#Movember Historical Recreation

To celebrate the end of Movember we decided to perform a historical recreation of a classic Archives & Special Collections moustache pic featured elsewhere on this blog.  We wish you love on this final day of Movember.  Thanks to Jeanette, Tyyne, Andrea, and Shelley for their assistance. 

Winter's Here - Gentlemen, Start Your Autoboggans!!

Winter arrived here in Winnipeg over the weekend.  There is finally enough snow for everyone to break out their Autoboggans - the automatic tobaggan!!  Looks like a comfy ride!  Pictured here is the inventor of the Autoboggan, H.C. Paul.  I kid but the Autoboggan is actually the prototype for what eventually would become Polaris snowmobiles.  And Mr. Paul, among his many achievements, was inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame. 

 

Date: February 8, 1958

Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Box 12, Folder 421, Item 2

The Most Interesting Man in the World

Date: December 19, 1963
Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Box 4, Folder 119, Item 7

Here we see former Minister of Northern Affairs, Walter Dinsdale, and his wife, Leonore, holding a goose while an ornithologist bands its leg. The name of that ornithologist? Manly. Last name? Miner. Middle name? Forest. Yup, Manly Forest Miner. He's my nomination to be Dos Equis' new Most Interesting Man in the World.

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Date: February 25, 1964
Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Folder 3024-3027, Item 49

This blog focuses on the more humourous items in our holdings but every once in a while I'll come across a photo like this one that is so cool it needs to be shared with the world.  This photo perfectly caputures the exact moment the Transport Building in North Bay, Ontario, structurally damaged by fire, came tumbling down to the ground.  Simply amazing.

St. Patrick's Day Massacre

Date: May 11, 1977; Photographer: Jim Walker
Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Folder 3402, Item 45

This picture depicts young Jon Kennedy admiring an 1835 Kentucky squirrel gun next to Derek Burdeny admiring a 7' 1775 Irish musket. They both have that same look of childlike wonderment on their faces as they think of all the great things they could shoot and maim with these. Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?

This post was meant to have a St. Patrick's Day theme but I realize a photo featuring a big Irish gun is a pretty weak connection to St. Patty's Day.  So in honour of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, I composed my first (and likely last) photo-related limerick:

There once was a young boy named Jon

Who's Kentucky squirrel gun made him yawn.

Derek's musket was Irish.

Made Jon feel less childish.

Now nothing is safe on Jon's lawn.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!

Shop 'Til You Stop

Date: March 22, 1980; Photographer: Peter Levick
Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Box 63, Folder 6110, Item 4

7-year-old Evan Mancer tries to make sense of this senseless act of mayhem.  See, this is why I don't like to bring my kids grocery shopping.  This photograph was taken from the Winnipeg Tribune's folder on shopping carts.  You can imagine the tremendous research that has come out of this resource.

Speakers of the House

Date: April 2, 1979; Photographer: Jeff Debooy

Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections - Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12), Box 17, Folder 597, Item 3

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra French hornist Ken Strahl sits between two Fairfax "walls of sound" speakers, the centre-pieces of his state-of-the-art home stereo system.  The system occupied two rooms in his home and cost him $7500, which is a crazy amount of money to spend on a stereo in 1979.  But then again he's bringing in French hornist coin so he could obviously afford it.  This is the definition of a slow news day.

What a Drag

Date: ca. 1924
Source: Faculty of Human Ecology fonds (PC 49, A.86-42) - Box 2, Folder 45, Item 57

 
Home Economics students Hettie Frances Lyon, Sadie Robson, Louise Pettingell, and Evelyn Scott, dress as creepy looking mustachioed men for what I assume was a very good reason.  It appears as though the flash of the camera has turned them into Frankenstein-like monsters.

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry ... Or Else!

Date: December 1, 1976; Photographer: University of Winnipeg Media Department

Source: University of Winnipeg Archives - Winnipeg Cinema Gallery photographs [not yet processed]

When Santa couldn't deliver on the chicken's wish, he called in his thugs and things got ugly.  Plush animals are no push overs.

This is the first contribution to What the Fonds? by an institution other than the University of Manitoba Archives.  Thanks to Gabrielle and Daniel at the University of Winnipeg Archives for this great photo.  To see more of this odd, yet cute, collection of photos, check out the photo gallery on the University of Winnipeg Archives' Facebook page.

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - The Parties!

These three photographs completely encapuslate the Festival du Voyageur experience for many people.

Date: February 18, 1975; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 70

This photograph contains three key ingredients to a successful Festival du Voyaguer: beards, beer, and merriment.  The top three beard growers, Georges Forest, Nelson Fournier, and Paul Delveaux, join together in song and a toast to Festival.

Date: February 25, 1972; Photographer: Jim Haggarty

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 158 

At the Cabaret du College, Raymond Ouimet, Régine Datremont, Gerald Laboissiere, and Pierre Palud (seated at the table) are joined in a toast and a song by a traveling pack of Voyageurs who led people in sing songs throughout the night.  Standing are Gisele Philippot, Jean-Pierre Dubé, Louis Dubé (whose expression could not be any better if he tried), Michael Langlois, Lina Legal, and Joanne Bonlet.

Date: February 25, 1972; Photographer: Jim Haggarty

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 180

Andre Cote, Jean-Paul Bergeron, Johanne Robinson, Michel Cote, Danielle Sauve, Dennis Mavillierat, and Jeanne Pare raise a glass while at the Trading Post in St. Boniface.

A fitting sendoff to my Festival du Voyageur series.  Enjoy the weekend.  Hé ho!