ARCHIVES and SPECIAL COLLECTIONS QUEEN ELIZABETH II LIBRARY MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY, ST
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ARCHIVES and SPECIAL COLLECTIONS QUEEN ELIZABETH II LIBRARY MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY, ST. JOHN'S, NL Mary Schwall Photograph Collection COLL-206 Website: Archives and Special Collections Author: Bert Riggs Date: 1996 Scope and Content: This collection consists of 135 photographs taken by Mary Schwall or her companions while on excursions to Newfoundland during 1913 and 1915. They are a pictorial record of a journey by ship from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, a train trip from Channel to St. John's, and a trip from St. John's north around the coast to St. Anthony, across the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador and down the west coast of the Great Northern Peninsula. There is evidence that the photographs were taken during two trips to Newfoundland, as two photographs have the date 1913 on the back with the caption, while another has the date 1915. The photographs provide visual documentation of Mary Schwall's vacations, but they also provide valuable information on Newfoundland communities during the early years of the twentieth century. Vernacular architecture historians have attested to the fact that several of the photographs show buildings only previously known through oral accounts. As well there is visual documentation of people, especially children, which can provide information on lifestyle, dress, nutrition, disease, and a host of other subjects.In addition, there are 56 postcards with images covering much the same geographical area as the photographs, leading one to believe that they were purchased in larger communities during stopovers, or possibly in St. John's. Most of the postcards were produced for the St. John's-based companies Ayre and Sons, Ltd. and Dicks and Co.; 31 are coloured. Many of the postcards are scenics, but some are of people, especially 10 which depict Labrador natives in traditional dress or demonstrate aspects of their unique lifestyle. Custodial History: The photographs in this collection are believed to have been taken by Mary Schwall and possibly several of her companions during summer holidays spent in Newfoundland in 1913 and 1915. The postcards are published items probably purchased in department stores or gift shops. They were in Mary Schwall's possession for the 30+ years which followed. After Mary Schwall's death in 1946, the photographs and postcards became the property of her daughter, Beth Bullard Green. In late 1993 Beth Green and her husband, Howard, packaged them and addressed them to "The Museum (or such) City Manager Labrador, NS". They were obviously unfamiliar with either Newfoundland, Labrador or Nova Scotia. The package was eventually delivered to the town office in Labrador City. After deliberation on the matter, the town council established a committee to make recommendations to the council "on the cataloguing, reproduction and storage" of the items. To this end, a number of provincial institutions were contacted and suggestions were received from members of the general public. The committee asked each of the repositories it contacted a series of questions; for details see the "Historic Photograph Postcard Committee" report in the collections file for this collection. The report was presented to council on June 24, 1994. The report recommended that the originals be deposited in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies. This and other related recommendations were accepted by council and on June 1, 1995, ownership of the collection was transferred to the Centre.According to information provided to the Labrador City Town Manager, Martin Roberts, by Howard Green, he and his wife sent a similar package of photographs taken around New England to a museum in Massachusetts. Restrictions: There are no restrictions on access to or the use of items in the fonds. All patrons should be aware that any copy of archival material is to be used solely for the purpose of research or private study. Any use of a copy for any other purpose may require the authorization of the copyright owner. It is the patron's responsibility to obtain such authorization.Any reproduction of the images must contain a credit line "Courtesy of the Town of Labrador City". Arrangement: The collection has been arranged in two series: "Photographs" and "Postcards". The original order has been easy to maintain with the photographs as they were numbered on the back. The series listing incorporates this numbering system, and identifies items that are missing in the numerical sequence. The missing items were not part of the accession. The postcards were originally contained in a small album. As its pages had become very brittle, the postcards were removed. Original order has been preserved.In describing the photographs, the captions which were handwritten on the back of the photographs have been reproduced within quotation marks, maintaining original spelling and punctuation marks. Additional explanatory information, including assigned descriptions for photographs which had no original captions, is contained inside square brackets. The postcard descriptions are the captions which were printed on the postcards. Again, original spelling and punctuation marks are in tact. It is also noted if the image is colour or black and white. 