I REDEEMED MYSELF AS AN ARCHIVIST / COLLECTOR, THANKS TO MY LOVELY BRIDE
AIR MAIL COVER WAS LOCATED - AIR MAIL HISTORY IN CANADA CONSERVED
IF ONE DAY, AND WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST WARNING, SOMEONE WITH PRONOUNCED ATTITUDE, APPROACHED ME, AND INSTEAD OF SLUGGING ME FOR BEING A KNOW-IT-ALL, ASKED THE QUESTION, "DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL YOUR STUFF IS," I'D BE QUITE INDIGNANT, THAT ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME, WOULD EVEN ASK SUCH A QUESTION. IF IT WAS SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW ME, BUT DECIDED TO ASK ME THIS QUESTION ANYWAY, I'D PROBABLY ANSWER "OF COURSE, YOU NINNY. I'M AN HISTORIAN. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE HISTORIAN WAS TO MISPLACE OUR HERITAGE? WHERE WOULD WE BE THEN?" THE TRUTHFUL ANSWER, IS THAT I KNOW WHERE MOST OF MY STUFF IS, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BUT THE REAL PROBLEM, IS WHEN I GET OVERLY PROTECTIVE OF CERTAIN PIECES, AND HIDE THEM AROUND THE HOUSE, LIKE A SQUIRREL WITH NUTS. I SHOULD MAKE MYSELF A MAP BUT AT THIS STAGE OF LIFE, I'M GOING TO WING-IT FOR AWHILE LONGER, UNTIL EVENTUALLY, I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING AT BIRCH HOLLOW WITHOUT AN ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG. IT'S A LITTLE EMBARRASSING TO ADMIT, A SELF PROCLAIMED ARCHIVIST WOULD BE SO CARELESS. ON THE PLUS SIDE, I DON'T LOSE PIECES, I JUST HIDE THEM FOR SAFE-KEEPING SO WELL, THEY REMAIN THAT WAY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. THEY DO TURN UP, BUT USUALLY BY ACCIDENT. LIKE THE HUNDRED OR SO POSTAL COVERS I FOUND LAST NIGHT, LOOKING FOR ONE VERY WELL CONCEALED "FIRST DAY COVER." I ALSO UNCOVERED ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED OLD PHOTOGRAPHS THAT HAD BEEN BURIED FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS, THAT I HAD ALSO BEEN LOOKING FOR IN THE PAST MONTH. I DON'T BELIEVE MY MIND IS WOBBLING LIKE MY KNEES, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER; AND SLIGHTLY HAPHAZARD ABOUT LEAVING MYSELF A KEY TO THE TREASURE MAP. FORTUNATELY, AND AS MY WIFE WILL TELL YOU ANYWAY, SHE TOOK ME UNDER HER WING, IN MY MID TWENTIES (SHE WAS FORTY THEN; ONLY KIDDING) MAKING SURE MY COMPONENTS OF A CONTENTED AND SOMEWHAT SAFE LIFE, COME TOGETHER AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO, EACH MORNING, AND SO FORTH; INCLUDING RECOVERY MISSIONS, TO FIND WHAT I HAVE SQUIRRELED AWAY, I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT.
