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A MINIATURE VICTORIAN PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG BRIDE, AS PAINTED BY HER "ARTIST" SISTER-IN-LAW, IN ENGLAND OF THE 1860'S
THE EFFORT OF ONE HOUR'S RESEARCH, UNCOVERS THE LONG-LOST CONNECTION TO A STORIED FAMILY AND A REVERED ARTIST
Anyone with a genuine interest in antiques and collectables, hobbyist or professional, willing to step-up their game, can learn how to find historic, heirloom items, with known or unknown (but attainable) provenance; and buy them as future investments, without necessitating first, having a business or history degree. What I want to demonstrate, if nothing else in this blog, is that every antique piece has a provenance. Everything crafted, or manufactured, and inanimate in every way, has had a succession of owners. Some because of age, having less than others. Much of it doesn't matter too much, because they are considered common pieces to start with. There are other middle of the road articles, that would be enhanced by the association with a known personality, celebrity, or landmark (hotel or resort for example). You need to have proof of this association if you plan on advertising it for sale, as having this precise provenance of past ownership. There are many other antique choices, that are great on their own, if priced fairly, that can sky-rocket with the right validated connectedness, to its roots of ownership; whether it is a log cabin quilt, having belonged to a well known pioneer family, or a buffalo robe, that was owned by a respected pioneer doctor, who used it for making house calls by cutter, during the winter months in the early 1900's. On the other hand, it could be a motorcycle once owned by Elvis. But you have to possess a fair quantity of background information first of all, to give yourself a foothold, on the possibility much more provenance exists, that hasn't been uncovered, and proven factually correct beyond doubt.
Suzanne and I react first of all, to the quality of the subject antique or art work. Is it a quality item, despite the packaging. In other words, I wouldn't turn down a Tom Thomson landscape for a thousand bucks, just because it had a crappy frame. The first miniature painting we sold, a British antique dealer asked us to remove the art work from the frame, because it wasn't original to the piece, and then ship it on its own, but with ample security wrapping. I've had the reverse occur, when the painting was crappy but the wooden frame was beautifully carved. You just have to weigh each item according to its obvious merits, and what preliminary investigation and research turns up. There are a million exceptions to the rule, except the part about quality, which is almost always the pivot of everything else. Not just what you determine to be quality, but what the marketplace deems as the best of the best. If you buy a substandard quality item, just for the sake of provenance, it could be a shaky investment. I don't care if Elvis owned a paint by numbers art piece. I don't want it, unless he actually painted it, and signed his name. You have to think about re-sale before you buy a piece you are interested in, because otherwise, you could lose money down the road. I hate losing money on my investments, so I don't sacrifice whatsoever on quality. Of course, it wasn't always this way, and true enough, I squandered a lot of money buying magic beans from unscrupulous dealers. I'd like to think that I responded quickly to my errors in judgement, but Suzanne tells me it was a rather long period of trial and error. So it's expected mistakes will be made along the way. Quality and originality are key here.
When we come upon a dealer exhibit, where an item has a full written provenance, and it is priced in part, according to what they claim to be its pedigree, we are only moved to interest when we have qualified the claims by quickly searching online. We will do this even if we can't afford the asking price, just to see if the information is correct. It's one of the inherent habits of also being historians as well. I am always suspicious of claims made by others I don't know, and I suspect our customers may feel the same about items we research, and what we provide as provenance. But you can talk to us in person, about any doubts you might have; whereas in a mall setting, it is quite difficult at the time of your visit, if what you want to talk about, is in a vendor's booth under lock and key. We aren't cheap with our investments in antiques with provenance. We have a great deal of respect for what added history and proven connections can make in the valuation of a heritage relic. It's something you can learn and pursue to great lengths if you have an interest in such "storied" pieces. And the enhanced values associated with a good story attached.
I have, without apology, made reference to Hugh MacMillan many hundreds of times, in my most recent blogs, regarding the "chasing down" of provenance for found antiques, historic relics, paintings, and old paper, including photographs, letters, journals and documents. Just in case you have just joined this blog, Hugh MacMillan, an old mate of mine in the history gathering profession, was one of Canada's best known freelance archivists, or as he preferred, "paper sleuths." His book, "Adventures of a Paper Sleuth," is my most often used reference text these days, as we now, more than ever, focus on the acquisition of more "connected" heritage pieces, for our antique business, that require the "MacMillan" effort of due diligence, to for example, regain by research, a subject article's true provenance. Its ownership identity. Hugh, in return for lodging and dinners, at Birch Hollow, here in Gravenhurst, offered Suzanne and I the kind of in-your-face heritage tutorials, that made sense to us, in all practical ways, as enthusiastic but careful "hunt and gather" antique dealers. He taught us the importance of following-through on research assignments, and taking items we find, with thin provenance, and based on assumed heritage value, pulling out all the stops to ferret every morsel of information available; and time has nothing at all to do with it. This due diligence thing, was Hugh's trademark of operation, and anyone who knew or worked with him, appreciated his stalwart, unfaltering passion, to "get the rest of the story." He loved making connections that were solid, and every link he made, gave him reason to believe, there was more of the story coming down the pike. He never left well enough alone, you might say, and our historical record in this country, has been broadened, because of his refusal to stop questing for additional provenance, and companion pieces, wherever they existed on the planet. As both antique dealers and regional historians, Hugh MacMillan made us better players, better performers, in both professions. Published below, is a small example, of what Hugh taught us, about the rewards of "never-say-never" research, and that everything, no matter how grand or insignificant, has had a provenance of ownership; some of it quite ordinary, some quite remarkable; a few items, even quite incredible. It might surprise you to know, that there are many relics out there for sale, in average shops and antique malls, in the category of "quite incredible," just waiting to be discovered.
