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| Bracebridge Citizens Band from a vintage post card |
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BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE NOT MUCH FOR SHOW - SO DON'T EXPECT A CARNIVAL TO BREAK OUT
TO MATCH THE COMPETITION, OURS WILL BE A LOW LUSTRE - THE ORIGINAL PATINA YOU MIGHT SAY
IN THE WHIRLWIND OF THE ANTIQUE TRADE, COMPETITION IS ALWAYS HEALTHY. IT CAN BE HIGHLY PROFITABLE. THERE ARE SAGE DEALERS, I KNOW, WHO WILL SUGGEST, THAT THE ONLY WAY TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL ANTIQUE BUSINESS, IS TO ISOLATE FROM OTHER DEALERS, SO THAT COMPARISON SHOPPING ISN'T QUITE SO INTIMATE AND IMMEDIATE. TO SOME DEGREE, IT'S DEFINITELY TRUE. WE HAVE RUN ANTIQUE SHOPS, WHERE THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE BETWEEN US AND THE NEAREST COMPETITOR. THERE WERE CUSTOMERS WHO WOULD BUY FROM US, EVEN IF THE PRICE WAS HIGHER ON A PARTICULAR ITEM; BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE BACK TO THE OTHER SHOP, THAT HAD AN IDENTICAL PIECE.
ANOTHER ANTIQUE DEALER I KNEW WELL, TOLD ME, THAT THE REASON HE LIKED TO HAVE A STORE MILES DEEP IN THE MUSKOKA WILDS, WAS THAT AFTER DRIVING ALL THE WAY IN, PATRONS WOULD FEEL A NECESSITY TO JUSTIFY THE GAS MILEAGE. THUS BUYING SOMETHING. HE ACTUALLY KNEW THIS BY RUNNING HIS OWN DAILY SURVEY.
ON OTHER OCCASIONS, WE WERE EITHER "JUST UP THE STREET," OR "JUST DOWN THE STREET," FROM THE NEAREST ANTIQUE STORE. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN BESIDE A COMPETITOR BEFORE, BUT THIS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE. WE'RE NOT COMPLAINING, BECAUSE WE COME FROM THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT, THAT INDEED, "THE MORE, THE MERRIER." FOR GRAVENHURST THIS SUMMER SEASON, WE WILL HAVE A THRIVING ANTIQUE COMMUNITY HERE, WHICH I HAVE BEEN HOPEFUL WOULD HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER. THERE IS A GOOD AND GROWING MARKETPLACE HERE FOR HOME DECORATORS AND ANTIQUE HUNTERS. LOTS AND LOTS OF OPTIONS, AND HOPEFULLY, OTHER DEALERS WILL SENSE THAT, LIKE COOKSTOWN IN ITS HALCYON ANTIQUE SHOP DAYS, GRAVENHURST WILL BECOME KNOWN FOR MORE THAN JUST ITS MAGNIFICENT LAKELAND. PUT A CHARMING TOWN LIKE OURS, NESTLED INTO SUCH A PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE, AND THE ANTIQUE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND WE'LL MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER. FROM EXPERIENCE, THIS IS A WINNING COMBINATION. I'VE JUST HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO PROVE IT, TO MY ANTIQUE CONTEMPORARIES, WHO SEEM TO PREFER INDUSTRIAL LOOKING WAREHOUSES, TO VILLAGE STORE-FRONTS.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF REGULAR CUSTOMERS, AND SOME CASUAL PASSERSBY, COMMENT TO US, THAT HAVING A NEW ANTIQUE AND ART ENTERPRISE, OPENING UP BESIDE US, HERE ON MUSKOKA ROAD, WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS. WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR CONCERN, BUT ASSURE THEM, THAT IF WE WERE IN MANY OTHER FIELDS OF RETAIL, SUCH AS GIFTWARE, BEING IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A COMPETITOR, WOULD BE A DRAIN ON OUR BOTTOM LINE. IN THE ANTIQUE TRADE HOWEVER, WHAT OCCURS, TO THE CONTRARY, IS THAT MORE INTEREST IS CREATED FOR SHOPPERS. WORD GETS AROUND AMONGST THE ANTIQUE CROWD, AND THE NUMBERS INCREASE ALL ROUND. EXPANSIVE, DYNAMIC OPPORTUNITIES, WITH A LARGE VARIETY OF COLLECTABLE AND DECORATING PIECES, OFFERS BETTER OVERALL CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICING. EVEN AFTER MY FORTY YEARS IN THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, WE STILL TREAD LIGHTLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ASSOCIATES IN THE TRADE. WE ARE A NOTORIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS LOT, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T LIKE IT TO SHOW. SOME OF THE VETERAN DEALERS I HAVE KNOWN, SEEMED, AT TIMES, TO BE OF THE CHARACTER, CHARLES DICKENS OR WASHINGTON IRVING MIGHT HAVE CREATED, FOR ONE OF THEIR MEMORABLE TALES OF ANTIQUITY. THOSE WHO KNOW ANTIQUE DEALERS WEEL, AS PATRON COLLECTORS MIGHT OBSERVE, WE ANTIQUE FOLKS, ARE THE TRUE ECCENTRICS, WELL BEYOND THE RANGE OF THOSE TELL-TALE QUIRKS OF ARTISTS AND AUTHORS. SOME OTHERS SEE US A ROGUES AND SCOUNDRELS, AND HISTORY AFFORDS SOME AFFIRMATION, THAT OUR PROFESSION HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF UNSAVORY INDIVIDUALS. IT ISN'T TO SUGGEST THAT WE ARE ALL UNSAVORY BECAUSE OF OUR FIELD OF INTERESTS, BUT I HAVE KNOWN MANY, WHO AS THE OLD WIFE MIGHT SUMMARIZE, IN JEST, WOULD BE "WILLING TO SKIN A LOUSE FOR ITS TALLOW." ON THE OTHER HAND, IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE MENTORSHIP I'VE ENJOYED, AND BENEFITTED FROM, GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY SOME HIGHLY TALENTED AND SKILLED DEALERS AND COLLECTORS, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS POSITION TODAY; ONE THAT AFFORDS ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY OUR SHOP, AND FULFILL THE AMBITION I HAD FROM CHILDHOOD.