AFTER DINNER MONDAY NIGHT, I MADE A PACT. JUST NOT WITH THE DEVIL. I TOOK THE EVENING OFF. SORT OF. THE OPEN HOURS WERE GOING TO BE SPENT PERFORMING SOME SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATION. ALL I WAS MISSING WAS HIS CAP AND MAGNIFYING GLASS. I HAVE THEM, BUT I DIDN'T NEED THEM, FOR THE PLACES I WAS GOING TO BE DIVING INTO, HEAD FIRST. MENTAL ALERTNESS? AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED, WHEN YOU ARE ALL WOUND-UP ABOUT SOME MISSING PROPERTY. IF YOU READ YESTERDAY'S BLOG, YOU WILL APPRECIATE, THAT I WAS BORDER-LINE HYSTERICAL. AND THAT WITH ANY TIME-OFF, WHETHER MORNING, NOON OR NIGHT, (REALLY LATE) I WAS BURYING MYSELF IN EPHEMERA. THE GNAWING REALITY, CLENCHING AT MY JAW, WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER, AT ALL COSTS, WHAT I DID WITH A FIRST DAY POSTAL COVER," DATED MAY 8TH, 1928. I KNEW THIS DATE, NOT BY THE MEMORY OF THE LAST TIME I HANDLED THE POSTAL COVER, AND THE PERFECT CONDITION COMPANION LETTER, FROM THE POSTMASTER OF THE TIME. I FOUND THIS OUT, BECAUSE OF A BOOK I PICKED UP, AT A SECOND HAND SHOP, A FEW WEEKS BACK, ENTITLED "GOGGLES, HELMETS &; AIRMAIL STAMPS," BY GEORGETTE VACHON. THE FIRST TIME I OPENED THE BOOK, STILL STANDING IN THE SHOP, I OPENED IT RIGHT TO THE PAGE, WHERE A SIMILAR COVER WAS ILLUSTRATED, AND I INHALED AS DEEP AS MY TOENAILS. GOSH, I OWNED ONE JUST LIKE IT, BUT WHERE, OH WHERE DID I PUT IT FOR SAFE KEEPING. (YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK TO YESTERDAY'S BLOG, TO READ ABOUT THE BOOK, AND THE FLEDGLING AIR MAIL SERVICE IN QUEBEC IN THE LATE 1920'S). OBVIOUSLY, THE TWO PIECES I OWN, WERE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BE INCLUDED IN A CHAPTER OF AN IMPORTANT BOOK, ABOUT BUSH PILOTS AND THEIR COURAGE TO CONNECT ISOLATED COMMUNITIES TO THE REST OF CANADA. SEEING AS I OWNED A COUPLE OF PIECES OF CANADIAN POSTAL AND AVIATION HISTORY, OF UNKNOWN VALUE, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NEAT AND AN ENHANCEMENT OF VALUE, TO PUT THE COVER, THE LETTER, AND THE BOOK TOGETHER AS A PACKAGE. BUT DAM-IT, I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE I HAD STORED THEM AWAY, FOR THEIR OWN SECURITY. I GOT THE "ARCHIVIST SHIVERS."
LAST NIGHT, AFTER DINNER, AND FINISHING UP THE CHORES AROUND BIRCH HOLLOW, AND OF COURSE POSTING MY DAILY BLOG, I BEGAN A BOX BY BOX, GRID SEARCH OF MY ARCHIVES, LOOKING FOR THE ELUSIVE COVER AND A NEAR PRISTINE LETTER, AUTHENTICATING THE COVER, AND THE DAY IN HISTORY IT MADE AN HISTORIC FLIGHT. SUZANNE CAME OUT OF THE BEDROOM A COUPLE OF TIMES, TO SEE WHAT I WAS UP TO, AS IT SOUNDED LIKE A HOCKEY GAME WAS BEING HELD IN THE LIVINGROOM, WHERE I HAD BROUGHT THE BOXES. I LOOKED FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS. SUZANNE ASKED IF I WOULD SURRENDER SOME FLOOR SPACE, AND LET HER HELP WITH THE SEARCH. I WAS ON THE BRINK OF GIVING UP MYSELF, SO I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH FACE LEFT TO LOSE. HUSBANDS THE WORLD OVER, KNOW THAT THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS WILL LORD IT OVER THEM, IF BY CHANCE, THEY FIND THE SUBJECT OF THE SEARCH FIRST. I WAS WILLING TO RISK IT, BECAUSE THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF HISTORY, TO BE LOST IN THIS FASHION; SUNKEN IN A MIRE OF REALLY OLD PAPER AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHICH WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF EACH.