Mrs. Frederick Arundel Miles and her Portrait - The Story of a Young Widow, and her Artist Sister-in-law
I have a great affection for antique hand painted miniature portraits, from the Victorian period and earlier. I have had a number of them in the past twenty years, and each has sold for well more than our acquisition costs. The value of the miniatures hinges on the painter first, and the subject second. We sold a military portrait, of an identifiable member of the British Military, circa the early 1800's, because both the name of the captain, the subject of the portrait, was known, and so was the artist, to the dealer, who purchased them. In this case, we hadn't been able to do much of the research ourselves, but as Hugh had pointed out to us many times, "so find someone else who does know. Pick up the phone and make a call!" Point is, I always look longingly at miniatures, wherever I find them, in antique shops, malls, and at estate sales; yet recently, because of pricing, I haven't felt comfortable making any significant purchases in this field. As a dealer more so than a collector of miniatures, I have to defy the passions of the collector, and think about re-sale percentages. I also look more seriously at these art pieces, if there is even trace provenance, that we can research, and connect to people, and families, from the time period of the portrait, for example.
It just so happened, that on a short, afternoon field trip, this past weekend, we found a wonderful miniature portrait, as seen above, in an attractive Victorian frame; beckoning us from a display case at a regional antique mall. The price was affordable, and Suzanne, on close inspection, thought the notes on a connected tag, and the name on the back of the picture, offered some promise for research discovery. I can't explain how we ascertain what makes a winner in this regard, because at least twenty-five percent of the decision to make the purchase, comes from precedents of the past, more so than the instruction offered us by Hugh MacMillan. The first assessment, is whether or not, we can re-sell the portrait, and if nothing pans out with research, at least get our original investment back. Antique dealers despise having to take a loss on anything, but sometimes, if one makes a bad purchase, it is hard to avoid. There are all kinds of stories told by the veterans of the antique profession, about fobbing-off "mistakes" on unsuspecting dealers, and customers, who then have to deal with the problem of pending devaluation. So we are always careful to make sure we can break-even, on such a purchase, if we can't muster the kind of provenance that will increase the value of the subject antique or collectable.
On this day, we both agreed rather speedily, that this was an item of greater significance, and value, requiring some online searching and networking, to infill what the sparse information didn't offer as a complete story. This was definitely a good buy, and an example of just how much Hugh MacMillan impacted our buying sensibilities and strategies.
Once on the computer, which is our primary research vehicle these days, (versus my former reference library of a thousand antique price guides and directories), Suzanne was able to infill a huge amount of the missing story behind the portrait, and the artist who painted it as a wedding present to a family member. It took five minutes. It took another fifty-five minutes, to find relevant articles published online, to sleuth out the preliminary story of family, and related professions of the British family rooted in the Royal Navy.
First of all, the lady in the portrait, is Mrs. Frederick Arundel Miles. He maiden name was Frances Mary Moore Westbrook, the daughter of British Naval Captain, George Frederick Moore Westbrook. Her husband was Frederick Arundel Miles, son of Commander Alfred Miles, of the Royal Navy. Frances Mary Moore Westbrook and Frederick Arundel Miles, were married in England, on the 24th of September, 1861. Frederick died at the age of 26 shortly after their marriage, in 1862, leaving a young widow for the artist-sister-in-law to console. The painting is undated, but probably was done just before, or immediately after, their brief marriage.
The portrait was painted in watercolor, by Frederick's sister, Helen Jane Arundel Miles, a highly accomplished British artist in mid-Victorian times. Here is a brief biography of the artist responsible for the well executed portrait above, of her sister-in-law.
"This talented young artist is the only daughter of the late Commander, Alfred Miles, R.N., of the Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, himself an amateur artist of undoubted ability. Three of his drawings "Views of the Grotto of Neptune," Sardinia, were published in the lithography a few years since, by Day and Son (printers / publishers), with an accompanying poem by his wife (Poet, Sibella Elizabeth, daughter of John Westley Hatfield, an auctioneer in Cornwall), who is the author of three or four volumes of poems. This gentleman died when his daughter (Helen Jane) was just as child (in 1851). Having manifested a taste for drawing from a very early age, (his daughter) Miss Miles, continued its practice in a desultory way until she was sixteen, when the return of her family to London, enabled her to become a student at South Kensington, where she remained rather more than three years. There she obtained the local and national medal for a set of anatomical drawings, which were afterwards purchased by the Department of Science and Art. The illness and death of her only brother, obliged her to give up regular studies for about two years, when, having returned to London, she entered herself as a student at the Lambeth School of Art, and soon began work as a designer on wood, and illustrator of books. While at the Lambeth School, Miss Miles obtained a bronze medal for a design of a library door, a really beautiful work of art, admirably drawn, and full of imagination, has contributed for several years, water colour drawings and decorative designs for the New Art Pottery of the Messrs Doulton, two of which, figures of 'Britomart and Una,'from Spenser's 'Fairie Queene,' were exhibited in the International Exhibition of 1874. Presumably she had submitted other images to Doulton. Her best known and revered painting, was 'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not'." (This can be view through an online search of the artist)
Commander Alfred Miles R.N.
Note: This is a brief biography of Frederick Arundel Miles, and artist Helen Jane Arundel Miles's father, Commander Miles
"Alfred Miles, born on the 31st of December, 1796, entered the Navy, on the 21st of September, 1812, on board the (ship) 'Ulysses,' the flag ship of the Prince d'Auvergne, on the Jersey Station. Rejoining, as Midshipman, in September 1812, on board the 'Dannemark,' he served for a time with the fleet in the North Sea, and afterwards escorted convoys to and from the Cape of Good Hope; on his return whence he became attached in April 1815, to the 'Impregnable,' bearing the flag of Sir Josias Rowley, in the Mediterranean. After a servitude of three years at Plymouth, in the 'Spenser,' and again the 'Impregnable,' under the flag of Lord Exmouth, he successfully joined in the capacities of Midshipman, and Mate, of the 'Severn,'a coastal blockade-ship, when he was employed at Dungeness, and in the neighborhood of New Romney, on the 23rd of February, 1821, and 20th of December, 1823; the 'Chanticler 10,' and 'Adventure,' under Captain William Henry Smyth, both on the Mediterranean Station, where, in the vessel last mentioned, he aided in surveying the coast of Sardinia, for a passage to the West Indies; the 'Ferret 10,' under Captain William Hobson, and on the 21st of June 1825, the "Kangaroo,'under Master Commander Anthony De Mayne.
