A 1950s trout basket, bought on Water Street, St. John's.

I couple days ago, I got an email from Leslie (Les) Winsor, of Mount Pearl. He had seen some of my posts about the basket research we were doing, and had a trouting basket to share.

Les's father Francis (Frank) was from Central Street, his father before him from Carbonear. Les didn't have a lot of information on where the basket originated. It was probably bought in the late 1940s or early 1950s at the Sports Shop on Water Street, one of the few places to buy that type of equipment, according to Les.

If you know anything about this type of basket, or have a memory of buying one on Water Street, email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Look to the skies! The Hindenburg over Newfoundland - a research project

Dirigible over Brigus [1935], PANL VA 6-87

From 1936 to 1937, the German dirigible, LZ 129 Hindenburg made 14 flights over Newfoundland. Researchers at Memorial University are trying to recount and record these trips and are looking for first and second hand stories of the Hindenburg flying over Newfoundland and Labrador. Documents show that the Hindenburg was spotted over Brigus, CBS, Corner Brook, Cupids, Fortune, Lamaline, North West River, Pouch Cove, St. Anthony, St. John’s and Stephenville.

If you or someone you know remembers the Hindenburg passing overhead, have heard stories of it, know of other communities where it was spotted, or have pictures, please email historicaviation@gmail.com so that this amazing piece of Newfoundland history can be recorded and saved.

"This video might also be of interest to you," notes archaeologist Lisa Daly. "It's taken near Cape Race on the final flight of the airship."

Hindenburg survivor, German journalist Leonhard Adelt, wrote:

"On the third day we sighted Newfoundland. Binoculars and cameras appeared, and my wife’s delight grew when the white dots along the coast turned out to be icebergs. The captain ordered the ship to fly low and steer toward them. Very slowly we passed over the most beautiful, which looked like a magic marble statue. The sun came out and laid a double rainbow around the airship. The giant iceberg turned into a monument of sparkling brilliance. We glimpsed the foothills, the lighthouse on Cape Race, the limitless forests of the hinterland. Then the coast sprang back and we floated, a gray object in a gray mist, over the invisible sea."

And, if you haven't seen it, check out this original footage from the British Pathe archive. It shows impressive shots of the Hindenburg flying over its landing ground at Lakehurst, New Jersey, and then  footage of the famous crash.  View it on YouTube here.

Media Relations Workshop for Heritage Non-Profits June 2nd.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is hosting a workshop to help you improve your knowledge of media relations and your ability to get the word out about your organization.

We often depend on the media to disseminate information, promote events and cover our news stories of interest to the public. However, in many non-profits, it is not feasible to have a dedicated resource for public and media relations and this role falls to other people within the organization who may not have media experience.

This workshop will instruct you: how write or improve your media releases, how to pitch stories to the media; and how to improve your ability to work with the media overall. 

When:            June 2, 2012

Where:          1 Springdale St., St. John’s, Boardroom, Heritage Foundation of NL

Time:             10:00 a.m. to Noon

Cost:             $25/$15 for students

About the instructor:

Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey has worked for several local non-profit and corporate organizations including the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador since receiving her Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University (BPR ’01). Currently, her main role is as a stay-at-home mom with her three little boys while still doing PR consulting.

Sandy is a creative thinker and approaches communication projects with this mind-set. With regards to media relations, she understands the media’s needs and is eager to share some of the tricks of the trade with you!

Registration:

Space in the workshop is limited, so pre-registration is required. To register, call Joelle at 709-739-1892 ext 5, or email joelle@heritagefoundation.ca.  If paying by cheque, cheques must be made payable to "Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Just in time for Victoria Day Weekend: A Newfoundland trout basket

This year, we've been doing some research on basket making traditions, and yesterday, I got an email from Dan Mercer, who was looking for someone to repair his father's old trout basket.

The basket was purchased from Leckie's LTD here in St John's "in the very early 1970s."

The basket is fairly typical of other designs I've seen, such as this one from Tor's Cove, this one from Flat Bay, and this one from Pouch Cove.

Dan says he's used the basket for many years, and it is now in need of some repair work. If you have any leads on who might be able to do that sort of work, email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

Call for Applications to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's Youth Action Group

I've just returned from the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in Ottawa. While there, I made a presentation to the Youth Action Group (YAG) on UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and on the work we are doing to safeguard ICH in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I was impressed with the passion and the impressive volunteer and work histories of the YAG members I met, and I'm certain that they have a great deal to contribute toward's UNESCO's goals of building a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is currently looking for interested young Canadians, between the ages of 15 and 30 years old, to become new members of its Youth Advisory Group.  This year, in order to increase geographic representation of members throughout Canada, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO is specifically looking to recruit in Newfoundland and Labrador. As well, the YAG currently does not have any members interested in the theme of archives. Indeed, members interested in Information and Communication in general are fairly rare at the moment. 

The original deadline of May 15th has been extended to May 25th, so if you are interested, get your application in today.

• More information here
• Download the application here

A story of spoons digs up an old memory of The Grange, Whitbourne

A while back, I posted an article on tablespoons, which prompted this note from Edwina Suley of Carbonear.

My mother worked at The Grange in Whitbourne and was a housekeeper, a cook’s assistant, sometimes the cook and general all 'round maid there. As for the work there, it was a joy she told me, since Fraser Bond was only there for short intervals, otherwise it was just mom and the head housekeeper. When Fraser was at The Grange there was always the round of dinners and entertaining. So she learned much about the etiquette of serving food. As a young wife and then a mother, she brought all of this knowledge to our meagre household.

About the spoons with the bowl shape, I learned from my mother that these were used specifically for cream soups. Soup was always to be spooned away from you. To spoon the last remaining soup from the bowl one very subtley placed the forefinger near the rim close to you and ever so slightly tipped the bowl away from you. Thank you for taking me back to all of the wonderful stories my mother told me....all because of a spoon you have made my day. Thank you.

The Grange was Sir Robert Bond's home in Whitbourne. Image above courtesy of the Centre for Newfoundland Studies Archives (Coll - 237), Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland.  You can read a bit more about the house on the Town of Whitbourne website.

Heritage Foundation Announces 2012 Fisheries Heritage Preservation Grants

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL), is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program. This provincial granting program is designed to assist in the preservation of fisheries-related structures throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program has proven to be one of our most popular and successful programs. Indeed, the results of the preservation program are very impressive,” says George Chalker, Executive Director, HFNL.

“Traditional fisheries buildings have defined the look of our coastal communities. Significant inshore fisheries infrastructure throughout the province, including flakes, stages, and fishing premises, are under threat. Much of this remarkable heritage is being lost with each passing year, and much more of it is threatened. Once they vanish, they cannot be replaced,” says Chalker.

The Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program may provide funding to individuals, communities and non-profit groups to restore stages, stores, net lofts and other buildings associated with the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery. Assistance will be provided for the preservation and restoration of heritage features using original materials.

Grants will be available for up to $2000 per property, or up to $10,000 for community-based projects involving multiple structures. Priority will be given to communities which have not received fisheries heritage funding in the past.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, May 31, 2012.

Download guidelines and application forms at www.fisheriesheritage.ca or phone 1-888-739-1892, ext.4.