FINALLY I SUGGESTED THAT SHE COULD LOOK IN OUR FLAT-TO-THE-WALL CABINET, THAT ONCE STOOD STATELY IN A CHURCH RECTORY IN TORONTO, WHICH FOR OUR PURPOSES TODAY, IS UNFORTUNATELY USED AS A CATCH-ALL OF RELICS, BUT NOT OF THE RELIGIOUS NATURE. I MENTIONED TO HER, THAT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CABINET, I WAS HOPING SHE WOULD COME ACROSS A SMALL COLLECTION OF OLD COINS, BECAUSE I SUSPECTED THEY MIGHT BE LOCATED IN A CIGAR BOX, STILL CONTAINING SOME OF THE OLD PAPER WE PURCHASED LAST WINTER, AS PART OF A LARGER COLLECTION. IT TOOK AN AVALANCHE OF INTERESTING ITEMS, (WE FORGOT WE EVEN OWNED) FOR SUZANNE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF A SMALL WOODEN BOX, SHE REMEMBERED WAS HALF-FULL OF THE COINS, WE WERE HOPING TO FIND. SHE HANDED ME THE BOX, AND WHEN I OPENED THE LID, I COULD SEE A SMALL PILE OF POSTAL COVERS. I STARTED PULLING LITTLE BAGS OF COINS OUT, AND ABOUT TWENTY COVERS, WITH STAMPS, POSTMARKS AND CANCELLATIONS, WHICH I COLLECT; AND THERE IT WAS, BY GOLLY, RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX. WHEN I GAVE A LITTLE CHEER FOR OUR GOOD FORTUNE, SUZANNE KNEW IMMEDIATELY, THAT HER HANDIWORK HAD ASSISTED MAKING THE DISCOVERY. EVEN BEFORE I HAD UNFOLDED THE LETTER, JUST TO BE CERTAIN, SHE WAS ALREADY HIGH-FIVING THE CAT, AND JUST ABOUT TO SUGGEST I NEEDED TO GO TO THE OLD ARCHIVIST'S HOME; WHEN I HAD TO REMIND HER, THAT IT WAS MY SUGGESTION, WE LOOK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CUPBOARD, NOT HERS. OH WELL. WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHO FOUND WHAT, OTHER THAN THE DOCUMENT AND COVER WAS SAFELY IN MY HAND; AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I PUT IT AWAY FOR SAFE KEEPING.
THE IMAGES ABOVE, SHOW THE LETTER AND COVER, WITH THE OPENED BOOK, TO THE PAGE SHOWING THE SAME-DAY ENVELOPE. THE COMPANION LETTER IS SIGNED BY THE POSTMASTER, VICTOR GAUDET, A RATHER COLORFUL CHARACTER IN POSTAL HISTORY, ACCORDING TO WHAT WE FOUND IN A BRIEF ONLINE SEARCH. I'LL GO INTO THIS A LITTLE MORE, IN FUTURE BLOGS. HERE NOW IS THE CONTENT OF THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT WITH THE POSTAL COVER, DATED MAY 28TH, 1928. THE STAMP ON THE LEFT CORNER OF THE COVER READS, "THIS MAIL WAS CARRIED BY POSTAL AIRPLANE TO MONTREAL."
THE LETTER, DATED "MONTREAL, MAY 5TH, 1928," FROM VICTOR GAUDET, POSTMASTER, READS AS FOLLOWS"
(BUREAU de POSTE) "Dear Sir:- The object of this letter is principally to direct your attention to the fact that an air mail service has been inaugurated between Father Point and Montreal, with connecting links between Montreal and Toronto, and between Montreal and Ottawa.
"While it gives me pleasure to forward you this cover, which may possibly possess some historical value by having been carried on the first official air mail flight between Father Point and Montreal. I am anxious rather, that you give this question of air mail transportation your serious consideration, and ascertain just how much it may mean to your business correspondence, not only with Great Britain, but also with Toronto and Ottawa.
"The initial frequency of the service will be two flights from Montreal to Father Point, two flights per week each way between Montreal and Toronto, and one flight each way between Montreal and Ottawa. On each flight to Father Point, close connection will be made with an outgoing mail carrying transatlantic liner. One flight will be made per week from Father Point to Montreal, carrying a load of business mail from European points.
"With regard to the flights from Father Point to Montreal, the hour of the arrival of 'plane at Montreal, will depend entirely upon the hour at which the mail steamer reaches Father Point, but it will, I think, be a rare occasion when first class mail from Great Britain will not be expedited in delivery in Montreal from twelve to twenty-four hours, while mail forwarded by air to Father Point, after the departure of the mail steamer from Montreal, will gain from three to four days in delivery in Great Britain.
"The connections with Toronto and Ottawa will, naturally, be more or less uncertain, as regards the time of departure, but in every case, there will be increased expedition and any mail sent by air to either of these cities, if it bears special delivery stamps in addition to the ordinary postage will, in the case of Toronto, save several hours in delivery, while on a Saturday flight, the saving in time might be as much as thirty-six hours. In the case of Ottawa, the distance in not so great and the saving in time will, naturally be relatively less, but still, it is hoped to prove in this case also, that the air mail service is a decided time saver.
"There is no question at present of increasing the postage rate on mail matter carried by airplane.