"Under the latter officer (De Mayne) we find him (Alfred Miles), for upwards of two years, employed by the surveying service, in the Crooked Passage, (region of coast) in the Bahamas, and on the coast of Cuba. In September of 1827, owing to his Commander having been accidentally left behind (on shore), who during the last three months had filled the post of 'Assistant Survey,' brought the 'Kangaroo,' home and paid her off. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 8th of November, following; and was afterward appointed in the capacity of Assistant Surveyor - on the 27th of May, 1830, to the 'Elna 6,' under Captain Edward Belcher, stationed on the west coast of Africa; when he returned in October, 1831, and on the first of January, 1843, to the 'Fearless I," and 'Tartarus 2,' both commanded by Captain Fred Bullock, with whom he served on the River Thames, until the 11th of February in the latter year. He attained Commander's rank on the 15th of January 1846."
"From February 1833 until June 1842, Commander Miles was employed as an Assistant in the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty, to which he was re-appointed on the 12th of February, 1843. He continued in the capacity of Naval Assistant to Hydrographer, until suddenly struck down by a severe illness, the results of over-work. He was said to have been carried out of his room in the Hydrographic Office in a dying state. Commander Miles never appears to had charge of any survey, but his skill as a senior assistant to the late Admiral Bullock, as well as the Hydrographic Office, where he acted chiefly as secretary to the Hydrographer of the Admiralty, were well known and appreciated."
The Commander's wife, Sibella Elizabeth, the mother of son Frederick and artist Helen, ran a Boarding School in Penzance, prior to 1833. She married Commander Miles at Madron, Cornwall. She died on March 29th, 1882. Her husband predeceased her, passing away while employed by the Admiralty, in the year 1851. There is a substantial list of published poems and books she had written, that I haven't included in this feature article. It can be said Sibella Elizabeth Miles was a well respected and widely published poetess during the Victorian era in England. Her daughter as well, possessed a creative enterprise, undoubtedly passed down from both her father, an accomplished artist employed in Naval service, and her mother, a regularly published writer. There is an example of Helen's painting online, you can check out.
There isn't much known about their son, Frederick Miles, other than he died shortly after marrying Frances, shown in the painted portrait above today's blog. It may be presumed, that he had some employment in Naval services, as his father, and father-in-law, Captain George Frederick Moore Westbrook. This part of the research is our next mission to uncover, and we will be employing Ancestry.ca to examine the Moore and Westbrook family trees a little closer. Keep in mind, that this information came the result of twenty minutes research, and forty minutes time to copy down the information available. Not a major undertaking; one that any dealer or buyer can exercise, with relative ease, even in the congenial happenstance of pleasurable antique hunting. If you can, in makes good sense to utilize the internet, if it is available on your cell phone. Just for reference, we did not make our purchase of the miniature portrait, by first executing an online search. We have an old fashioned cell phone, so we couldn't access the internet. We had to trust our instincts on this purchase, and we did just fine.
There needs to be a starting point, either "actual," such as we had attached to the portrait of Frances Jane, or that we can ascertain by experience, knowing where to look for immediate information; because of something or other we recognize from past association with similar articles. It's not like this is a monstrous task, that only the most experienced can handle. The internet has made it so much easier to research antiques and collectables, and in this case, chase down the provenance that exists online.
The value of this portrait, does not rest on the family connections to the British Navy, or to the fascinating poetry of Sibella Elizabeth Miles. It does however, become a much more significant art piece, because of the reputation of the artist herself, and the fact she had designed figures for Messrs Doulton, for their early art pottery creations. We may find out differently as our research continues. As for making a safe investment, and getting, at the very least, our money back from an eventual sale, we are pretty confident it was a good purchase in both art and miniatures.
Above all, it is a wonderful piece of art, in an attractive, secure, but small package. Buy what you like, is the golden rule, of us in the antique profession; because if an owner was to find, by experience in the market place, the subject piece impossible to sell, (down the road), and have to live with it as part of a permanent collection, will it be welcome in the home? If you possess a high standard in this regard, and insist on quality, with everything you acquire, the investment will, one way or the other, always provide a return; if only in art enjoyment, and this counts for a lot in our family.
If and when we discover more biographical information, about the painting and the families involved, I will publish it in this blog. We are consulting with British miniature dealers at present, to find out anything more about its provenance, and the significance of Helen Jane Arundel Miles work, in miniature. We have no valuation of the art work at present.
Thanks so much for joining me today, in this early going of mid-winter.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Calydor 75th Anniversary Summer 2015