1.0 Photographs and Postcards 1.01 Photographs 1.01.001 "Mulgrave." [Nova Scotia] 1.01.002 "On the Ferry at Mulgrave" [Nova Scotia] 1.01.003 "Ferry Slip at Point Tupper, Cape Breton Island" 1.01.004 [Bruce - coastal steamer] 1.01.005 "First sight of Newfoundland" 1.01.006 "Town of Channel, Nfld" 1.01.007 "Steamer Meigle at Humbermouth 1.01.008 "Gaff Topsail" 1.01.009 "Howley" 1.01.010 "St. Johns Nf'l'd" 1.01.011 "Street scene St. Johns." 1.01.012 "On the way to Cabot Hill" 1.01.013 "Cabot Tower" 1.01.014 "Just below Cabot Tower" 1.01.015 "Old Fort on Cabot Hill The Battery" 1.01.016 "Old Fort on Cabot Hill The Battery" 1.01.017 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.018 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.019 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.020 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.021 [missing] 1.01.022 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.023 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.024 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.025 "Quidi Vidi" 1.01.026 [missing] 1.01.027 "St. Johns - Entrance to harbor" 1.01.028 "St. Johns - Entrance to harbor" 1.01.029 "Brigus" 1.01.030 "Bartlett's Cave - Brigus" 1.01.031 "Bartlett's Cave - Brigus" 1.01.032 "Brigus" 1.01.033 "Brigus" 1.01.034 "Brigus" 1.01.035 "Brigus" 1.01.036 "Brigus" 1.01.037 "Post Office Brigus" 1.01.038 "Brigus" 1.01.039 "Brigus" 1.01.040 "Cupids" 1.01.041 "Cupids" 1.01.042 "Bay-de-Verde" 1.01.043 "Bay-de-Verde" 1.01.044 [missing] 1.01.045 "Trinity" [Trinity Bay] 1.01.046 "Trinity" [Trinity Bay] 1.01.047 "Seldom Come By" 1.01.048 "Fogo" 1.01.049 "Exploits" 1.01.050 "Exploits" 1.01.051 "Exploits" 1.01.052 "Exploits" 1.01.053 "Exploits" 1.01.054 "Exploits" 1.01.055 "Exploits" 1.01.056 [missing] 1.01.057 "Exploits" 1.01.058 "Exploits" 1.01.059 [missing] 1.01.060 "Little Bay Islands Steamer Prospero at wharf" 1.01.061 "At Nippers Harbor SteamerProspero at wharf" 1.01.062 "Tilt Cove" 1.01.063 "Tilt Cove" 1.01.064 "Harbor of La Scie" 1.01.065 "Bear Cove" 1.01.066 "Western Cove - or Westporte" 1.01.067 "Entrance to Jackson's Arm" 1.01.068 "At Jackson's Arm" 1.01.069 "Harbor Deep" 1.01.070 "Englee" 1.01.071 "Harbor of St. Anthony West side" 1.01.072 "Harbor of St. Anthony East side." 1.01.073 "Schooner George B. Cluett ." 1.01.074 "Wharf at St. Anthony TheCluett at wharf." 1.01.075 "Children's Home St. Anthony" 1.01.076 [Children, probably residents at the children's home, St. Anthony] 1.01.077 "Ernest and Tommy" 1.01.078 [Children with a push cart] 1.01.079 "The Guest House St. Anthony" 1.01.080 "Piazza of Guest House" 1.01.081 "Dr. Little's House" 1.01.082 "Hospital at St. Anthony" 1.01.083 "T.B. Tent in Hospital Yard" 1.01.084 "Loom Room St. Anthony" 1.01.085 "Loom Room group Summer of 1913" 1.01.086 "Loom Room Interior" 1.01.087 "Weaving in the Loom Room" 1.01.088 "Noah Kaarl" 1.01.089 [Spot-Cash Cooperative Co. Ltd.] 1.01.090 [missing] 1.01.091 [missing] 1.01.092 "The Mission Dogs" 1.01.093 "Co-op. Store." 1.01.094 "The Mission Buildings" 1.01.095 [missing] 1.01.096 "Methodist Church St. Anthony" 1.01.097 "Schoolhouse at St. Anthony" 1.01.098 [missing] 1.01.099 "Mr. Sulley's home." 1.01.100 "On the way to Fishing Head." 1.01.101 [missing] 1.01.102 "Light house at St. Anthony Fishing Point" 1.01.103 "Light House at St. Anthony Fishing Point." 1.01.104 "On top of Fishing Head" 1.01.105 "A bit of ice in St. A.[nthony] all the summer of 1913." 1.01.106 [missing] 1.01.107 "Tea house at St. A.[nthony]" 1.01.108 "Finley - Adams - Holt - Garey - Tucker - Rockfeller Summer of 1915." 1.01.109 "The Floradel." 1.01.110 Billy [the bull] Mr. Blackburn, John Beck - Pierce" 1.01.111 [missing] 1.01.112 "Will Hancock's house" 1.01.113 "Hancock family" 1.01.114 "Hancock house" 1.01.115 "Hancock wharf and fish house" 1.01.116 "Annie Morris." 1.01.117 [missing] 1.01.118 [icebergs] 1.01.119 [missing] 1.01.120 [missing] 1.01.121 "Griquet" 1.01.122 [missing] 1.01.123 "South entrance to Battle Harbor" 1.01.124 "Surf at Battle Harbor" 1.01.125 "Surf at Battle Harbor" 1.01.126 "Surf at Battle Harbor" 1.01.127 "Surf at Battle Harbor" 1.01.128 [missing] 1.01.129 "At Battle Harbor" 1.01.130 "Cemetery at Battle Harbor" 1.01.131 "Hospital and Dr.