"Personally, I am most anxious that the business men of Montreal take full advantage of this up-to-the-minute service, as it is only reasonable to assume that its extension, if not its actual continuance, will depend to a great extent upon the degree to which it is used.
"On Wednesday 9th instant, weather permitting, a flight will be made from Montreal to Rimouski to connect with the outgoing 'Empress of Scotland'. On Saturday, May 12th, a flight will be made, also weather permitting, to Toronto as soon as possible after the arrival of the postal airplane carrying the British mail from the 'Minnedosa,' from Rimouski. All mail so conveyed will be delivered to the addresses immediately on arrival if Special Delivery stamps are affixed. Notices will appear in the lobby of the Post Office giving the latest hour at which mail may be posted to connect with all airplanes carrying mail from Montreal.
"I am at your service at any time, should you desire any further information on this subject. Yours sincerely, Victor Gaudet, Postmaster."
GUTTERS PARTLY CLEARED, WORKING IN THE RAIN
After serious, hardcore procrastination, I finally worked up the ambition to tackle the eaves-troughs on the front of Birch Hollow, this afternoon; in the rain and with pants falling down. Suzanne took my new jeans in a tad, because I'm so darn thin, but she did such good job so quickly, she over-estimated a wee bit, on my actual waist-measurement, and they were too tight. So she had to take out the tucks and even then, I had to exhale deeply, and for a long time, in order to snap the button secure. Today, my second day wearing them, they did that denim thing, and suddenly, the jeans were too loose where I need it the most. I'm not an exhibitionist afterall, and up the ladder, I was getting worried, the pants were going to drop to my ankles; me having no escape strategy. I have never come down a ladder, even once in my life, with my pants around my ankles. If there is a technique, used in these circumstances of haste, it wasn't known by me. I know a few of my mates who have, sometimes with no pants at all, but I started to think about the consequences, of having to call to a neighbor, to help me raise my drawers. This would be quite a rescue operation, because it would necessitate the rescuer, to climb up the ladder, draw up my pantaloons, and help me fasten them at my waist so I wouldn't trip or be constrained, trying to get down the rungs. I pondered how this would look should someone snap a photo, or full length feature film, of the two of us up the ladder, touching each other (oh, the optics wouldn't be good); looking rather confusing, as to whether the pants were coming down, or being hiked-up. I could imagine it all over social media, with a You Tube video of "Gravenhurst couple caught in high wire act, performed on house ladder". Gosh, by the look of the afternoon light, the school buses would be here any minute as well; so not wanting physical exposure or this type of media exposure either, I held onto my pants with one hand, balanced as safely as possible, while I scooped the last few leaves out of the gutter; and then there were rapids in the rest of the trough, as the water began to froth toward the exit. At least the purpose of me being up the ladder, was executed perfectly. By this time, the denim had become pretty heavy with the rain penetration, and the last decline of the ladder, was nearly a misadventure for the Birch Hollow record books. We have had a few, even involving canoes and cartwheels. I was in a state of undress, by the time I hit the middle rung, where Suzanne would have yelled up to me, (if she had been below), "you're doing a half-ass job," and she would have been spot-on. I got to the last rung, particularly compromised, and I had to step very carefully back, and to the side, so as not to trip down the slope a few inches to my rear. I looked around to see if there were any photographers lurking about, but only found a neighbor's cat, sitting on a log in our side yard, staring at me, with what looked like a grin, but I can't be sure. I pulled my pants up, tipped the puddle off the top of my hat, and brought the ladder down; to be raised on a better, drier day this week. I can report to Suzanne that I performed yeoman's work this afternoon, deserving of a fancy desert at dinner. A lemon pie. That would be swell. Cheese-cake possibly. Then she will say, "then make us one, won't you?" I will then wind-out, in good humour of course, with one of those Ralph Cramden classics, from "The Honeymooners," that sounds like, "One of these days Alice; one of these days." As it is tonight, I will have to beg her to put another tuck in my pants, and she's not going to like that request at all. I'll first of all, offer to perform the repair myself, and while she might hand me the needle and thread so that I can make the adjustment, she knows, if I'm allowed such liberty, I will hurt myself, or sew my hand onto the denim. "You're a disaster, you know," she will mumble, and then retreat to the bedroom, where she keeps her private stash of sewing machines, one for each type of job. My repair, she will suggest, require the heavy duty, industrial strength machine. I will pretend to laugh.