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Treescape in The Bog of Calydor subdivision, a block from Camp 20
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Back cover photograph from The Gilded Cage by Cecil Porter
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A selection of barbed wire, glass and pottery shards found on the site of Camp 20
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THE FOUND HISTORY OF CAMP 20, CALYDOR, AND IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS
RELICS THAT WASHED UP ON SHORE -
A PREAMBLE TO TODAY'S BLOG. WE WENT OUT YARD SALE SHOPPING EARLY THIS MORNING. WE ONLY GOT ONE THING, BUT IT WAS WHAT WE WERE SEEKING, AFTER READING IT WAS BEING OFFERED BY A SALE HOST, DEEP, DEEP IN THE PINERIDGE SUBDIVISION. I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GOING TO MAKE IT IN TIME, OR EVEN FIND THE LOCATION, BECAUSE THE SUBDIVISION ROADS CONFUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME. IT WAS "NEIGHBORHOOD SALE DAY," SO IT WAS PRETTY WILD IN THERE, AND JUST GETTING TO THE HOUSE ADVERTISED, WAS AN ADVENTURE IN ITSELF. SUZANNE WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE A REALLY NICE 1941 SINGER "FEATHER-WEIGHT," SEWING MACHINE, TO USE IN OUR ANTIQUE SHOP; WHICH IS SLOWLY MORPHING INTO A MILLINARY ENTERPRISE, TO SUIT SUZANNE'S LIFE-LONG SEWING HOBBY. SHE NOW HAS THREE FEATHER-WEIGHTS, WHICH OF COURSE, ARE TINY, LIGHT, SINGER MACHINES, PERFECT FOR TRANSPORT, TO SUCH EVENTS AS QUILTING BEES. SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO SERVICE WHAT SHE BUYS, AND THIS NOW MAKES FOUR VINTAGE SINGERS SHE HAS READY FOR DAILY USE, TO ACCOMMODATE HER LINE-UP OF SEWING PROJECTS; SUCH AS HER LATEST FORAY INTO APRON MAKING, CREATED FROM VINTAGE FABRICS, REMNANTS, AND OLD BUT DAMAGED TABLE CLOTHS. LAST WEEKEND, SHE PURCHASED THE "WORK HORSE" OF VINTAGE SINGER PORTABLES, ALSO FROM THE 1948'S ERA, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE GREAT FOR INDUSTRIAL-TYPE WORK, BEING ABLE TO SEW THROUGH JUST ABOUT ANY MATERIAL; YET STILL POSSESSING A MODESTLY ELEGANT APPEARANCE. IT REALLY IS A NICE LOOKING MACHINE, EVEN TO THE POINT OF APPEALING TO A NON-SEWING-GUY LIKE ME. MAKES ME WISH I COULD SEW. SUZANNE IS ALREADY PLANNING FOR MORE SEWING JOBS FOR THIS COMING WINTER, AND SHE'S CERTAINLY GOT THE MACHINERY NOW TO PULL IT OFF. SHE HAS BEEN SELLING HER SHOP-MADE, NOSTALGIC APRONS FOR A MONTH NOW, AND LET'S JUST SAY IT LOOKS LIKE SHE MIGHT BE ON TO SOMETHING. THERE WILL BE NO OUT-SOURCING TO GET THESE APRONS COMPLETED. WE'RE A LITTLE OLD FASHIONED YOU MIGHT SAY. HER FAVORITE SEWING MACHINE IS A KENMORE PORTABLE, SOLD BY SEARS, FROM THE EARLY 1970'S, BECAUSE OF ITS RELIABILITY. IT COST THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS IN 1973. THIS IS HER HOME-STUDIO MACHINE, BUT AT THE SHOP, SHE PREFERS TO KEEP IT OLD-SCHOOL; AND YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE ALL THE ATTENTION SHE GETS FROM VISITORS, MANY OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION, WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE OLD MACHINES IN OPERATION. WELL, I'VE SPENT OUR ENTIRE MARRIED LIFE TOGETHER, LISTENING TO EITHER THE HUMM OF THE SEWING MACHINE, OR THE TICKING AND TACKING OF KNITTING NEEDLES....AND THEN THERE'S THE NAGGING. IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO WRITE THIS, BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, SHE REFUSED TO READ MY BLOGS, AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE SHE ADMITS TO NAGGING ME ALL THE TIME. "IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME," WHICH IS ALMOST, WORD FOR WORD, WHAT MY MOTHER USED TO BARK AT ME, WHEN SHE HAD TO PICK UP AFTER ME. DID I MENTION, THAT I HAVE BEEN BUYING HER THESE SEWING MACHINE RELICS. IT'S GOOD I DIDN'T BECAUSE, AS SHE POINTS OUT, SHE'S "THE BREAD WINNER IN THIS FAMILY." AS THE ANTIQUE DEALER, APPARENTLY, "I'M THE BREAD SPENDER!"
ONE OTHER OBSERVATION FROM THIS MORNING'S YARD SALE PURSUIT. WHAT GOES ON IN THE HEADS OF YARD SALE FANATICS, TO MAKE THEM PARK SO BADLY; HAVING LITTLE IF ANY CONSIDERATION, TO THE OPEN ARTERY SENSIBILITY, THAT COMES WITH HAVING A ROAD IN THE FIRST PLACE? GADS, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH INCONSIDERATE FOLKS, PARKING THEIR CARS ON BOTH SIDES OF A NARROW ROAD, AND NOT EXPECTING THAT THE EXPOSED SIDES OF THEIR VEHICLES MIGHT GET TORN OFF, BY OTHER VEHICLES TRYING TO SHOOT THE NARROWS. EMERGENCY VEHICLES. FORGET IT! BUT HERE'S THE THING. IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY YARD SALE, MAKE SURE YOU PUT PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE, SO TIGHT CONFLUENCES WON'T OCCUR. AND IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THEM, TO CORRECT ANYONE, VISITING THEIR SALES, WHO OBSTRUCTS TRAFFIC, BY PARKING SUCH THAT THEY BLOCK ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IF THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY, AND FIRST RESPONDERS COULDN'T GET TO A PATIENT SOONER, BECAUSE OF A TRAFFIC TIE-UP, THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF SUCH A FUN MONEY-MAKING SALE, MIGHT SURPRISE YOU. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES YOU COULD FACE AS A RESULT. I LEARNED THIS MYSELF, WHEN A SALE OF OURS, BACK IN THE LATE 1980'S, ATTRACTED SO MANY STUPID-HEADS WITH CARS, THAT IT DREW ATTENTION TO THE STUPID HEADS WHO DIDN'T PUT UP "NO PARKING" SIGNS IN ADVANCE. SUZANNE AND I, HAD STOPPED-UP, TO A WEE TRICKLE, THE BRACEBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FROM GETTING DOWN ONTARIO STREET, IN A SAFE AND TIMELY MANNER, BECAUSE OF THE FORTY OR SO CARS THAT HAD JAMMED BOTH SIDES, OF AN ALREADY NARROW ROAD. AT THE TIME, I WAS EDITOR OF THE HERALD-GAZETTE, IN BRACEBRIDGE, AND ALSO THE STORY-MAKER THAT WEEK. NO PARKING SIGNS WORK. IT PAYS TO BE PRO-ACTIVE IN THIS REGARD. EMERGENCIES AREN'T SCHEDULED. YARD SALES ARE!