I HAVE BEEN A MUSEUM MANAGER, WITH CURATORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, FOR TWO MUSKOKA COLLECTIONS, AND SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MUSKOKA LAKES MUSEUM, IN PORT CARLING. THAT WAS ASPIRATION ONE. ASPIRATION TWO, WAS TO WRITE ABOUT HISTORY AND ANTIQUES. THIS HAS BEEN FULFILLED MANY TIMES OVER. AND THIRDLY, I WANTED TO RETIRE, WITH MY LIFE PARTNER, SUZANNE, OPERATING A SMALL ANTIQUE SHOP IN OUR HOME TOWN, SCULPTED TO SUIT OUR INTERESTS. THE BONUS, FOR US, HAS BEEN THE REALITY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT IN THE SAME BUILDING, (THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE) WITH BOTH OUR SONS, ROBERT AND ANDREW, AND THEIR VINTAGE MUSIC AND RECORDING STUDIO ENTERPRISE. I CALL IT OUR OWN "WALTON'S MOUNTAIN," BUT WE DON'T HAVE A "JOHN-BOY." OR A MOUNTAIN LIKE THEY DID ON THE TELEVISION SHOW.
WE ARE ALL A LITTLE NERVOUS, I SUPPOSE, OF HAVING TO BECOME A TAD MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND RESPONSIVE, TO THE NEW DEMANDS, OF BEING IN MUCH CLOSER QUARTERS TO OUR ANTIQUE SHOP COMPETITORS; BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WILL DEMAND TO KEEP OUR MARKET SHARE. ARE WE READY TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT? TRUTHFULLY, UNDER THIS SHARK DISGUISE, WE ARE REALLY PRETTY PASSIVE ABOUT OUR WORK. WE MIGHT SHARE AN INTEREST IN ART, ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES, BUT WE ARE STILL CHASING AFTER AN ULTIMATE PROFIT. THE ONLY THING WE CAN PROMISE, WITHIN OUR MEANS, (AND IT IS OF MODEST PROPORTION) IS THAT WE WILL LARGELY REMAIN THE SOFT-SELL BUSINESS WE HAVE BEEN SINCE INCEPTION. WE WILL BE QUITE A DULL PLACE OF OLD STUFF, WITH A MUSICAL CHARACTER. WE ARE TRADITIONALISTS IN THE ANTIQUE TRADE. THE ONLY LIBERALITY, I SUPPOSE, FROM OUR ADHERENCE TO TRADITION, IS THAT WE HAVE A MUSICAL COMPONENT, AND THAT CAN GET A LITTLE WILD AT TIMES, DEPENDING ON OUR GUEST MUSICIANS. YOU SEE, THIS HAS BECOME, IN THE TEN YEARS SINCE THE BOYS FIRST OPENED THEIR SHOP, A SORT OF SOCIAL CLUB FOR CURIOUS SOULS, AND WAYWARD MUSICIANS, WHO SEEM TO FIND CREATURE COMFORTS AND UNDETERMINED SOLACE, IN THE COMPANY OF MUSICAL HERITAGE, SWEET SOUNDS, AND THE SCENT OF ANTIQUES, MERGING LIKE SPIRIT VAPORS, CREATING A UNIQUELY "STORIED" ENVIRONMENT. IN THE TWO YEARS WE HAVE BEEN PART OF THE CO-OPERATIVE SHOP-SCAPE, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED GREATLY TO THE STORIED ASPECT, OF THE MARVELOUS OLD THEATRE BUILDING. I SUPPOSE IT HAS THE PATINA OF LOCAL "FOLK" HISTORY, BECAUSE WE GET A LOT OF FOLKS COMING IN, WHO USED TO ATTEND MOVIES HERE, WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP HERE. COTTAGERS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS ALIKE. IT'S WHY WE KEEP TWO BINDERS OF FORMER THEATRE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE HALL, TO SHOW, OR REMIND OUR GUESTS, WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN ITS OWN HEYDAY OF CINEMA. THE BOOKS GET A GOOD WORK OUT EACH WEEK, AND EVERY TIME WE FIND OLD GRAVENHURST NEWSPAPERS, WE CLIP OUT THE MUSKOKA THEATRE ADS, TO BUILD UP THE ARCHIVES' COLLECTION.
