Purple Vain: Exaggerated prose in court descriptions

To pass the time I often visit Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) to read old issues of my local newspaper, The Evening Telegram. Now titled, The Telegram, the paper was first published in 1879 by William James Herder. 

The Police Court section is far and wide my favorite part of the paper. Mainly accounts of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, the prose in these snippets is so melodramatic it would make Edward Bulwer-Lytton blush.

Here's an example:

The Evening Telegram, 1879

Notice how the headline above reads, "Assaulting the Police", yet it was a sheep that was actually assaulted? Specifically the inspector's poor lamb? That's pretty standard for Police Court. The author's tone is grandiose and mocking, dripping with smugness.   

Here's another one:

The Telegram, 1879-04-17 

This style of writing is called “purple prose”, a term coined by Roman poet Horace, who compared it to the practice of sewing patches of purple material onto clothes. Since purple dye was rare and expensive at the time, the patches were a sign of wealth and by extension, pretentiousness.

Criticized for being mundane and uninteresting, purple prose is most successful when used for comedic effect. One of the best known examples is Geoffrey Chaucer's A Knight's Tale. In contemporary popular culture, consider the elaborate prose of Frasier Crane from Cheers and Frasier.

Another example of purple prose from pop culture are the drawn-out, seemingly never-ending  monologues given by Agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files. While spoken in earnest when The X-Files first aired, these cringe-worthy monologues were criticized for being over-the-top. Interestingly, when the show returned in 2016, the trope was played for laughs when Mulder goes on a long-winded, one-sided rant in  "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-monster."

As for the Police Court descriptions, I like to think they were written in this style to achieve a similar effect. The use of exaggerated language juxtaposed with such inconsequential, petty crimes is comedic purple prose at its best. 

Here's one more for the road: 

The Telegram, 1897-08-14

Bonfire Night: who was Guy Fawkes anyway?

Daily News, 1962-11-06. Page 3. 

I’m a Newfoundlander and as a proud Newfoundlander Bonfire Night is about burning shit. Burning the shit right outta shit. You name it, we’ll burn it. From tires to your neighbour’s outhouse, historically, nothing is safe from the bonny fires of November 5th. Some of you may be wondering, “Hey, what is this ‘Bonfire Night’ you speak of? I also like to burn stuff!”

Who doesn’t?

So here’s the deal: Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on November 5th, primarily in Great Britain. Its history begins with the events of November 5th, 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also known as the House of Lords.

The Gunpowder Plot was a conspiracy by a group of English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state.

The plot, despite it's badass name, was a total failure.

But King James was so stoked by not being exploded that he allowed the public to celebrate his survival with bonfires, so long as they were "without any danger or disorder". Many fires included an effigy of Fawkes, or "the Guy", as it would come to be known.

Collecting tires for Bonfire Night
From: "Bonfire Night in Brigus", A video documenting the preparation and celebration of Bonfire Night in Brigus, Newfoundland. Directed by Catherine Schwoeffermann

Some Newfoundlanders grew up knowing all about Guy Fawkes. Some of us didn’t know the occasion had anything to do with him until we were old enough to learn about it in school. And as a Canadian kid, I thought it was Guy “Fox”, because Terry Fox, of course.

"Weatherman ruins Everything for Everyone"
Daily News, 1962-11-06. Page 3

Bonfire Night isn’t as popular as it once was, mostly due to bans on open fires in many Newfoundland communities. What was once an opportunity for kids to work together to build a huge fire (THAT COULD SINGE THE BEARD OF ZEUS HIMSELF!!) has been mostly relegated to organized fires put together by municipalities. These events are more likely an attempt to deter random fires than maintain the Bonfire Night tradition.

For me, and many Newfoundland kids, Bonfire Night was an opportunity to roast marshmallows in front of a fire the size of a house. Boy, was that terrifying.

Good times though.  

    "Bonfire Night in Brigus",

 A video documenting the preparation and celebration of Bonfire Night in Brigus, 

Newfoundland. Directed by Catherine Schwoeffermann

Wartime Wrestling and Old-timey Boxing

To be fair, I don't sports well...or at all. I have far more memories of getting hit in the face than I do of actual game play. Regardless, organized sports are a strong part  of Newfoundland and Labrador culture.  Whether it's tennis, curling, hockey, soccer, wrestling, rugby or lacrosse, you name it and we've played it.

Royal Newfoundland Regiment Soldiers Wrestling, 1915
 [B 3-12]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

The Rooms Provincial Archives has a substantial collection of materials relating to professional and amateur sporting activities in Newfoundland and Labrador. The collection consists of personal and business correspondence, scrapbooks, over 5,000 photographs, newspaper clippings, ephemera, minute books, record books, financial statements, and other sports organizational records from approximately 1820 to the present. To learn more, visit the Sports Archive page.

