Summer of 76
If you wish you could go back to the summer of 76 to relive your youth or experience it for the first time, we have exciting news for you! One of our volunteers, Will Pearson, has created a new exhibit for the Trent Valley Archives titled “A Peterborough Summer: 1976.”
Featuring photographs he scanned from our Peterborough Examiner collection of negatives, the exhibit highlights what summer in Peterborough looked like 50 years ago through its thoughtful curation of snapshots taken by Examiner photographers in 1976.
The exhibit will be coming to Dreams of Beans Café (141 Charlotte Street in Peterborough) in August, and will officially open on Friday, August 7 during the First Friday Art Crawl from 6pm-9pm. After the opening, the exhibit will be available to view anytime the café is open between August 7 and September 2.
Prior to the exhibit opening, it will be popping up at the DBIA “Movies at the Park” event on Tuesday, July 28 at the Quaker Foods City Square on Charlotte Street.
We hope you’ll take the opportunity to be transported back in time this summer!
Have you seen the updated Heritage Gazette?
We are pleased to continue and expand on the pioneering work of archivist Elwood Jones and Steve Gavard as we explore the near and distant past in this full colour publication.
View the current and past issues
This November, we believe it is important to take a moment to reflect on our community's military history. Part of this reflection includes sharing and listening to the stories of members in our community who have fought in conflicts for our freedom. Many of these stories have been captured by local authors in their historical publications and memoirs, and we'd like to share some of them with you today. The first book, "Stories by the Fire: The People and History of the Lakefield Area" by Michael Chappell, contains a whole section dedicated to Lakefield's wartime contributions, featuring stories of Lakefield citizens who served in the Second World War and beyond. [Copies are $40 each.]The second book, "Nicholas Scott: From Chandos to Méricourt with the 93rd Battalion" by Michael C. Doran documents the life and wartime activities of the Author's great-uncle, Nicholas Scott, who served with the 93rd Battalion during the First Wold War. [Copies are $50 each.]The third book, "The Kid from Simcoe Street" is a personal memoir by retired Ontario Superior Court Judge James Clarke, chronicling his childhood in wartime-era Peterborough and exploring how his relationship with his father (who enlisted in the Second World War) was impacted by his military service. [Copies are $25 each.]The fourth book, "Captains & Colonels of Peterborough County" by Robert J. Gordon outlines the military activities that took place in the Newcastle District (and later Peterborough County) in the 19th century, a time when militias were formed across Ontario to counteract rebellions and assist the government in other ways. [Copies are $25 each.]Copies of all four books can be purchased in-person at our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue during our operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm) or on our website for local pickup or shipping here: trentvalleyarchives.com/shop/
In November, our thoughts rightfully turn to those who fought in the First and Second World Wars, as these conflicts are at the forefront of our memory. However, Peterborough has ties to other historical conflicts as well, with Peterborough residents serving in the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, the Boer War and beyond. Many of them are buried in Little Lake Cemetery. Join military historian and knowledgeable tour guide Don Willcock in the Cemetery on Sunday, November 8 at 2pm to learn more about Peterborough's hidden military history and pay your respects at the final resting places of the men and women who selflessly served their community and their country in wartime. Tickets to our Military History Tour are still available for $20 each, and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.com/e/honouring-our-military-history-tickets-1988558051663?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_...NOTE: This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Happy Halloween! 🎃 We hope you have a spooky and safe evening, whatever your plans are. Although this snapshot wasn't taken on Halloween night, this little girl was certainly helping to get Peterburians into the Halloween spirit in August of 1972! The Peterborough Examiner had this to say about her witchy costume: "Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, portrayed by Donna Masterson, was at Little Lake Tuesday to help celebrate a special children’s day at Peterborough Arts and Water Festival. Several groups of children, representing city parks, dressed up in costumes and paraded to Point St. Charles Park to see Global Village Theatre, from Toronto, and a best-dressed dog show."
The latest issue of the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley is here! Brimming with interesting stories that bring to light lesser-known aspects of our area's history, this issue takes you from an exploration into the lives of Peterborough women charged with prostitution in the late 1800s, through to the discovery of an over 125 year-old Peterborough Examiner article detailing the new state-of-the-art Duffus Motors Garage, and ending with a courtroom mystery depicted in a painting that now hangs on the walls of our archives building.J. A. Forrester's article about the surprising inspiration behind Trent University, Dawn Merriam's article about the Mount Community Centre's continuation of the spirit of the Village on Argyle property, and our Archivist Elwood Jones' summary of the largest archival collection to be added to the Trent Valley Archives to date are also featured. We hope you take some time to unwind and enjoy the little slices of local history preserved in the pages of this issue. If you're subscribed to our mailing list, check your inbox for an email from us with links to download the issue. If you're not already subscribed to our mailing list, you can do so here: trentvalleyarchives.com/newsletter-signup/ Once you've read the issue, we'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment down below with your thoughts on this issue and any suggestions you have for our next issue!
A closer look at our 1825 Richard Birdsall survey map! These copies were made from the original Marianne MacKenzie copy we discovered in the course of processing her fonds, and are available to purchase now. The map was digitally darkened before being copied and is printed on a heavy, matte paper stock, so the final result looks even better than the original and is ready to hang. Our Archivist Elwood Jones’ observations about the map have also been typed out and are attached to the back of each copy. Copies are $20 each and can be picked up at the Trent Valley Archives anytime we’re open.