WE WON'T SHOW OUR EXCITEMENT FOR OUR ENTERPRISE, IN ANY OTHER WAY, THAN BEING ENTHUSIASTIC HOSTS, AND WORTHY RETAILERS, WHO REPRESENT THEIR SELECTION OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES, WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF RESPECT, AS WE OFFER TUTORIALS ON MUSKOKA HISTORY, OF WHICH WE ARE AN ACTIVE PART. MAYBE THAT IS OUR SHOP'S ADVANTAGE. SUZANNE AND I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE AND PUBLISHED MUSKOKA HISTORIANS FOR ALL OUR MARRIED LIFE, AND BEING FROM PIONEER STOCK HERSELF, WE ARE NEVER TOO BUSY, TO SET ASIDE A FEW MOMENTS, TO TELL THE REAL STORY OF THE MUSKOKA LIFESTYLE; (NOT AS ADVERTISED IN THE GLOSSY PAGES OF MAGAZINES) AND IT WILL INCLUDE A TRUE PORTRAYAL OF LIFE HERE, FROM THE DAYS OF THE PIONEER SHANTY, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. OUR REGULAR CUSTOMERS OFTEN ENGAGE US IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MUSKOKA'S PAST, AND WE LOVE WHEN IT OPENS UP, WITH OTHERS, WHO HAVE AM EQUALLY LONG HISTORY IN OUR TOWN AND OUR REGION. THERE ARE NO OTHER HISTORIANS RUNNING ANTIQUE SHOPS IN OUR REGION, SO, THERE YOU GO! THIS IS OUR EXTRAVAGANCE FROM THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD, OF BEING VETERAN ANTIQUE DEALERS. IT'S NOT VERY EXCITING, UNLESS YOU THRIVE ON HISTORY. WHAT WE THINK IS A STIRRING CONVERSATION ABOUT PIONEER TIMES, IN MUSKOKA, IN RETROSPECT, IS PROBABLY AKIN TO WATCHING PAINT DRY. BUT IN OUR AREA OF INTEREST, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING, WHAT STORIES ARE SPUN HERE IN THE HEART OF AN OLD THEATRE, ON THE MAIN STREET, OF A SMALL ONTARIO TOWN, IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKELAND REGIONS ON EARTH. SO THIS IS OUR CLAIM TO FAME. WE KNOW OUR ANTIQUES, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT OF DEALERS IN THE PROFESSION FOR SO LONG; AND BELIEVE ME, WE KNOW OUR REGIONAL HISTORY. NOTHING FANCY. JUST THE FACTS. JUST THE ANTIQUITIES. I HOPE THOUGH, THAT EVERYONE WHO VISITS, WILL AT THE VERY LEAST, FIND US FRIENDLY AND OBLIGING HOSTS. WE WOULD HATE TO THINK, THAT WE BORED YOU TO TEARS, OR DIDN'T SHOW A RESPECTFULNESS TO EACH AND EVERY PIECE, WE OFFER FOR CUSTOMER APPROVAL.
SOMETIMES I FIND MYSELF OFFERING AN APOLOGY TO A CUSTOMER, THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH SELECTION AS AN ANTIQUE MALL, OR AS MUCH INVENTORY AS SOME OF THE WAREHOUSE BUSINESSES, THAT OFFER COLLECTABLES BY THE SKID-LOAD. I MIGHT EVEN SUGGEST THAT WE ARE SHORT OF PIZZAZ, BUT HUGE ON CONSERVATISM. WE BLOW OUR OWN HORN WHEN WE THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD STORY TO SHARE, OR A TREASURE WE'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU. AND AS FAR AS BEING REMARKABLE, WE ARE TRADITIONALLY COMMON AND HAPPY TO REMAIN THAT WAY. SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS MAY WISH WE HAD MORE UNIQUE PIECES, AND MORE ENTRENCHED EXCITEMENT TO TITILLATE. A FEW HAVE EVEN REMARKED, THAT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD PROVIDE MORE ANTIQUE FURNITURE, SILVER, TREENWARE, OR PORCELAIN. WE TRY OUR BEST, BUT WE ARE ONLY AS PROFICIENT IN THIS REGARD, AS OUR SOURCES ARE ABUNDANT. FREQUENTLY, AS SCARCE AS HEN'S TEETH. SO WE HAVE LEARNED SOMEWHAT, HOW TO RELAX IN OUR TRADE, AND OFFER WHAT WE CAN, NOT LAMENTING FOR TIME AND MEMORIAM, THAT WE CAN'T BE BIGGER, BETTER, AND MORE ELABORATELY APPOINTED. WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING CRITIQUED IN THIS FASHION, WE ARE PLEASANTLY CONTENTED ON THIS "WALTON'S MOUNTAIN," TO BE THE BEST WE CAN BE, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, LIVING CONTENTLY WITH OUR TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATIONS. OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSIONS; AND I DON'T MEAN PROSTITUTION. THE DEEP IMMERSION IN WORLD HISTORY IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT TRUTHFULLY, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN TO ANYONE WHO DOESN'T HANG ONTO HISTORY, AS IF IT IS THE TRUE, AND ONLY HARBINGER, OF ALL THAT IS YET TO COME. THAT'S HOW DEEP WE HAVE SURRENDERED TO OUR PROFESSION, SUCH THAT IT IS, IN ESSENCE, THE FINAL DETAIL OF THE BUCKET LIST. THAT WE SHOULD ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF THE EXPERIENCE AND TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED. THE FAMILY BUSINESS IS OUR END-ALL. I HOPE THIS FAMILY THEME MAKES YOU FEEL WELCOME EACH TIME YOU VISIT. IT'S NOT PUT ON FOR SHOW. THIS IS THE REAL MCCOY. AND SHOULD YOU WISH TO TALK ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY, WELL THEN, WE MUST THEREFORE BE KINDRED SPIRITS.