A SCROUNGER'S LIFE I'VE LED
FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE BEEN A SCROUNGER FROM CHILDHOOD. I HAVE NEVER CHANGED, AND I'M NOW AN IRISHMAN'S WHISKER AWAY FROM MY FIFTY-NINTH BIRTHDAY. THAT'S A LONG TIME TO BE STARING AT THE GROUND, AND POKING AT HALF BURIED THINGS, FOUND ON A HIKE THROUGH THE WOODS. HAVEN'T FOUND A SINGLE CORPSE YET. BUT I'M NOT DONE YET EITHER. I'VE GOT FEW GOOD SCROUNGING YEARS LEFT. AS I USED TO COME HOME FROM SCHOOL, IN THE LATE 1950'S, AND EARLY 60'S, (WHEN I ATTENDED LAKESHORE PUBLIC), HAVING POCKETS FULL OF THIS AND THAT, I'M STILL, TO THIS DAY, ON THE LOOK OUT FOR INTERESTING RELICS, FOUND, AND SOME OTHERS, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO PURCHASE. WHILE ADMITTEDLY, MY MOTHER WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME IN THE WOMB, TO MAKE ME CRAZY FOR THE BITS AND BOBBS OF MANKIND AND NATURE, BY THE TIME WE OPENED OUR FIRST ANTIQUE SHOP TOGETHER, AND STARTED SELLING THIS "FOUND" STUFF, FOR PROFIT, SHE CUT ME A LITTLE SLACK. "THE BOY MUST KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING," I HEARD HER TELLING MY FATHER, WHO HAD THE PHILOSOPHY, THAT IF SOMEONE THINKS THEY'RE A CHICKEN, BUT YOU LIKE HAVING THE FRESH EGGS IT'S PRODUCING, THEN FORGET TRYING TO CONVINCE IT OTHERWISE. THEN EVERYONE'S HAPPY AND THERE'S ALWAYS A GOODLY SUPPLY OF EGGS.
IN MY LATE TEENS, I TOOK IT ONE STEP FURTHER, WHEN MY DAD ACTUALLY POINTED OUT AN OLD DUMPSITE, IN THE HAMLET OF FALKENBURG, NORTH OF BRACEBRIDGE. THE SITE WAS LOCATED AT THE NORTHERN-MOST CORNER, OF THE FORMER BUILDING TRADES CENTRE YARD, NOT FAR FROM THE MAIN ROAD FROM BRACEBRIDGE TO ROSSEAU, AND EVENTUALLY HIGHWAY 69. MY FATHER, ALSO KNOWN AS TED CURRIE, WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF BUILDING TRADES CENTRE AT THIS TIME, AND I ACTUALLY WORKED AS A SHIPPER THAT SUMMER AS WELL. WHENEVER I GOT A BREAK, I'D GO OVER TO THE EMBANKMENT, WHERE THE OLD DUMP HAD BEEN LOCATED, AND IT BECAME MY FIRST FULL SCALE EXCAVATION. BY THE WAY, I ALWAYS INFILLED THE SITE WHEREVER I LEFT AFTER DIGGING, SO AS NOT TO LEAVE IT LOOKING LIKE A DEMOLITION SITE. I PROBABLY PULLED THREE HUNDRED CORK TOP BOTTLES FROM THAT DIG-SITE, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF WINE, WHISKEY, AND POP BOTTLES AS WELL. I FOUND ONE TORPEDO BOTTLE BUT A LOT OF OTHER PARTLY ROUNDED-BOTTOM SODA BOTTLES (NOW TRY TO SAY THAT FAST, OVER AND OVER), AND I EVEN LOCATED A HALF DOZEN UNBROKEN LIGHT BULBS.
I'VE DUG AND FISHED FOR BOTTLES, AND OTHER IRON RELICS, FOR AS LONG AS I REMEMBER, AND I'VE NEVER GOT TIRED OF THE TREASURE HUNT. WHEN WE MOVED TO GRAVENHURST, IN THE FALL OF 1989, IT'S MY FIRST MEMORY OF THE FORMER GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR, "CAMP 20," OR OTHERWISE KNOWN, "CAMP CALYDOR," AFTER THE NAME OF THE TUBERCULAR SANITARIUM, THAT WAS ON THE SITE PREVIOUSLY; AND THEN CONVERTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF WORLD WAR II. SUZANNE AND I, AND THE YOUNG LADS, ANDREW AND ROBERT, USED TO COME BACK FROM OUR WALKS THROUGH THE CALYDOR PROPERTY, WITH OUR POCKETS AND ARMS FULL OF NEAT FINDS. OF COURSE, WE BROUGHT BACK LENGTHS OF BARBED WIRE, WE HAD BROKEN-OFF THE TWO GIANT BALES, LEFT TO RUST IN THE ABUTTING WOODLAND. BUT OVER TIME, WE FOUND DUMP SITES, THREE SIGNIFICANT LOCATIONS, ON THE MULTI-ACRE LAKEFRONT PROPERTY. AS IT WASN'T OUR PROPERTY TO EXCAVATE AT WILL, WE ONLY PICKED UP WHAT WAS OBVIOUS, AND WITHIN A KICK OR TWO OF BEING EXPOSED. THERE WAS A LARGE QUANTITY OF TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD AND RESORT CAST-OFFS, ESPECIALLY TIN AND BOTTLES. THE OCCUPATION OF THE PROPERTY GOES BACK TO THE EARLY HISTORY OF GRAVENHURST, AND FROM THE MINNEWASKA HOTEL, UP TO THE POST WAR, GATEWAY HOTEL; SO THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CAST-OFFS, BY EACH INSTALLATION AND EACH OCCUPATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL USE. LET'S JUST SAY, EACH ERA LEFT ITS FOOTPRINT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE FINDING ON OUR CASUAL STROLLS THROUGH THE HISTORIC PROPERTY, NOW FILLING OUT AS AN URBAN SUBDIVISION.