While she tucks me back into an appropriate sized waist once again, I will begin looking through my archives for the other half dozen treasures I haven't seen in a decade. Good times.
Thanks for joining with me today, to examine my successes and misadventures.
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The transitions of The Bog. Photos by Rob Currie
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United States Medical Staff Sword from the American Civil War, owned by Federal Army Surgeon from Illinois. Was worn during battles in the deep south.
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THE FEELING OF HISTORY - HOLDING A CIVIL WAR SWORD IS PRETTY NEAT
THE PERKS OF THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION
A FRIEND OF OURS, AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATE, JUST THIS MOMENT, BROUGHT US IN, BRAND SPANKING NEW, TWO AND A HALF DOZEN, FARM FRESH EGGS. MUSKOKA COLLECTABLES OF THE "EATING-KIND." HE WOULDN'T TAKE ANY MONEY. IT'S CRAZY AROUND HERE. GADS, WE GET ALL KINDS OF FREE STUFF. WE TRY TO OFFER RE-PAYMENT, BUT WE'RE SELDOM EVER SUCCESSFUL. SO WE DO THE ONLY OTHER THING POSSIBLE. SUZANNE OFFERS THEM OUR FRESH BAKED COOKIES AS A MINOR RE-PAYMENT. SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ON THIS MAIN STREET, AS PART OF THE RETAIL COMMUNITY, I CAN'T ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN, THE INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF KIND GESTURES, AND DONATIONS OF ARTICLES, WE'VE RECEIVED. THERE ARE A LOT OF BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TOWN SITUATIONS WE'RE NOT FUSSY ABOUT, BUT HONESTLY, THE GENEROSITY OF OUR FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS, IS SOMETHING FANTASTIC, AND THE REASON WE LOVE BEING A HOMETOWN BUSINESS HERE. AND WE DO LIKE TO THINK WE ARE REPRESENTING THIS COMMUNITY, TO THE BEST OF OUR CAPABILiTIES. THE OTHER DAY, WE WERE GIVEN A PUMP ORGAN, FOR GOSH SAKES, BY ANOTHER GENEROUS CITIZEN, WHO HAD GIVEN THE FORMER CHURCH PIECE, TO HIS WIFE, AS A PRE-WEDDING GIFT, MANY YEARS AGO. AS IT WAS IN STORAGE, YET A BEAUTIFUL PIECE TO SHARE WITH OTHER, HE THOUGHT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT FOR OUR STUDIO. IT'S NOW HERE AND READY TO PLAY. COME HAVE A LOOK. ASK US ABOUT GIVING IT A WHIRL. WHAT NICE PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THIS TOWN AND REGION, WHO ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.
IT IS ANOTHER RAINY SPRING DAY. WE DON'T NEED FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WATERSHED. MY LAWN AT BIRCH HOLLOW, FEELS PRETTY MARSHY UNDER-FOOT, AND THE INTERSECTING CREEKS THROUGH THE BOG, ARE SHOWING SOME WHITE-WATER, AS THE VOLUME OF RUN-OFF IS STILL HEAVY FROM THE SPRING MELT OF A MOUNTAIN OF SNOW. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE SUN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, BACK TO BACK, BUT AT LEAST WE DIDN'T SUFFER FROM THE HUNDREDS OF TORNADOES THAT TOUCHED-DOWN IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS WEEK; CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE. SO WE ARE FORTUNATE AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS, WHEN WE START GRUMBLING ABOUT THE GLOOMY DAYS OF SPRING.