YOU SEE, WE ARE THE TATTERED REMAINS OF THE OLD GUARD, OF THE ILK OF COUNTRY ANTIQUE DEALER, AND WITH THIS, WE FEEL IT INCUMBENT TO REPRESENT THOSE OLD TRIED AND TRUE TRADITIONS, OF WHICH WE WERE INFLUENCED, ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING. HOW HARD WE HAVE TRIED TO REKINDLE THE PAST, IN ALL ITS GLORIES; AND ADMITTEDLY, ITS INHERENT SADNESS. AFTERALL, WE ANTIQUE DEALERS HANDLE THE HEIRLOOM PIECES OF THE DECEASED. BEFORE IT GETS INTO OUR HANDS, IT HAS BEEN PASSED THROUGH THE GENERATIONS. THINK ABOUT THE INTENSE TIMES THESE PIECES HAVE HAD, FOR ALL THOSE YEARS, AND WOULD IT BE ANY WONDER THAT THE SPIRIT-KIND ATTACHES ITSELF TO THE FAMILY BIBLE, AN OLD ARM CHAIR, A HEARTHSIDE ROCKER, OR A PINE SETTLE, FROM AN OLD ENGLISH TAVERN. HAVING A SPIRIT TRAVELLER ATTACH TO THESE ARTICLES, IS WHAT WE CONSIDER, AS HAVING THE FINEST PATINA. SUZANNE REMINDS ME, THAT MY PHILOSOPHY OF BUSINESS, IS MUCH LIKE DICKENS' CHARACTER, OLD FEZZIWIG, AND HIS COMMITMENT TO "THE OLD WAYS," DESPITE THE DEMANDS OF THE NEW VESTED INTEREST. AND OF THIS I'M QUITE FLATTERED. OF COURSE, SHE ALSO CALLS ME, A SHORT BREATH LATER, "OLD JOE," FROM THE SAME DICKENS' STORY, "A CHRISTMAS CAROL." OF COURSE, OLD JOE, RUNS THE LOCAL SECOND HAND SHOP, AND IS QUITE ROBUST CHARACTER.
I WAS MENTORED IN THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, BY THE MOM AND POP OPERATORS, OF SOME GRAND OLD SHOPS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO, DATING BACK TO THE MID 1970'S. THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE EDUCATING ME, BUT I RESPECTED THEM SO MUCH, I WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THEIR LOW-LIT, OLD WOOD SCENTED EMPORIUMS, ALL DAY IF I'D HAD THE TIME. I WAS OFTEN RECRUITED, AS A SHOP GAWKER, TO HELP MOVE A PINE CUPBOARD, OR HELP LOAD AN OLD DRESSER IN A CUSTOMER'S CAR TRUNK. IF YOU STAND AROUND LONG ENOUGH IN AN ANTIQUE SHOP, YOU WILL BE PUT TO WORK. I LOVED THAT ABOUT THESE MUSTY LITTLE STOREFRONTS, BACK PORCHES AND FRONT. AS IT WAS, I WAS SKIPPING UNIVERSITY LECTURES IN ORDER TO VISIT THEM. I WITNESSED THE WAY THEY ALL SEEMED SO RELAXED BY THEIR BUSINESSES, AND UNCARING ABOUT THE LACK OF IT; AS MANY TIMES, I COULD REMAIN HOURS, DAWDLING THERE, AND NEVER SEE ANOTHER CUSTOMER. IT DIDN'T SEEM TO DAMPEN THEIR ENTHUSIASM, OR CREATE A DISCERNIBLE CHAGRIN ABOUT THE PROFITABILITY THEIR CHOSEN PROFESSION. THEY WOULD ADMIT TO ME, IN CONFIDENCE, THAT THE ANTIQUE TRADE DOES NOT, FOR ITS SUCCESS, DEPEND ON VOLUME OF VISITORS, BUT ALWAYS ON THE RESPECT OF REGULAR CUSTOMERS, WHO APPRECIATE THE VENDOR'S TASTE AND ATTENTION TO QUALITY. THESE DEALERS SELECTED LESS VISIBLE AREAS TO SET UP THEIR SHOPS, SOME FROM THEIR OWN HOMES. THESE WERE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL SHOPS, SITUATED AROUND CORNERS, ALONG QUIET STREETS, IN BUILDINGS SLIGHTLY OBSCURED BY FULL MAPLES AND LEANING BIRCHES. SHOPS LOCATED OFF THE MAIN STREETS OF TOWN, AND IN NARROW, UNASSUMING STORE-FRONTS, NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME FORMS OF RETAIL, BUT A PERFECT FIT FOR COUNTRY ANTIQUES, SMALL AND LARGE, ACCORDING TO SPACE AVAILABILITY OF COURSE. THE FOLKS WHO USED TO RUN THESE PORTALS TO THE PAST, OF WHICH I WAS MOST FAMILIAR IN MY APPRENTICE