Daily Star [1915-04-17]

St. John's Boxers

Item consists of Portrait of St. John's boxers of the 1930s.
L-R: M. Baird, Phillip Knowling, Pat Dobbin, Frank Stamp and
Tom "Pussyfoot" Benson. Frank Stamp is wearing his championship belt.
Three trophies on table in between boxers.
Frank Stamp was the Light Heavyweight Champion.

Catching Capelin

"Catching Capelin" 1908 [Va 118-100.3]
International Grenfell Association Photograph Collection
Courtesy of: The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador: Archives Division

One of the great things about Newfoundland is that you can gather free food from so many places. While it's a rough go getting much to grow here, besides root vegetables, Newfoundland is rich with berries, edible plants, fish and game. My mother and father grew up in Lethbridge, a small community in Bonavista Bay and I'd spend my summers picking blueberries, cherries and rhubarb. I have memories of my Nan Penney picking little "sweet leaves" and chewing on them, handing them to me and nodding a "yes, go ahead maid, it won't kill ya", as I popped the new treat in my mouth. I'd venture into the woods to set rabbit snares with my cousin Mitch and in the fall of the year we'd pick crabapples, cracking up laughing when someone got a really bitter one and one of us would shout, "Sure look at the face on you!"

"Two Children in Garden Eating Rhubarb" 1932 [Va 92-188]
International Grenfell Association Photograph Collection
Courtesy of: The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador: Archives Division

The other day I went to get some capelin with my sister, Robyn, and our friend Maggie. Capelin are a small fish that "roll" onto beaches in the millions in late June or early July. If you live in St. John's, the usual spot to get your capelin is Middle Cove Beach, and people turn up in the thousands. Despite the awful traffic and parking, I was so impressed with the sense of community at the beach.  First of all, the capelin weren't rolling right in, without nets you just couldn't get anything. So in pure Newfoundland fashion, a few locals came down to the beach with their nets, just to haul up the capelin for everyone else. Folks were helping each other gather the little squirmy fish and we helped an older lady fill three buckets, to the joy of her husband who grumbled, "Sure, I don't know what I brought you for anyway Vera, with that hip on you!" In all directions you could hear the squeals of little children, as they grabbed for the gooey creatures that danced out of their chubby fingers, "How many can you hold at a time?! I can hold, like twenty!"

Middle Cove Beach, Newfoundland. 2014

Middle Cove Beach, Newfoundland. 2014

Capelin
Middle Cove Beach, Newfoundland. 2014

Maggie and Robyn with our bucket of capelin
P.S: we don't eat them raw!

After all was said and done, we got our feed of capelin and had a grand time. So, what do you do with the capelin once you get them? Here's a great video by Bob Kelland that shows you just that! Enjoy!

Currently Offering: Pillow Top Workshops

Raymond Russell, who made a pillow top in the lumber camps in Terra Nova in 1958,
shows his daughter,Arlene Penney how to tie off the wool on the pillow top frame.

Pillow tops are woven with wool on wooden frames and were traditionally crafted by Newfoundland lumber camp workers to be gifted to their wives, girlfriends or mothers. They are sewn onto pillows, used as throws, pot holders or place mats. While there are different methods of making these pillow tops, it always begins with a handmade square wooden frame. Today, I'm one of a handful of people carrying on this tradition and providing detailed instructions through this hands on workshop. I became interested in pillow tops several years ago while interviewing my grandfather, Raymond Russell, about his time in the lumberwoods. The pillow tops have brought me to such places as Quidi Vidi, Cupids, Winterton, South East Bight and even the Logger's Life Museum bunkhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor.

At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with their very own pillow top and the knowledge and skills to make more. All materials and tools are provided in the workshop fee.

 

 

Length of Workshop: 3 hours 


Cost: $20 per person and this includes all materials (twine, wool) and use of specialized tools (twine needles, weaving frame), and detailed instructions. At the end of the day you leave with your very own pillow top.

Maximum Number of Participants: 12

Proposed Audience: This workshop is suitable for everyone and children ages 8 and up. This workshop has proven to be a great intergenerational activity.

If you're interested in having me teach a pillow top workshop in your community, please feel free to get in touch at npenney4@gmail.com.

 

My name is Nicole Penney and I work in Newfoundland as a folklorist and archivist, helping communities shape their identity and preserve their traditional culture. I have been working within the heritage community since 2004, and hold a BA in Folklore / English Literature and an MA in Public Folklore from Memorial University. I currently hold a position with The Rooms Provincial Archives Division Reference Desk and sit as secretary on the board of directors of the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives. I also work and volunteers regularly within the archival community and contribute to various newsletters and blogs relating to traditional culture. I has a particular interest in folk art and occupational folklore and I'm a strong advocate of community level heritage projects and inter-generational activities.