THE BEST "DEBRIS FIELD," OF COURSE, WAS THE BEACH FRONT. DUE TO THE UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF GLASS, OLD NAILS, SPIKES, AND CHINA BITS AND PIECES, STUCK IN THE MUD JUST OFF THE SHORE, WE MADE THE BOYS WEAR SPECIAL WATER SHOES, TO AVOID GETTING CUT OR STABBED BY WHAT WAS LURKING BELOW. PARTLY AS A BEACH CLEAN-UP SERVICE, THE CURRIES, THE NEW FOLKS TO TOWN, BEGAN PICKING THIS HISTORIC REFUSE OUT OF WATER OF MUSKOKA BAY. WE FILLED SIX OR SEVEN SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE BOXES AT HOME, OVER THREE YEARS, JUST FROM THIS SAFE-BEACH EXERCISE, AND FROM THE CASUAL FIND-AND-SEEK POKING THROUGH THE NEARBY WOODLANDS. WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS ABOVE, IS A VERY TINY PORTION, OF WHAT WE USED TO UNCOVER WITHOUT WORKING VERY HARD. AFTER A SIGNIFICANT STORM, OVER THE LAKE, WE WOULD HEAD DOWN TO THE BEACH SHORTLY AFTER, AND THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE AN INTERESTING SELECTION OF NEWLY WASHED-UP BOTTLES ESPECIALLY; ALTHOUGH IT WAS COMMON TO FIND AN ARRAY OF CHINA AND GLASS SHARDS. ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T KEEP ALL OF IT, I ALWAYS FELT THERE WOULD BE A TIME DURING OUR RESIDENCY IN THIS TOWN, WHEN I'D PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE DISPLAY IN RESPECT TO CAMP CALYDOR. SO IT PLEASED ME, YESTERDAY, TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE ONE OF THE BOXES OF CALYDOR RELICS SO EASILY, FROM OUR STORAGE SHED JAMMED TO OVERFLOWING.
SOME FOLKS WHO KNOW THE BOYS, AND WHO OCCASIONALLY READ THEIR OLD POP'S BLOG, CONNECTED TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE, PROBABLY THINK THAT A LOT OF MY CLAIMS ABOUT THEIR UPBRINGING ARE GROSSLY EXAGGERATED; BEING MORE FICTION THAN FACT. WE USED TO DEAL WITH THIS ALL THE TIME WHEN THE LADS WERE AT SCHOOL, AND SEVERAL TIMES WE GOT NOTES HOME FROM THE TEACHER, RECOMMENDING WE HAVE A TALK WITH THEM ABOUT "MAKING UP STORIES." THEY COULD HANDLE THE FREQUENT PUNCHES AND TAUNTING OF BULLIES, AND FIGHT BACK WHEN A SCHOOLYARD NUMB-NUTS, WOULD STEAL THEIR TENNIS BALL OR FOOTBALL. BUT IT WAS REALLY CRUSHING WHEN A TEACHER WOULD DISMISS THEIR CLAIMS AS BEING "MADE-UP," AND GENERAL, SELF ABSORBED "UNTRUTHS," FOR THEIR OWN GAIN; COMING FROM OVER-ACTIVE IMAGINATIONS. WE WOULD HAVE TO STEP-UP AND MAKE A PERSONAL VISIT TO THE TEACHERS, WHO HAD LEVELLED THESE CRITIQUES, OF WHAT WAS THE HONEST TRUTH; AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR ADVENTURE STORIES WEREN'T MADE-UP TALES JUST TO AMAZE FELLOW STUDENTS. SUZANNE AND I HAVE ALWAYS INCLUDED ANDREW AND ROBERT IN HERITAGE ADVENTURES, AND THIS INCLUDES THE HUNTING AND GATHERING OF BURIED, OR SUBMERGED TREASURE. AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T PULLED UP A TREASURE CHEST FULL OF GOLD, AND SILVER RELICS, FROM LOCAL LAKES AND RIVERS, OR DUG-UP A SEALER JAR OF OLD COINS, FROM WHAT WERE KNOWN AS "POST HOLE" ACCOUNTS (BECAUSE THEY WERE BURIED BENEATH FENCE POSTS FOR SAFE KEEPING), WE HAVE RETRIEVED A LOT OF HISTORY, IN THE FORM OF "FOOTPRINT" DEBRIS, LEFT BY A HOST OF FORMER PROPERTY OWNERS; AND A WIDE ARRAY OF USES. CALYDOR HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR FAVORITE HUNTING GROUNDS, AND THE MATERIALS FOUND THERE, SHOW A WIDE DIVERSITY OF RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES, AND THE CONSIDERABLE YEARS OF PROPERTY USE, DATING BACK TO THE EARLIEST YEARS OF GRAVENHURST SETTLEMENT. SO AS FAR AS BEING STORY-TELLERS, ANDREW AND ROBERT LOVE TO RECOLLECT THESE ADVENTURES, BUT THERE'S NARY A FIB IN THE MIX. WHAT YOU SEE IN THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPHS, WAS ALL RETRIEVED BY OUR SONS, FROM THE BEACHFRONT AT CALYDOR. THE EXCEPTION, IS THE BARBED WIRE FROM THE FORMER PRISON CAMP, WHICH ANDREW AND ROBERT RIPPED OFF FROM THE BALES, ONCE STORED ON PROPERTY CLOSE TO SEGWUN BOULEVARD, PART OF THE CALYDOR SUBDIVISION. THE BALES ARE NOW GONE.
ONCE AGAIN, LIKE MY DAYS DIGGING AT THE FALKENBURG SITE, WE FOUND INTACT LIGHTBULBS, THAT HAD SURVIVED YEARS OF SEASONAL CHANGES, AND HEAVY DEBRIS BEING TOSSED ON TOP. THE REALITY IS, WE HAVE BEEN ABUSING THE LAND AND WATER FOR CENTURIES, EVEN IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE WORLD. ROW BOATS FILLED WITH REFUSE OF ALL SORTS, WERE ROWED OUT INTO THE DEEPER PARTS OF LAKES AND RIVERS, AND WEIGHTED WITH ROCKS AND IRON PIECES, TO DISAPPEAR FROM SIGHT. IN ESSENCE, AS LONG AS THEY DIDN'T SEE IT, THE DEED WAS A GOOD AND SAFE ONE. THERE WAS NO APPARENT WORRY, THAT TOXINS FROM OLD MEDICINE AND CHEMICAL CONTAINERS, MOSTLY BOTTLES, WOULD EVENTUALLY CONTAMINATE
DRINKING WATER. I'VE UNCOVERED DUMPSITES FULL OF OLD CAR AND BOAT BATTERIES, THAT BY MEASUREMENT, WERE ONLY, AT MOST, A HUNDRED FEET FROM DUG WELLS. I GUESS THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE SEEPAGE OF WATER THROUGH THE SOIL. I'VE SEEN THE SAME THING IN THE WATER, OF OUR BEAUTIFUL LAKES, WHILE SNORKELING FOR OLD BOTTLES. I'VE FOUND UPWARDS OF TWENTY OLD BATTERIES, TOSSED INTO THE WATER, A SHORT DISTANCE FROM WATER INTAKE VALVES, AND WHERE FAMILIES USED TO SWIM. I LIKE TO THINK WE'RE NOT DOING THE SAME THINGS TODAY, AS WE DO KNOW QUITE A BIT MORE ABOUT ISSUES, OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION, AND HOW WATER FINDS THE LOWEST POINTS TO DRAIN.