YEARS, WERE TRUE TO LIFE CHARACTERS, LARGER THAN LIFE, YET GENERALLY UNASSUMING, AS TO NEVER IN THEIR LIVES WARRANT A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE FOR THEIR EXPLOITS. THEY ALL SEEMED MORE LIKE CURATORS THAN ANTIQUE SHOP PROPRIETORS, AND WERE PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAD ON DISPLAY, THAT OF COURSE, WAS ALSO FOR SALE. THEY WEREN'T AT ALL WORRIED ABOUT SHARING WITH ME, EVEN IF I TURNED OUT TO BE A COMPETITOR. TRUE ANTIQUE DEALERS, NEVER WORRY ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING, BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE THEIR SECRET SOURCES AND PRIVATE STASHES TO EXPLOIT, AND I WAS NEVER IN A SHOP, BACK THEN, WHERE THERE WAS EVEN A TRACE CONCERN, THAT A BLOKE LIKE ME WAS GOING TO BENEFIT FINANCIALLY, FROM WHAT THEY WERE TELLING ME, IN SUPPOSED CONFIDENCE. I NEVER ONCE, WENT IN ANY OF THOSE TRADITIONAL, CONSERVATIVE ANTIQUE SHOPS, TO FIND ANYONE BEHIND THE COUNTER, OR IN A ROCKING CHAIR NEXT TO A FIREPLACE, WHO WOULD ADMIT THEIR BUSINESS WAS EITHER AN EASY ONE TO MASTER, OR ONE THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO SELL-OFF TO THE VERY NEXT PERSON WHO CAME THROUGH THE SHOP DOOR. EACH ONE I KNEW THEN, LIKE SUZANNE AND I, WAS WILLING TO END THEIR DAYS IN THE BUSINESS THEY HAD BEGUN, AND PROUDLY NAVIGATED THROUGH WORLD WAR AND DEPRESSION, TO EKE OUT A MODEST LIVING. SOME WOULD SAY, THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION IS AN ACQUIRED TASTE, AND THEY WOULD BE SPOT-ON, WITH THIS OBSERVATION.
IT IS NOT MUCH OF A PEDESTAL TO STAND UPON, THIS ACQUIRED EXPERIENCE, AND KNOWLEDGE, PASSED ON SO FREELY AND GENEROUSLY, BY THE VETERANS OF OUR ENTERPRISE; BUT IT IS WHAT WE CHOOSE AS OUR FOUNDATION BRICKS AND MORTAR; AND FOR MY FORTY YEARS, IT HAS NEVER ONCE PROVEN WEAK OR UNSTABLE, ON WHICH TO BUILD A RETAIL FUTURE. WE MAY NOT BE VERY FLASHY, OR OFFER PONY RIDES FOR THE YOUNGSTERS OF OUR PATRONS, OR EVEN PUT ON PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS TO ENTERTAIN OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT SO FAR, THE HISTORY WITHIN, AND THE TRADITION WE BESTOW ENTHUSIASTICALLY, UPON ALL OUR PATRONS, SEEMS TO WORK JUST AS WELL; AND IS A LITTLE LESS MAINTENANCE.
WE HOPE YOU WILL VISIT OUR SHOP, HERE IN THE HERITAGE MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE ANTIQUE TRADE INSIDE AND OUT. WE HOPE YOU WILL VISIT DESPITE THE FACT, WE HAVE ONLY MODEST ALLURE, AND REFRAIN FROM MEDIA ADVERTISING, BECAUSE WE'D RATHER USE THAT MONEY SAVED, TO LOWER OUR PRICES OVERALL. WE DON'T ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS, AS WELL, BECAUSE THE MONEY WE SAVE, ON SERVICE FEES, WE DEDICATE TO PARING DOWN ASKING PRICES ON OUR WARES. AS FOR BELLS AND WHISTLES, WELL, WE DO HAVE A FEW OF THEM; FOR SALE THAT IS. AND IF YOU LIKE LOCAL HISTORY AND WANT TO KNOW MORE, WE'D BE DELIGHTED TO MEET YOU AND HAVE A LITTLE CHAT. IF CHATTING WAS A BELL OR WHISTLE, IN THE SENSE OF EXTRAVAGANCE, THEN IT COULD BE SAID OF US, THAT WE ARE THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT LITTLE ANTIQUE SHOP IN MUSKOKA.
THANKS FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO VISIT WITH ME TODAY. DON'T BE A STRANGER. YOU KNOW WHERE WE HANG-OUT.
