Early Photographs of Muskoka Should Be Celebrated

OLD PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE WORK OF EARLY PHOTOGRAPHERS IN OUR REGION SHOULD BE CELEBRATED

ARCHIVED PHOTOGRAPHS NEED TO BE SEEN, AND ENJOYED AS THE WORK OF ART THEY REALLY ARE

     Every now and again, in this wonderful region of the province, I take an unanticipated whack in the chops, for getting too big for my britches; surprised once again, to learn of my new and adjusted place in the pecking order, of rank and file local historians. I'm now about one rung up, on the ladder, above an eighth grader, but well below even those who casually talk about historical stuff at coffee shops and church bazaars. This punitive down-ranking, is the result of posturing by others, who, presumably, with some idea of the "celebrity", associated with the position, have decided to insert themselves as newfound authorities on the subject of local history. By the way, there is no such celebrity status afforded the local historian, who spend most of a lifetime trying to save what others wish we'd lose. As a self proclaimed history lover, relatively new in the field of study, how easy it is apparently, to become a well heeled historian, with related privileges to comment, in the contemporary sense, on all things historic.
   This morphing of "amateur becomes professional," thing, comes without, what most of us veterans of the profession, would consider necessary background, before making forays into what can be a precarious and complicated domain. Where, to make even small errors, amongst many who do know the chronology, can be embarrassing for those involved. There are, you see, many active and up to speed family historians, who will find errors, and correct with vigor, in all those areas of their vested interest; errors which are not only unacceptable, but the kind of protocol slight, that can whip around like a two headed viper. Apparently, it is quite easy these days, to become an historical spokesperson, and mover and shaker about what is deemed historic and what isn't. I don't have patience for those who want to fast track themselves into a discipline, that takes decades upon decades of study, to get even close to getting stuff right. There's that whole apprenticeship thing, which by the way, beyond hearsay to the contrary, is entirely necessary. It may seem like calling yourself an historian these days, is sexy! Everyone of note will want to saddle up to you. And let's not forget, that you will also get invited to all the big parties in town, and be afforded privileges average citizens can only dream about. It just isn't so! Surface skimmers in my profession don't last long, but they sure are annoying.
     The vintage postcard image of Bracebridge, prior to the construction of the iconic silver bridge, shows the calm scene above the town falls, just above the rapids, on the north branch of the Muskoka River. The boom across the river catches logs coming down the river. Today the boom doesn't stop logs as much as it does inhibit canoeists from getting into the fast water on the brink of the galls. In the centre of the photograph, you can see the lumber piles of the Saw Mill, (which the Tennant family operated on the site in the years before the establishment of Northern Build-All in contemporary times) at this time of the late 1800's early 1900's, and the buildings of Birds Woollen Mill closer to the river's edge. The photograph would have been taken from an area between the rise of Hunt's Hill as it borders, and cradles the river, up to the location where Woollen Mill founder, Henry Bird, built his octagonal house, in such an elevated position, as to afford him the opportunity daily, of being able to look down on his operation below from his office, located on the north side of the house he called Woodchester Villa. It was also called "The Bird House," where all "the Birds lived."