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. SELDOM ACTUALLY. BUT THERE ARE A FEW OCCASIONS, WHEN WE GET LUCKY. SOMETHING IS WALKED INTO OUR DOMAIN, THAT REALLY APPEALS TO OUR INNER HISTORIAN. WHEN IT DOES, WELL, YOU HAVE TO PAUSE FOR A LITTLE HISTORIC RECREATION. TRUE, WE GET OUR JOLLIES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES THAN MOST OTHERS. WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, A FRIEND ASKS YOU TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ON AN ARTIFACT THEY OWN. NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SELL THE ITEM. RATHER, THEY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ANTIQUE OR COLLECTABLE, AND OFTEN, VALUE HAS VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THE EXERCISE. THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE MAKER, THE DATE IT WAS CRAFTED, WHERE IT WAS MADE, WHERE IT WAS USED, AND ANY OTHER RELATED PROVENANCE WE CAN FIND. YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEIRLOOM PIECES THAT YOU KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD LIKE. WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF CURIOUS COLLECTABLES LIKE THIS, THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON. SO, TO SOME DEGREE, WE'VE FAILED OURSELVES, BY NOT BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE CERTAIN OBSTACLES OF INFORMATION GATHERING. WE CAN'T GUARANTEE, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SPOT-ON WITH OUR INVESTIGATIONS. BUT IT SURE IS NICE WHEN YOU CAN RETRIEVE AND RE-ASSEMBLE, THE MAJOR PIECES OF THE PUZZLE. EACH PRESENTS SPECIAL CHALLENGES AND WE LIKE THAT, BECAUSE SUZANNE AND I WERE BORN TO COMPETE. JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL US THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO! WE MIGHT FAIL AT IT, BUT WE'VE FALLEN OFF THE PROVERBIAL HORSE MANY TIMES.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE AREN'T RUNNING ANTIQUE APPRAISAL CLINICS, OR CHARGING A FEE FOR OUR SERVICES. IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EXPERTS OR QUALIFIED APRAISORS, SUCH THAT WE COULD PROVIDE VALUATIONS FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES. AS WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING, MOSTLY BY IMMERSION, WE, ALMOST DAILY, COME FACE TO FACE WITH OUR LIMITATIONS. WE ADMIT TO OURSELVES OPENLY, AND WITHOUT RESERVATION, THAT WE HAVE SHORTFALLS. ADMITTING WE NEED TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SOMETHING, WE'RE HANDLING AT THE TIME, ISN'T A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. EVEN WHEN WE DO PURCHASE ARTICLES OVER THE COUNTER, WE ALWAYS INSIST ON TIME TO RESEARCH THE ITEM(S), BEFORE WE MAKE A DEAL. I'M CERTAINLY NOT A MIRROR OF PATIENCE, AS A CIVILIAN, YET IN THE ANTIQUE BUY AND SELL, IT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE JOB, TO BE PATIENT AND OBSESSIVE ABOUT PROVENANCE, QUALITY, AND CONDITION. BUT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A GOOD DEAL, YOU HAVE TO POSSESS ALL THE PERTINENT INFORMATION. AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS NOT A PROFESSION THAT HAS A LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN LEARN, TO BE A TRUE SCHOLAR OF ANTIQUITIES ETC.
WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE INFORMATION TO INFILL THE STORY, BUT ALAS, POSSIBLY NOT THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER. WE GIVE IT OUR BEST TRY. WE DO KNOW MUSKOKA COLLECTABLES BETTER THAN MOST, BUT LESS THAN SOME OF MY COLLECTOR FRIENDS, LIKE BOB BOOTH, WHO I CONSIDER A SORT OF PROFESSOR OF ALL THINGS MUSKOKA. FOR BOB, WHO IS AS MUCH AN HISTORIAN AS SOMEONE WITH A FRAMED DIPLOMA, AND UNIVERSITY CREDITS, HAS SUCH A DEEP AND PROFOUND LOVE AND RESPECT FOR REGIONAL AND CANADIAN HISTORY, THAT I CAN'T RESIST ENGAGING HIM IN HERITAGE DISCUSSIONS EVERY TIME WE MEET. SUZANNE SAID YESTERDAY, WHEN HE VISITED, THAT WE SHOULD REALLY TAPE RECORD OUR TALKS FOR THE POSTERITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HISTORICAL-TYPES. I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO THE WOMAN THIRTY-ONE YEARS, AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHEN SHE'S MAKING FUN OF ME. I THINK SHE WAS SINCERE ABOUT THIS PART.