ADVENTURES OF A PAPER SLEUTH - HUGH P. MACMILLAN
A MAN WORTH KNOWING - A FREE LANCE ARCHIVIST, HISTORIAN, ADVENTURER
"MUCH OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY A FASCINATION WITH GLENGARRY COUNTY AND ITS HISTORY. THAT FASCINATION EXTENDS BACK TO THE 1930'S, AND 1940'S, WHEN MY FATHER, A PRESBYTERIAN PREACHER, MADE THE PILGRIMAGE BACK TO HIS ROOTS IN GLENGARRY EVERY SUMMER. STARTING IN MY TEENS, I TOOK NOTES FROM THE REMINISCENCES OF MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO DIED IN 1942. OVER TIME, THIS INTEREST EVOLVED INTO A UNIQUE CAREER IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH, WHICH CONTINUES TO THIS DAY."
THE PASSAGE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND HUGH MACMILLAN, A CANADIAN HISTORIAN WHO CHANGED MY LIFE. HE OPENED DOORS IN THINKING AND AMBITION, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I HAD. THERE IS SOMETHING ENDEARING ABOUT THE CRUSTY, SOMETIMES CRANKY OLD CHAP, THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO FOLLOW HIM ALL OVER THE PLACE….BECAUSE YOU JUST KNOW, HE WILL BE EMBARKING ON SOME INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE, AS A PAPER SLEUTH, AND THAT WITH HUGH, THE ONLY TRUE DOWN TIME FROM RESEARCH, IS WHEN HE SLEEPS. I'M PRETTY SURE, FOR HIM, IT DOESN'T STOP THERE EITHER. I PONDERED ONCE TO SUZANNE, IF GOD KNEW HOW MANY QUESTIONS HUGH HAD ASKED IN HIS LIFETIME, THUS FAR. IT HAS TO BE QUADRUPLE THAT OF THE MOST LONG-SERVING FRONT-LINE REPORTER, WORKING FOR THE DAILY PRESS. MOST OF HUGH'S ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS, THAT I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART, POSSESS THE CLEAR AND CALCULATED INFUSION OF QUESTIONS MARKS……BECAUSE HE'S VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR STORY……ESPECIALLY FAMILY HISTORY. IT'S FACT, THAT I HAVE NEVER MET A MORE ENQUIRING, INQUISITIVE PERSON, ANYWHERE ELSE ON THIS PLANET. AND WELL, APPARENTLY THE QUEST FOR ANSWERS RUBBED OFF…..WHICH BELIEVE ME, I CONSIDER A VERY GREAT HONOR. AND WHEN SOMEONE GRIMMACES, A TAD ANNOYED, WHY I ASK SO DAMN MANY QUESTIONS…..I JUST SMILE TO MYSELF, AND SOFTLY WHISPER A LITTLE "THANK YOU HUGH," TO MY ASSOCIATE IN HISTORY.
"AT 16 I LEFT HOME, LIED ABOUT MY AGE AND TRIED TO JOIN THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. MY FATHER MUST HAVE INTERVENED, AS THE AIR FORCE SENT ME BACK TO SCHOOL. I DID SUCCEED IN VOLUNTEERING FOR THE INFANTRY, BUT MY ARMY CAREER WAS EQUALLY UNDISTINGUISHED. I DIDN'T GET OVERSEAS, AND THE PINNACLE OF MY MILITARY CAREER MUST HAVE OCCURRED SOMETIME BEFORE I GOT MYSELF BUSTED FROM SERGEANT BACK TO PRIVATE. HAVING SIGNED UP IN THE HOPE OF FIGHTING THE JAPANESE IN 1945, THE ONLY ACTION I SAW WAS CHASING JAPANESE FIRE BALLOONS IN A JEEP WITH A BREN GUN DURING WEAPONS TRAINING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA," WRITES HUGH MACMILLAN OF HIS YOUTH. WHEN THE WAR ENDED, I ASKED FOR A DISCHARGE AND WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. I SIGNED UP FOR SOME COLLEGE COURSES IN ENGLISH AND ACCOUNTING. AFTER A YEAR'S STUDY, I HAD A PASSING GRADE IN ENGLISH AND A FAILURE IN ACCOUNTING. I LEFT SCHOOL FOR A JOB IN MONTREAL, AS OFFICE GOPHER WITH A DUTCH EXPORT FIRM. WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE MANAGER WAS SHAFTING THE OWNERS, I LED AN OFFICE REVOLT BY THE THREE EMPLOYEES, AND THE OFFENDING MANAGER FIRED ME FORTHWITH."
HE NOTES, "THE SUMMER OF 1947 WAS SPENT WORKING ON MY UNCLE'S GLENGARRY FARM, CONTEMPLATING MY NEXT MOVE. TO STAY AND HELP RUN THE FAMILY FARM, WAS AN APPEALING OPTION, PARTLY BECAUSE OF MY NEW INTEREST IN FAMILY HISTORY. BUT I ALSO CRAVED ADVENTURE, SO I JOINED A TWO MONTH HARVEST EXCURSION IN SASKATCHEWAN, STOOKING GRAIN AND DRIVING A TEAM OF HORSES HAULING SHEAVES TO THE THRESHER. MOVING ON WEST, I SPENT TWO MONTHS ON A CATTLE RANCH IN ALBERTA, THEN OUT TO THE PACIFIC COAST. I WAS NOW TAKING A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE ON WRITING. IN VANCOUVER I THOUGHT OF GOING TO SEA AND WRITING AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE TRADITION OF JACK LONDON, JOSEPH CONRAD AND RICHARD HENRY DANA. MY TIMING WAS BAD. THERE WAS A SEAMAN'S STRIKE IN PROGRESS, SO I HAD TO SETTLE FOR A COASTAL TOWBOAT, ON WHICH I STARTED AS A DECKHAND. SO MUCH FOR WRITING THE NEXT 'MOBY DICK."