Snowshoeing on the Roof: Winter Scenes that Make Our Snowfall Look Like Summer

It's been snowing in St. John's for several days now and I've been hearing quite a few complaints about it. We don't usually get this kind of snow before January or February and with more snow and freezing rain on the way, I think many people are fed up with it.

While you will never, in a million years, get a Newfoundlander to stop talking about the weather (seriously, if you meet a Newfoundlander and can't think of anything to say, mention the weather, we love it) I'm going to point out that this could be much much worse.

So here's a bit of perspective, because it's only December and we could get another 5 months of this, easy.



[A24-98] Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives. March 1912 

On March 11, 1912 an avalanche struck the house of Francis Williams, manager of the Cape Copper Company, in Tilt Cove, NL.  Francis Williams, his thirteen year old son and two servants were killed. His wife and two daughters were rescued. The same avalanche also destroyed the home of Mr. Cunningham, JP, the telegrapher and customs officer. His three year old son was injured and a servant named Emily Day, age 28, was killed.


[A24-99] Courtesy of:  The Rooms Provincial Archives. March 1912 

 Clearing out the driveway got nothing on this:


VA 118-33.7; "After a 'sou wester'; weariness and vexation of spirit" :                    Man shovelling snow from roof. International Grenfell Association. 1908. Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

VA 118-33.7; "After a 'sou wester'; weariness and vexation of spirit" :                    Man shovelling snow from roof. International Grenfell Association. 1908. Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

                     VA 118-33.7; "After a 'sou wester'; weariness and vexation of spirit" :
                   Man shovelling snow from roof. International Grenfell Association. 1908.
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

When you can showshoe on the roof, then complain to me about the weather.

A 43-10; St. John's Snow shoeing on the roof of a house,                  possibly Merrymeeting Road. Date Unknown.                 Courtesy of: The Rooms provincial Archives

                     A 43-10; St. John's Snow shoeing on the roof of a house,
                 possibly Merrymeeting Road. Date Unknown.
                Courtesy of: The Rooms provincial Archives

You've got to really look at this one...

[A 43-9] Train coming through a tunnel cut in the snow [circa 19-]
Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives

Below we have a man standing next to fire hydrant that was dug out from under 18ft of snow.


[A 42-51] Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives.

[A 42-51]
Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives.





Save the Sea Krait! or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Seal Hunt.

Yesterday, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Sam Simon and Pamela Anderson offered $1 million to Canadian sealers in a hope to “facilitate and achieve a government buyout” program in order to end the seal hunt. Like many Newfoundlanders I was insulted by their audacity and ignorance. They spouted the same old "killing baby seals" argument we've heard over and over again. One that has been outdated for thirty years.

I'm not going to get into the whole debate here, you've heard the pro-sealing side of it before. You know, about how this is not a dying industry and how the seals are in no way endangered. Seals are a significant source of income for thousands of families in coastal communities in eastern and northern Canada with sealing representing approximately 25-35 percent of their total income. Also, the Northwest Atlantic harp seal population is healthy with an estimated population of 7.3 million animals, over three times what it was in the 1970s. Likewise, I won't get into how the seal hunt helped make it possible for the original settlers to stay in Newfoundland all year round, when cod wasn't enough to make a permanent settlement viable, but seal oil was. I won't get into how this is part of our heritage and a mere $1 million buy out is insulting beyond reproach.

Obviously, I support the seal hunt and believe one of the main reasons we get so much flack from groups like PETA and their (in)famous mouthpieces is because seals are so damn cute. Clowns of the sea and all that. With their constantly smiling faces and large round eyes, you can't help but want to hug them. Humans love cute things. It's just science.

Pictured Above: Cuteness personified
[A 3-5] Young seals, ca.1910-12
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

So my argument to these two "advocates" is that they instead offer this money to help a not-so-cute animal get a second lease on certain existence. Take the axolotl, for example, a salamander that can regrow its limbs. Or better yet, the sea krait, a very squishy looking poisonous sea snake. These animals actually need help, but will you see public service announcements shot with a fish eye lens focusing on these guys? No, no you won't. You know why you won't see public service announcements shot with a fish eye lens focusing on these guys, but will see SO many cute, adorable seal videos that tug at your heart strings? Because there are a shit ton of seals to get thousands and thousands of hours of footage of! The axolotl and sea krait are actually endangered, so you know, not so easy to find.

Pictured Above: Not-so-cute
The axolotl

Anyhoo, I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And speaking of pictures, here's a few Christmas cards that use images of the seal hunt. Happy Holidays!