     In the public stashes of town archive collections, in the major Muskoka towns, there are literally thousands of antique images profiling the early days of our respective Muskoka communities. These images are catalogued, safe from environmental damage, and kept for the posterity of the future. The problem of course, is that the present is often excluded from what may be offered more generously to future generations; being a more liberal approach to the very purpose of archives, and what happens to be stored in these places of considerable mystery to the general public. Much of the value of these important images, that so proficiently document our past, right from the homestead chronicle of the 1860's, still in the fledgling years of photography, and photographic studios, is their honest profiling, and portraiture of how it all began, how it soon progressed, and who was doing all the work to advance the cause of a home village. I'm willing to bet a left or right arm, depending on my need for one or another at the time," that an alarming majority of residents of our towns and villages, have no serious historical knowledge of Muskoka history, and what it looked like, as it was being recorded along the way to the period we call modern times. History isn't being revered as it once was, and certainly not exploited as it should be, to make sure more of the local citizenry appreciates the wealth of material they've paying to have stored-away for our supposed betterment. Somewhere down the line of course. But when will that be? The immediate problem, and I've warned about this many times in the past five years, is that local historians are winding down their work, and the average age defines us as a band of senior citizens. Our numbers are declining, and advocates being reduced, which should herald the arrival of understudies to take up the reins from us who may wish to retire from active duty one day soon. We are also the folks who hold councils responsible for funding heritage projects, and conservation requirements, including the continued well being of community archives, wherever, and whatever cubby hole of building space, as municipal holding, this happens to represent; some smaller and more obscure than others. When advocacy for these heritage resources is reduced, it's to be expected town councils might consider cutting the thin stipend they provide at present; endangering archives status in the years following. When the will of council, as a whole, wishes to cut spending, well sir, history and its kind, are pretty much always in the line of fire for reduced budgets. In my years with the Bracebridge Historical Society, managing Woodchester Villa and Museum, every year was the same horror of funding cutbacks to overcome. We didn't have a spare dime to acquire anything other than essentials to run a public museum, and nothing to enhance our collection of artifacts and archives; of which we had no right to even possess, because of our longstanding problem of humidity control, which we couldn't afford to improve upon, such that we could get and keep the funding agency's approval.       The unfortunate reality, is that many of these antique photographic images that are important today, and would be viewed with considerable interest and enthusiasm, even by the business community, are safely filed in storage cabinets in climate controlled archives rooms. There are few if any full time archivists, and adequately financed archives programs, to facilitate the kind of public outreach initiatives, that would put these works of art on exhibition more regularly, as a promotion for our Muskoka communities. The resource value, and material worth on the open market, of these rare old original photographs, is known of course, by all those charged with keeping them safe and secure; but the public is generally excluded access to these images, simply because they don't know where they're stored, how they can be utilized in terms of research or project interest, or just what is available by catalogue, to be viewed. "Out of sight, out of mind," is the prevailing situation, for these collections, which in my mind, as an advocate of public exhibition of our relics, is a shame in so many ways.     There are thousands of citizens in Muskoka, who have never truly embraced the history of their home region, because they haven't been exposed to it, as would be optimum for the welfare of historical relevance; which at times, seems a much lesser concern to the majority of citizens than it should. Considering the fact, that some of these same citizens, could one day become our municipal councillors, in charge of heritage and archives funding, it would really be a sensible preventative measure, to more aggressively introduce these folks to the inherent value of accumulated heritage resources; before it's decided, sometime down the road, to suspend funding for these materials, due to a profound lack of interest based solely on ignorance to what they represent as public resources. We own them as citizens, but we aren't at all sure what they actually represent as bits and pieces of our heritage.
    There has been a noticeable watering down of historical zeal in the past decade, and it takes an historian to appreciate this. We have lost quiet a few of our historian colleagues, and those dedicated to making sure our heritage is gainfully and responsibly preserved. There have been few apprentices following-up on the work of these elderly historians, showing any real interest in assuming the roles for the future, and as I've noted many times in the past, disinterest and general budget malaise, could mean serious cuts in future funding for something most people assume takes care of itself; and isn't visible to the general public on a day to day basis. How much does it cost to keep a small community archives up and running? Is a qualified archivist needed to look after the paper and photographic heritage it possesses? Does the acting archivist have money for acquisitions of important local collections? Do local councillors know the intimate details of how a community archives functions, and what their future holds in store, in terms of financial commitment? Do they know where the archives collection is kept? Has the archives collection ever been appraised for insurance purposes? Is there any significant value to these old photographs and boxes of paper heritage, representing the decades of our town's past? Or are these collections only for historian and authors of books profiling local history? There is a lot of mystery surrounding archive collections and not just in Muskoka. But taxpayers should have the right to question why we have such materials, if they aren't housed in more accessible locations, to promote more active use, as such a resource should provide by its most basic and fundamental function serving the host community.
     Councillors might be shocked out of their socks, to know how much their public archives collections are worth, especially in terms of the valuations of Muskoka collectables on the open market. Maybe these folks would turn-on to the real dimensional values of community archives, if they knew how valuable they would be, if put up for auction. I am pretty sure, they have no idea of valuation but they should, regardless, investigate this aspect of stewardship, beginning with a rough appraisal. If they had a better idea of the multi-thousands of dollars in their possession, and under their stewardship, in the form of these archive materials, maybe they'd be more interested in taking their possessions out for a little air-time now and again, to show the public what they own, as homeowners. What great promotional material is available upon request, to wow visitors to our region, who, for example, may never have seen photos, up close, of Bracebridge's Irvin "Ace" Bailey, the star hockey player of the 1930's Toronto Maple Leafs. Our hockey heritage is a big deal in South Muskoka but you'd never know it from what is currently for view in the public domain. There are thousands upon thousands of outstanding vintage images that are works of photographic art, that should be treated this way, and celebrated with regular exhibitions. But, you see, there is a shortage of money to do this, as much as is warranted, of such a wealth of stored, unappreciated material, and not nearly enough volunteers to pull it off, in terms of regular rotating displays for all those who want to know more about the place in which they dwell, or the region they love to reside seasonally, and visit otherwise.