ACTUALLY, I WORKED ON A PROJECT, FOR THE MUSKOKA BOARD OF EDUCATION, BACK IN 1978, WITH THE MANDATE OF RECORDING HERITAGE TALKS, WITH MUSKOKA'S SENIOR CITIZENS; THE IDEA WAS TO CREATE A HERITAGE RESOURCE KIT, FOR LOCAL STUDIES, AND I THINK IT'S STILL BEING USED BY THE TRILLIUM LAKELAND DISTRICT SHCOOL BOARD. SO I KIND OF AGREE, THAT ONE DAY, WE SHOULD JUST PLOP DOWN A MICROPHONE, AND START TRADING SOME COLLECTOR STORIES, LIKE WE DID FOR THREE HOURS YESTERDAY. DO YOU KNOW WHAT? NOT ONCE IN THE MARATHON CONVERSATION, DID WE BRING UP MONEY, OR APPRAISED VALUES. WE DISCUSSED THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME OF OUR MOST MEMORABLE FINDS, NOT HOW MUCH WE COULD, OR HAD PROFITED FROM THEM, AT THE TIME OF SALE. MOST OF OUR CHERISHED PIECES, TRUTH BE KNOWN, ARE STILL IN OUR RESPECTIVE COLLECTIONS.
I ALWAYS ATTACH MYSELF TO PEOPLE, LIKE BOB, WHO HAVE A SIMILAR AFFECTIONS FOR ARTIFACTS, OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, AND THEIR PLACE IN OUR CHRONICLE. I HAD THESE SAME NO-HOLDS BARRED DISCUSSIONS WITH HISTORIANS LIKE DAVE BROWN, HUGH MACMILLAN, ED PHELPS AND WAYLAND DREW IN THE PAST, AND ALWAYS CAME OUT OF THEM, A LITTLE EXHAUSTED, BUT THOROUGHLY DELIGHTED WITH WHAT NEW INFORMATION I HAD ACQUIRED. TALKING ABOUT THE LEGACY OF BIRCH BARK CANOES, WITH EXPERT, RICK NASH, WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CASUAL TUTORIALS. WHAT A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THIS MAN POSSESSES OF THOSE LEGENDARY WATERCRAFT, BUILT BY THE FIRST NATION PEOPLE, OF NORTH AMERICA. THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID ABOUT LEARNING BY IMMERSION, AND EXPOSURE, TO WHAT WE WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT.
I MAY NOT HAVE LIKED HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY, BUT EVERYTHING SINCE HAS BEEN A BLAST. I TELL THIS TO STARTING-OUT COLLECTORS, AND SOON-TO-BE DEALERS, WHENEVER I'M AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY. THIS KIND OF LEARNING IS OUTRAGEOUS FUN. SOMETIMES SO MUCH, THAT IT SEEMS FRIVOLOUS. NOT SO! AS A HALLMARK, IT IS HOWEVER, AS MUCH A MEANS OF STABILITY, IN A PROFESSION THAT CAN GO WONKY FAST, THRUSTING ONE DOWN INTO A DEEP PIT OF REGRET. WHEN MISTAKES, SOME MORE CAREER THREATENING THAN OTHERS, ARE MADE, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, CAN HELP FOSTER A SPEEDY, AND EFFECTIVE RECOVERY. AND BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS A LOAD-BEARING PILLAR OF ALL LEVELS OF COLLECTING, THROUGH WHAT COULD BE A LONG CAREER, ONGOING EDUCATION, IN ALL ITS FORMS, PROVIDES A RELIABLE PLATFORM ON WHICH TO BUILD. IT'S JUST PART OF THE OLD BALL GAME. ASK VETERAN DEALERS AND COLLECTORS IF THIS IS THE CASE. ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR MOST SERIOUS ERROR IN JUDGEMENT, AS COLLECTORS, AND THE TIMES THEY MISTAKENLY IDENTIFIED A PIECE, AND SOLD IT OFF FOR A FRACTION OF THE VALUE. WE'VE ALL DONE IT. SPENT TOO MUCH ON ACQUISITIONS, AND GOT TOO LITTLE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENTS. IN EACH CASE, IT WAS THE RESULT OF NOT KNOWING AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD HAVE, TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. I STILL WATCH DEALER ASSOCIATES TAKING BIG RISKS, ON CERTAIN ANTIQUE PIECES, THAT I WOULDN'T TOUCH, AS THEY SAY, "WITH A BARGE POLE." SOMETIMES I'M WRONG, AND THEY SELL THE ITEMS FOR A LARGE PROFIT. SOMETIMES, I FEEL VALIDATED, WHEN THEY COME TO ME, TO SEE IF I'LL BUY IT FROM THEM, FOR SALE IN MY SHOP. IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
WITH OUR HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, AND RESEARCH SKILLS, WE CAN, IN MOST CASES, IDENTIFY ARTIFACTS AND ANTIQUES, TO A CERTAIN POINT OF CLARIFICATION. WHICH MEANS, SOME INFORMATION WILL NEVER BE KNOWN, BECAUSE A PREVIOUS OWNER TOOK THE STORY TO HIS OR HER GRAVE. IN SOME CASES, THIS MIGHT MEAN "MANY GRAVES" OVER THE GENERATIONS OF PAST OWNERS. WE DO WHAT WE CAN, AND FOR SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING PIECES, WE ASK, AS PAYMENT, TO BE ABLE TO DO A STORY ON THE ARTICLE FOR THIS BLOG, OR PUBLICATIONS OF WHICH I AM AFFILIATED. CHANCES ARE, WHAT INTERESTS US, WILL BE OF GENERAL INTEREST TO OTHERS. WE LIKE SHARING THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING AROUND THESE HEIRLOOM PIECES. AND BY THE WAY, THE "HEIRLOOM" ASPECT IS USUALLY WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, SUCH AS IN THE CASE OF THE CIVIL WAR ERA CEREMONIAL SWORD, PHOTOGRAPHED ABOVE. IT'S NOT FOR SALE BUT WE'RE SO GLAD WE HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE ITS RICH LEGACY, WHICH GOES BACK TO THE PRESENTATION YEAR, 1862, AND THE MEDICAL CORP OF THE FEDERAL ARMY.