"IN ONE RESPECT, MY TIMING WAS VERY GOOD. IN VANCOUVER I MET AND MARRIED MURIEL DIVER, WHO HAD COME FROM MONTREAL TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. IN 1952 WE WENT BACK TO THE GLENGARRY FARM. MY TRUE INTEREST LAY IN FAMILY AND LOCAL HISTORY, BUT THAT PURSUIT PAID NO BILLS. NOT HAVING A UNIVERSITY DEGREE, I WAS IN NO POSITION TO TEACH. I HELD A SUCCESSION OF JOBS NOTABLE MORE FOR THEIR VARIETY THAN THEIR FINANCIAL YIELD. CAR-TOP CARRIERS (JUST AS THE KOREAN CRISIS EMBARGOED SUPPLIES OF STEEL TO THE MANUFACTURER), LIFE INSURANCE (THE LAST REFUGE OF THE MAN WHO HAS NOT UTTERLY GIVEN UP THE HOPE OF AN INCOME) AND FARMING ITSELF (THE FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY FROM EXPECTING TO MAKE A LIVING), ALL WERE DOOMED TO FAILURE. MEANWHILE, MURIEL TAUGHT SCHOOL BETWEEN RAISING AND CARING FOR OUR FOUR CHILDREN. HER CONTRIBUTION TO THE FAMILY FINANCES ENABLED ME TO SPEND TIME ON HISTORICAL RESEARCH. EVENTUALLY MY INTEREST IN FAMILY HISTORY FOUND A FOCUS IN THE FIELD OF DOCUMENTS AND ARCHIVES. I HAD BEGUN NOTING COLLECTIONS OF PAPERS IN GLENGARRY THAT WERE IN PRIVATE HANDS, AND IN MANY CASES IN IMMINENT PERIL OF DESTRUCTION. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THESE PAPERS TO THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES OF CANADA IN NEARBY OTTAWA, KEEPING COPIES FOR MYSELF TO USE IN A COLUMN I WAS WRITING FOR THE GLENGARRY NEWS. THEN, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF DONALD FRASER MCOUAT, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PIONEER IN A NEW JOB THAT I HELPED CREATE, LIAISON OFFICER FOR THE ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO. THIS I FOUND TO BE REMARKABLE BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PAID TO LOCATE AND ACQUIRE PAPERS!"
ON THE PAPER TRAIL ACROSS CANADA
"Moving to Toronto, in 1963, was not easy, since our family had long established roots in Glengarry (dating back to 1802), and my lack of success in making a living from the farm of my ancestors was particularly poignant. But in a way, my father's peripatetic career as a minister had helped ease the separation. After all, only one of his children had been born in Glengarry, and it wasn't me. Besides, I was now in the happy position of being able to convert my hobby to a paying job. i came to terms with the fact that I was not a farmer," writes Hugh MacMillan. "My agenda for this new and untried line of work began without guidelines or direction from the Archives of Civil Service procedures as there had never been such a position before. I decided, and McOuat agreed, that I would set my own guidelines, following the precepts of any skilled salesman. I kept in close contact with my Eastern Ontario history buffs and gradually built a network across the province. I continued to gather family history information in the form of documents, both originals and copies, and combined it with the recording of oral history. Along my career path I unearthed many stories that relate to my Glengarry relatives. While every family's history is unique, every family has a history. Each is worth knowing, for the knowledge it gives depth to the lives of every member of the family and their understanding of why they are where they are in life. I have been in the privileged position for much of my life, of seeing how my family history intersects with the history of Ontario, the history of northern and western Canada, and even the West Indies! I have related disjointed bits on occasions and through the years, no doubt, boring some while delighting others. The rest of this chapter places these anecdotes together for the first time, hopefully putting me into my own historical context. Like many Scottish families, mine has spelled its name with joyous inconsistency as MacMillan or McMillan as while and fashion took it."
"In the employee lunchroom of Canada's National Archives there is a figured mug for sale. The face on the cup is that of Sir Arthur Doughty, the second Dominion Archivist and a legend among Canadian archivists. Sir Arthur made his name by the aggressive and ingenious methods he used to acquire historically important papers for Canada, whose collections were then in a state of infancy. Hugh P. Macmillan, the first field officer in the history of the Archives of Ontario, has created a method of archival acquisition which is broadly based on what he calls 'reverse genealogy.' It is a recipe for saving history, and stands in the best tradition of Sir Arthur and this of his table, so to speak," wrote David G. Anderson, a friend, from Williamstown, Glengarry County, in 2004. "If we 'reverse engineer,' the material that Hugh P. serves forth in this, his present book, we can savor the recipe as well. First, take a generous large hearted interest in other people, and their stories. Pay no heed to race, religion or gender, but do use them to enhance the flavor of the results - this from a man whose personal library has a long shelf labelled 'social justice.' Listen carefully in history. Knead relentlessly on said connection until it starts to leaven."