     I love sharing paper and photographic heritage when we can acquire it; and anything we happen to have in our personal archives, at present, is shared regularly with historians and archives volunteers; and of course for reader appreciation, as you would realize, from what has been published on this blog site, and on our business facebook page. A majority of these are not for sale items because I need them for my own work, but I wouldn't think of concealing them from public display. Sometimes my finds, in the way of Muskoka heritage photographs and paper collections, are shared only moments after discovery, because I'm so darn pleased they have been uncovered for our mutual benefit. I don't own a single locally significant image, of heritage quality, or paper work, that hasn't been shared at least once in the past five years; sometimes twice to three times, depending on the background story they are to companion on this blog. The most exciting one recently, was the sketch we found last fall, which we think may have been drawn by Dr. Norman Bethune, while he was a patient at the Calydor Sanatorium, here in Gravenhurst. We have made numerous attempts to get some assistance on identification of this image, by national art and Bethune historians, but alas, they haven't shown even the least bit of interest giving us a response; letting us know it is either an original, or not, or that they simply can't be certain. We are a persistent lot, and we have welcomed public input to help us determine whether it is, or isn't the work of the Gravenhurst born artist. We have had some interesting comments back, since we published the image on this blog site a few weeks back; much, much more than from those professionals who have had access to the image, but have never been able to offer the slightest assistance. It's my experience, that the public is quite appreciative of being invited to participate in all types of heritage discussions, and asking assistance, opens yet another door, to welcome opinions worth knowing about; inclusion is something many are not used to, in these matters, and requests for input, something that happens very rarely these days. I don't know whether we have an original sketch by Dr. Bethune or not, but I'm sure glad of the assistance received thus far; and the sketch will remain in Gravenhurst with our family as stewards, because we do, at the very least, believe it is a rare art piece showing the Calydor Sanatorium, as it was during its years of operation, up to the time the property was purchased by the federal government, to be used as a Prisoner of War Camp for German Soldiers, 1939-1946.
     It would take many years to republish all the rare, antique, vintage, and nostalgic original photographs, in the possession of archives establishments in the District of Muskoka. But every now and again, there needs to be exhibition opportunities in the public domain, so that taxpayers, who are helping to fund conservation of these resources, know how and why their money is being spent for heritage posterity. Of course it's worth it. If you owned material with this kind of value, wouldn't you do everything possible to guarantee its safe keeping? Of course you would! But if it's never seen, and few if any know where it resides as a collection, then why is it worth funding? If it is a resource we can't take full advantage of, why support its integrity financially? Why not sell the works, and raise money instead, for infrastructure improvements in each municipality that we badly need?
     I will continue publishing these heritage materials, that Suzanne and I acquire throughout the year, from a wide array of sources, some by donation, and others because we have laid out a considerable cash investment, for the privilege of representing, and presenting the material to you via our sites. When we are finished with our collection one day, when the mood for full retirement tickles our fancy, we will donate the materials in our possession to a community archives we feel passes muster, in terms of municipal funding and support. We have already given many historic pieces, including heritage documents, to regional museums and collections, that can benefit their users, by having these rare resources.
     It makes us feel pretty good to make these donations when we can. We'd just like to see more funding, and resources dedicated to making these archives and collections more accessible to the public, than they are at present. First, municipal councillors need to know more about what they own in this regard; I'm not convinced, at present, they know all they should, in order to back funding increases and expansion of services. We need to exhibit our artful resources, because they represent much more than history; they show our character as it was, and how it has bloomed ever since. We can't fully appreciate what we represent as a community, unless we factor in the way we began, and have aged through the centuries, to arrive at this time of contemporary destiny. But we have the evidence. But it's stored out of sight, and you know what that inspires.