EVEN THE MEDICINAL BOTTLES IN THE PICTURES ABOVE, MAY HAVE BEEN TOSSED INTO THE MAKESHIFT DUMP SITES, YOU CAN OFTEN FIND BY WALKING THROUGH THE BUSH OF AN OLD HOMESTEAD PROPERTY; MANY OF THESE PROBABLY HAD SOME CONTENTS WITHIN, AT THE TIME OF DISPOSAL. THE METAL LIDS ON THESE EXAMPLES, HAVE RUSTED THROUGH, AND OBVIOUSLY, ANYTHING THAT WAS INSIDE, BECAME PART OF THE SOIL OVER THE DECADES. I'VE PULLED HUNDREDS OF THESE BOTTLES OUT OF RETIRED DUMPSITES, AND THEN CAREFULLY DRAINED ANY CONTENTS (ESPECIALLY FROM CORK-TOP BOTTLES, THAT DIDN'T LEAK), INTO SAFE CONTAINERS, (BUT NEVER MIXED) TO THEN BE TAKEN TO THE MUNICIPAL LANDFILL SITE, WHEN THEY HAVE A DANGEROUS CHEMICALS DISPOSAL DAY. THERE WERE SOME NASTY CHEMICALS BACK THEN, INCLUDING A LOT OF ARSENIC. SO WHEN POKING AROUND THESE DUMP LOCATIONS, THE BOYS ALWAYS WORE SAFETY GLOVES, AND WE INSPECTED ALL GLASS CONTAINERS FOR POSSIBLE CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION. WE WERE CONTINUALLY AWARE OF WHAT MIGHT RISE IN DUST, AND VAPOR, FROM THE AREAS WE DISTURBED; SO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WE MITIGATED THE RISKS OF TREASURE HUNTING.
AS FOR THE CALYDOR PROPERTY, OUR POKING ABOUT SINCE THE LATE 1980'S, HAS, I THINK, SPANNED THE AGES OF ITS PROPERTY USE. AND IT'S BEEN A NEAT STUDY, WITH LOTS OF "WOW" MOMENTS WE COULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED. I OFTEN WONDERED WHAT KIND OF ARTIFACTS WERE FOUND DURING THE EXCAVATIONS FOR THE PRESENT HOUSES, ON THE OLD PRISON OF WAR CAMP PROPERTY. ANY BUTTONS OFF UNIFORMS? GERMAN OR CANADIAN? THE CANADIAN VETERAN'S GUARD SPECIFICALLY. OF ALL THE PRISONERS KEPT IN THE CAMP, MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED AT TIMES, THERE HAD TO BE A LOST BUTTON OR SO, FROM THEIR DRESS UNIFORMS, WORN ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS; SUCH AS DURING MARCHES AND THE TWO FUNERALS WHICH COMMENCED FROM THE CAMP SITE, TRAVELLING TO THE NEARBY MICKLE CEMETERY. MAYBE SOME OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE FOUND RELICS, WHILE GARDENING, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, OR APPRECIATE HOW THEY WOUND UP THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST STORIED PROPERTIES IN OUR TOWN, AND ANYTHING PULLED FROM THE SOIL OF WHAT HAD BEEN A TUBERCULAR SANITARIUM, AND A GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, TO NAME JUST TWO OF THE LAND USES, IS OF INTEREST TO HISTORIANS LIKE ME; AND IT HAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ANTIQUE OR COLLECTABLE VALUE. BUT IT IS OUR HERITAGE AS BROKEN-UP AS IT IS; CHINA, POTTERY, AND GLASS SHARDS OF A LARGER, MORE SIGNIFICANT MOSAIC.
AS I NOTED IN YESTERDAY'S BLOG, SUZANNE AND I PLAN TO OFFER A SMALL DISPLAY OF CALYDOR RELICS, AND MEMORABILIA, ONE YEAR FROM NOW, AT OUR MUSKOKA ROAD ANTIQUE SHOP, COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT FIRST MARCH OF GERMAN OFFICERS, AND SOLDIERS, DOWN THE STREETS OF UPTOWN GRAVENHURST, AS THE INAUGURAL GROUP OF PRISONERS OF WAR, TO BE HOUSED IN THE FORMER CALYDOR SANITARIUM, WHICH HAD BECOME "CAMP 20;" AN INTERMENT CAMP IN ONE OF THE MOST SCENIC LAKESIDE LOCATIONS IN THE SMALL TOWN. FROM JUNE 1940. THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST WOULD COME TO PLAY AN INTERNATIONAL ROLE, BY SECURING SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS NAZIS OF ADOLPH HITLER'S WAR MACHINE, TERRORIZING EUROPE AT THE TIME. FROM 1940 TO 1946, THIS SOUTH MUSKOKA TOWN, WATCHED OVER THESE P.O.W.'S, AS IF THEY WERE MAINTAINING THE FLANK FOR THE APPOINTED GUARDS. THE CITIZENS BEING ON PERPETUAL ALERT FOR ANY ESCAPING INMATES. THE INMATES WERE SUPPOSED TO WEAR SHIRTS WITH LARGE RED DOTS ON THE BACK, WHEN THEY WERE WORKING ON OFF-SITE PROJECTS, SUCH AS THEIR SMALL FARM SITE ON MUSKOKA BEACH ROAD. OF COURSE, THIS IS OFFERED IN MUCH GREATER DETAIL, AND IN PHOTOGRAPHS, IN THE CAMP HISTORY WRITTEN BY GRAVENHURST HISTORIAN, CECIL PORTER, ENTITLED "THE GILDED CAGE."