[A 18-24] Hoisting pelts aboard, ca. 1900
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives



[A 18-14] Sealers Breaking Ice Jam, ca.1900
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

And They're Off!! A Look at the Folks Behind the Scenes of The Royal St. John's Regatta

The Royal St. John's Regatta is the oldest organized sporting event in North America. It has been a part of Newfoundland history for 185 years. The first record of an organized event is in 1818, but rowing matches were common among ships crews in St. John's Harbour since at least ts the 1700's.

These days, the Regatta draws crowds of up to 50,000 people annually to the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake. With all the excitement of the races, food and games of chance, we may forget that organizing an event like this takes a lot of time and effort from many dedicated people. Here's are a few archival snaps of some of the people behind the scenes at the Royal St. John's Regatta.

[1.502.025] Bob Sexton Prepares Racing shell at Lawrence's Carriage Factory, Gower Street: for annual Regatta on Quidi Vidi lake. Sexton was a master boat builder. [190?]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives



[1.502.008] Judges Boat at Regatta, Quidi Vidi [before 1900]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

 

[1.502.065] St. John's Regatta Committee [1906]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

[1.502.001] St. John's Regatta - Quidi Vidi: Item consists of The earliest photo of the St. John's Regatta known to exist. The photo was taken at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake and shows what appears to be six boats lined up at the stakes and awaiting the firing of the starter's gun. Note in particular the two figures in the foreground and to the right of the photo. Apparently a bet on the outcome of the race has taken place, and is being sealed by a hand-shake. [ca.1880]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives

 

Remembering Beaumont-Hamel: A Letter from the Trenches

Today Newfoundlanders remember the advance at Beaumont-Hamel, fought on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916. The intent that day was for the Allies to destroy the Germans' defenses, including the lines of barbed wire protecting their trenches. However, the battle did not go as planned for the Allies and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Final battle figures revealed 233 men from the Regiment dead, 386 wounded, and ninety-one reported missing (and later assumed dead). Only 110 men from the Regiment remained unscathed after the battle. The casualty rate for many battalions was over fifty percent; for the Newfoundland Regiment, it was eighty-five percent.


A 12-7; Memorial Day Parade, St. John's [July 1, 1924]
Courtesy of: The Rooms Provincial Archives.

The following is an excerpt from a letter published in the Evening Telegram on July 28, 1916,written by Sergeant Arthur Herder (service number: 0-61/1863), who went over the top with the Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel. Herder, a lawyer from St. John’s, enlisted at the age of 33. While he survived Beaumont-Hamel, he was later killed in action:

As to the Regiment, it was magnificent. Every Newfoundlander ought to be proud of it. Its fighting spirit was splendid – that was to be expected; but the most astonishing thing was the absolutely perfect steadiness of the men, or rather boys, for I verily believe it was the youngest regiment, all through, in the Army. We had practiced the attack for about ten days, even to the minutest detail. Every private was instructed over and over again as to just what was expected of him. When the day came, the men carried out their order to the death, or till they were so wounded they could not proceed further. Moreover, they carried them out exactly, under a perfect hail of fire, machine guns, rifle, shrapnel and high explosives, not only from the front but on both flanks. The 1st Newfoundland regiment did very well, and we ought to all be proud of it.



Hoops and Pails: Water carriers in Newfoundland and Labrador

Memorial University's Department of Folklore and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador are hiring a researcher to work on their “Traditional Knowledge of Springs and Wells in the St. John's Area” project. The project is designed to map locational information and to collect oral histories about wells, springs and natural water sources within the St. John's Area. I work with the Heritage Foundation and while we're waiting for our hire, I thought I'd do a little bit of research on water supplies in the province.



VA 92.236; Getting Water at the Spring: Woman with young child filling water barrels [1932]
The Rooms Provincial Archives

I also work a part time job at The Rooms Provincial Archive and on slow days I like to familiarise myself with our collections by researching various topics. I started my search on wells and springs by searching "wells", which gave me lots of hits, but mostly for the surname. Then I tried "spring" and got way too many hits for the season. Finally I tried "water supply" and voila!

I found lots of great stuff for HFNL, but I also found some neat pictures of a tool I'd love to learn more about. The item (pictured below) is a hoop and bucket combination for carrying water. I'd like to find out why the hoop was used. Did it help with balance? Did it make the buckets feel lighter and easier to carry? Was this just used in Newfoundland and Labrador or was it a common tool for carrying water? If you can lend some insight, feel free to get in touch.

MG 158-170.2; Carrying Water. [Aug.1920]
The Rooms Provincial Archives

VA 110-28.5; Water Carrier: Man with hoop and pails for carrying water [1930]
The Rooms Provincial Archives

VA 110-28.7; Water Carrier: Woman carrying water with hoop and pails [1930]
The Rooms Provincial Archives



VA 22-27; Hoop Method of Carrying Water: rear view of woman with hoop carrying water on a road lined with wooden fences.