outport communities. While most of the historic homes are currently uninhabited and in need of restoration, the Coaker Foundation is actively working towards preserving these buildings in hopes of developing an active tourist industry. To help bring awareness to the district, I will be doing some work here, which will include sifting through their incredible archival collection, organizing the digitization of oral histories, and creating a booklet of photos and stories from the region. It is an exciting new project that will hopefully generate a bit of excitement around the built heritage of Port Union, and the legacy of Sir William Coaker. Click here to learn more about Port Union's history and architecture -- this paper from 2006 was compiled by Andrea O'Brien of the HFNL (jointly researched by Debbie O'Rielly of the Newfoundland Historic Trust).
-Lisa Wilson
Union row housing along the main street, 2013. |
Interior of the former fish plant that will be repurposed by the Coaker Foundation, 2013. |
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