WHAT HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME, ABOUT THE CAMP 20 STORY, IS THAT UNLIKE OTHER MUSKOKA HISTORIES I'VE RESEARCHED, AND WRITTEN ABOUT, I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME APPRECIATING WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE, TO HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY IN THOSE YEARS; AND BEEN A WITNESS TO THE FULL-UNIFORM MARCHES, FROM THE TRAIN STATION TO CALYDOR, UNDER GUARD. THERE ARE MANY PICTURES OF THIS IN THE BOOK, AND YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK SEVERAL BLOGS, IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST TWO OF THIS SMALL SERIES. SO I THINK THIS IS WHAT COMPELS ME TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THOSE YEARS, AND HOW THE RESIDENTS FELT, OVER THOSE SIX YEARS, OF BEING HOSTS TO A PORTION OF HITLER'S ARMY; AND LISTENING AND READING ABOUT THE LATEST NEWS FROM OVERSEAS, REGARDING THE DEVASTATING CASUALTIES OF WAR. UNLIKE THE FIRST WORLD WAR, THOSE KEEPING THE HOME FIRES BURNING, DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN THEIR PRESENCE. YET BY ALL ACCOUNTS, THERE WERE FEW IF ANY PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS OF ANGER, OR PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, SHOWN TOWARD THESE INMATES OF CALYDOR. MAYBE I'M ASSUMING TOO MUCH, WHEN I SUGGEST, THE CITIZENS OF GRAVENHURST, AND SOUTH MUSKOKA, WERE PRETTY GOOD AND KINDLY HOSTS, TO OUR GERMAN GUESTS. IF YOU KNOW DIFFERENTLY, AS A RESULT OF PASSED DOWN STORIES IN FAMILIES, I WOULD APPRECIATE THIS INFORMATION, AS I AM WORKING ON A BROADER STORY OF THE CAMP, IN RESPECT TO THE UPCOMING ANNIVERSARY RECOGNITION IN 2015. AND BY THE WAY, I EXPECT NOTHING FROM THE MUNICIPALITY, AND IT WILL ALL BE DONE PRIVATELY, WITHOUT A NICKLE OF PROFIT.
SO ONCE AGAIN, AND KEEPING IN MIND, I'VE GOT A YEAR OF WIGGLE ROOM, TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP THIS EXHIBIT, I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMP YOU MIGHT POSSESS, OR MATERIALS THAT HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE "PRISONER OF WAR" YEARS; RANGING FROM FURNISHINGS FROM THE CAMP BUILDINGS, TO PHOTOGRAPHS, HOME MOVIE FILMS, EXAMPLES OF CAMP ART WORK OR CRAFTS, PAPER WORK, COVERS WITH POSTAL CANCELLATIONS, TO AND FROM CAMP 20, AND ANY OTHER MEMORABILIA WE COULD USE TO FRAME A SMALL EXHIBIT. POSSIBLY YOU ACQUIRED SOME HOTELWARE THAT WAS USED IN THE DINING HALL OF THE CAMP, OR PAPERWORK FROM AREA BUSINESSES, THAT DEALT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON A SUPPLY AND SERVICES BASIS. SUCH AS LOCAL LAUNDRY WORKERS. THE LAUNDRY WAS SENT OUT FOR CLEANING. ORIGINAL SIGNAGE WOULD BE AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, OF WHAT WOULD MAKE US WILD WITH ENTHUSIASM. SEEING AS WE ARE PRETTY LOW, AT THE PRESENT TIME, IN ARCHIVES AND MEMORABILIA DISPLAY ITEMS, YOU'D BE SURPRISED WHAT WE WOULD SING AND DANCE TO OBTAIN. WE CAN EITHER PURCHASE THE RELICS FOR A FAIR PRICE, (BUT WE WILL NOT SELL THEM LATER FOR A PROFIT), OR PHOTOGRAPH (COPY) THE PIECES, AND RETURN EACH PIECE AS QUICKLY AS THE CLICK OF A CAMERA. CREDITS WILL BE GIVEN TO EVERYONE WHO ASSISTS. WE ARE DOING THIS WITHOUT ANY COMPENSATION, AND IF AND WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO MOUNT A DISPLAY, THERE WILL BE NO ADMISSION FEE. WE ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL. THE MUNICIPALITY HAS NO APPETITE FOR SUCH AN ANNIVERSARY, AND THE BOOKS ON CAMP 20 ARE IN LOW SUPPLY. JUST BECAUSE THE TOWN HASN'T FELT IT IMPORTANT TO APPLY FOR AN HISTORIC MARKER, FROM THE FEDERAL OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT, DOESN'T MEAN A DULLING OR DIMINISHING OF HISTORICAL FACT. WE WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN, AND IF YOU'VE FOLLOWED OUR WORK, SUCH AS THE RECOGNITION WE PROVIDED OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NAMING OF OUR TOWN, WE WON'T DROP THE BALL ON THIS PROJECT EITHER. JUST HAVING YOU ABOARD FOR THIS BLOG, REGARDING OUR RECOGNITION EFFORTS, FOR CAMP CALYDOR, IS THE KIND OF SUPPORT WE NEED, TO BRING IT ALL TO FRUITION.
SO THANKS AGAIN, FOR YOUR SUPPORT, VISITING THIS BLOG-ENTRY, WRITTEN DAILY, HERE IN PICTURESQUE (DID I MENTION HISTORIC) UPTOWN GRAVENHURST. LOTS MORE COMING.
AS A SIDEBAR, SUZANNE AND I JUST ACQUIRED AN ORIGINAL PRINTING BLOCK, THAT WAS USED TO CREATED THE FIRST EDITION, DUSTJACKET ART, FOR CANADIAN ARTIST, EMILY CARR'S FAMOUS BOOK, "KLEE WYCK." WE WANTED TO PICK UP A FIRST EDITION, SIGNED COPY, TO GO WITH THE RARE PRINTING BLOCK, FROM OXFORD PRESS, BUT IT WOULD HAVE COST US $2,700 IN AMERICAN FUNDS. A FIRST EDITION OF THE BOOK, IN GOOD CONDITION COSTS ABOUT SIXTY DOLLARS, IF AND WHEN YOU CAN FIND ONE. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE PRINTING BLOCK, BECAUSE IN TERMS OF RARITY, THERE ARE A LOT FEWER OF THESE OUT THERE, THAN SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS.
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.
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