IRONIC, THAT I HAVE JUST BEEN WRITING ABOUT A CIVIL WAR BOOK, I OWN, SIGNED BY A CONFEDERATE ARMY SOLDIER, AND WATCHING THE MOVIE "GETTYSBURG," STARRING (IN A MINOR CAPACITY OF SOLDIERING), OUR OLD FRIEND, TOM BROOKS, OF GRAVENHURST, RE-ENACTING THE EPIC BATTLE. KARMA? COINCIDENCE? WHEN OUR FAMILY FRIEND CAME INTO THE SHOP, WITH THE CIVIL WAR SWORD, TUCKED UNDER HIS ARM, AND THE BUTTONS OF THE DOCTOR'S FEDERAL UNIFORM, IN A NICE FRAME, GADS, WE WERE SPEECHLESS. FOR HOURS, THAT FIRST DAY, WE HANDED THE SWORD BACK AND FORTH AMONGST OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND HAD OUR RESPECTIVE POINTY NOSES, GLUED TO THE GLASS OF THE SHADOW BOX, TO EXAMINE WHAT A CIVIL WAR COAT BUTTON LOOKED LIKE. WHILE YOU CAN GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM MUSEUMS, BOOKS AND ONLINE SEARCHES, SOMETIMES, THE REAL TREAT FOR THE HISTORIAN, IS TO ACTUALLY HOLD THE ARTIFACT; IMAGINING ALL THE IMPORTANT PLACES, BATTLEFIELDS, AND HISTORIC MEETINGS, WITH SOME OF THE LEGENDARY LEADERS OF THE ARMY. WONDERING ALOUD, WHEE THIS SWORD, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS WORN, FOR THE DURATION OF THE CIVIL WAR, FROM THE DATE OF ITS PRESENTATION. YES, WE THINK THIS KIND OF ANTIQUE IS PRETTY NEAT. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THERE'S AN UNMISTAKABLE VIBE ATTACHED TO THIS SMALL COLLECTION, AND FOR HISTORY LOVERS LIKE US, IT'S LIKE A DOOR OPENING TO THE PAST, JUST TO HOLD IT FOR A FEW MOMENTS. THE SADDEST PART IS GIVING IT BACK. ONE THING WE ALL AGREE, IS THAT WE'RE UNLIKELY TO EVER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD A CIVIL WAR SWORD, IN OUR OUTSTRETCHED HANDS, EVER AGAIN. SO YES, "THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME" SITUATION IS ENTIRELY RELEVANT, AND WILL HELP US DEAL WITH AUTHENTICITY ISSUES, AND EVALUATIONS, LONG INTO THE FUTURE. ONE THING ABOUT IT, WE'D KNOW IF ANOTHER SWORD WAS THE REAL MCCOY OR A COPY, AFTER THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY, OF HOLDING, WHAT IS A TRUE AND GENUINE SURVIVOR OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.
WE HAVE BEEN KINDLY AFFORDED THIS OPPORTUNITY, TO SHOW THE MILITARY RELIC TO YOU KIND FOLKS.
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