He writes of his friend, "The seeking (and finding) of good subjects involves a preparation time: become richly read in history and biography; contrive to sketch out a family tree and walk, write or telephone your way down the disparate branches thereof. At all times follow the trail of the family story and find who got the papers, portraits or artifacts. Never give up. once on to the scent, take van (or Caravan) and show up on doorstep. Engage subject in purposeful conversation, even through the crack in the door if the situation calls for it. Brush aside protestations that 'the attic is a mess,' or that they 'need time to go through the boxes.' Give receipts, tax credits, or in extremes, money, and get the material in its rough state back home to the professional archivists, the sedentary guard, if you will (to use a fine old term from the War of 1812). Before leaving, break bread with the new friend, and continue to be such a natural good companion that the proffered spare bed of the host is impossible to refuse. Never forget a name of a genealogy. Return when next in neighborhood and bring forth more and more connections to add to the intricate living web of characters, friends, papers and history. Through it all, keep a wife of abiding good sense (Muriel) and a family of international extent. There are no secret ingredients in the MacMillan method, but a few have mastered it or served it up as well as our friend Hugh P."
This was published in the text of "Adventures of a Paper Sleuth - Hugh MacMillan," published in 2004 by Penumbra Press, of Canada. Hugh sent me a signed copy, and it is one of my favorite reads, especially when I'm about to head out on my own "paper hunt," here in Muskoka. While I have no affiliation with the federal or provincial archives, I do use any historical documents, journals, diaries, and other published histories, as reference for our numerous research projects we are hired to work on, and compose into text, each year……including for publishing on this blog site. It was Hugh MacMillan and his old buddy and book-hound Dave Brown, who gave me so many incredibly important tutorials, while staying here, about not only document hunting and gathering, but pouring over the paper mountains, until weak-eyed and exhausted, to piece together the family tree. Suzanne, the host of these social / historical get-togethers, here at Birch Hollow, owes her present progress on our own family history, to the advice given by this historian's historian. You don't talk hockey when MacMillan drops by. He's not too interested in golf either, or curling, which you may find odd for a Great Scot……but when it comes to discussing historical matters of this country, let me tell you…..it's like being in a voyageur's canoe, whipping over the rapids, spray in your face, singing and laughing in the imminent reality of rocks and undertow, fast water and sunken logs. We might just be sitting by the hearth here at Birch Hollow, but when Hugh's spinning one of his stories, by golly, it's like you're right there in the midst of all the trial and tribulation of nation-building. You can't use the word "passionate" to describe his mission to know it all…..about our heritage. That would be to minimize his focus and interest. It's far more durable and dynamic than just passion for what he has done most of his working life.
When my book collector colleague, and Outdoor Education teacher friend, Dave Brown would show up, usually just after Hugh had left, (once with historian Ed Phelps), he would have to find a way of outperforming his contemporary, by taking Suzanne and I on an even grander historical odyssey……at hearthside, to the brink of my heart actually stopping…..like the birch bark canoe getting stuck on a dead-head at the brink of a great cataract, only in Dave's description, to get freed, and paddled safely to the shore without flying over the cliffside in a spray of white-water. These were the precious moments we had with two of this province's amazing historians……although they probably never referred to themselves in this way. Both men loved heritage discussions, and with a bottle of wine, some good food, and a some reason to reach back into their bag of anecdotes and untold adventures…..well sir, we never wanted those evening tutorials to end. The miles these chaps had canoed. The miles they had walked. The rare books and documents they had held in their hands. The treasures they had uncovered. The realities of history, their relentless sleuthing, gave us, as new historical fact, oh so many discoveries. Hugh MacMillan in particular, with his discovery of important, previously unknown and unacknowledged historical record, changed the previously accepted chronicle…….and brought about a new awareness about the relevance of critical thinking, and the pursuit of accurate records……no matter where, or under what pile of debris, they might be found.
I was a book and paper hunter-gatherer, and historian before I met Hugh MacMillan and David Brown. I became a much more proficient, better educated paper sleuth, having benefitted from their informal mentorship. I became more efficient and enterprising as an historian, and I learned how to follow-up leads, and carry-on with investigation, even after the assumption there was nothing left to uncover. Let's just say, I found out what they meant, about never taking "no" for an answer.
Tomorrow I would once again like to re-visit this fascinating biography, and explain a little bit more about what a paper sleuth, and free lance archivist does out there on the hustings. So please visit me again tomorrow for part two of this fascinating story. You will probably be able to find a copy of this book, by visiting the Advanced Book Exchange online, and entering the author and book title. We are active buyers on the ABE link, and have been well served by the member booksellers, specializing in out of print and antiquarian books.
"For more than 25 years, Hugh has roamed the highways, attics and basements of Ontario, seeking out the often forgotten, usually unappreciated treasures of our documentary heritage. Combining the skills of a great detective with patience and tenacity, he has been infectious, enlisting the help of many in the cause, and triumphing over bureaucracy and indifference. His achievements have been real and numerous. His exploits, though are the stuff of legend." The passage above was written, about Hugh, by Ian R. Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, circa 2004.
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