Loading...
Times-Advocate, 1988-01-20, Page 19Times -Advocate, January 20, 1988 Page 7A Grand Bend raises $7, 000 to preserve an era By Mark Bisset Fishermen holding up six foot sturgeons. Ladies with full length wool bathing suits and Japanese para- sols, lounging on the beach. The building of a bridge and a picnic -in the woods. Grand Bend at the turn of the century. It will all be frozen in time at the Lambton Heritage Mu- seum thanks to the efforts of vil- lagers and arca residents who have raised morb than $7,000 to fund a photo archives project. The visual history collection has been compiled over the past year and a half by volunteer co-ordinator Paul Miller and Lambton Museum curator Bob Tremain. The money raised by Grand Bend residents will go toward establish- ing a permanent photo archives at the museum. The permanent display will fea- ture enlargements ot a number ot photographs. Enlargement is a costly process which can cost as much as S150 for a single picture. The money will also be used to publish a soft-cover book -- the first Grand Bend history to be pro- duced. Tremain expects the book to be available by late Spring. The sum will be matched by a W intario grant and the Ontario Museum fund, bringing the total to an estimated S16,000. "We didn't know if it would work or not, but the community has given us tremendous support,", says Tremain of the project. For a $50 donation, patrons will receive a copy of the book which will have their names listed as sup- porters of the project. A lot of people just seem to be keen on having their names in the book," Tremain notes, adding that many of the families who have a link with the village are anxious to have their names recorded in the history. "They're all people who have come to know and love Grand Bend. For all its faults, its got a soft spot in a lot of people's hearts." "�• Putting the long term signifi- cance of the book into perspective, Tremain cites a small North Lamb - ton history booklet which was first published in 1963 and which is still being printed. • "It only gets better, the older it gets," says Tremain. "It should have a good shelf -life. We should be able to sell this book for 20 or 30 years -- until someone does a better book anyway." The profits from the sale of the book will be put toward other Grand Bend projects. Paul Miller has invested a great deal of time in the project, scouring the Ontario Archives, the Lambton room of the Lambton County Li- brary, the Regional Collection at the University of Western Ontario and the Huron County Library. He admits that the largest portion of the photo collection has been donat- ed by locals, but he notes that there is still a substantial chunk of Grand Bend pictorial history to be found. "There are some things we didn't find that we're still looking for," Miller says, referring specifically to the construction of the cut, located at the centre -of the village. Built in 1892, the cut opened up a channel to Lake Huron from the Ausable River. Originally there was a bend in the river which continued on to its mouth at Port Franks. Miller explains that the 1892 pro- ject was a major feat of engineering and -he is hopeful that -photographs of the operation exist somewhere. Anyone with old photographs of elle construction of the cut or any - other subjects in the Grand Bend arca should contact Paul Miller, Re- searcher, care of the Lambton Heri- tage lvtuscum, or call 243-2600. 1 HUGE CATCH -- This giant sturgeon was one of many to be caught in the Grand Bend area between 1913 and 1914 when the fish made a run of the local waters. Some of the sturgeons landed weighed as much as 100 pounds. COMMUTERS -- An Autobus, operated by H. Guenther of Dashwood, ed with the train at Exeter. This photo' was taken in front of the Main Street LAKEVIEW HOUSE -- A typically pleasant scene on the Lake around - conveyed passengers between Exeter and Grand Bend. The bus connect- Hotel in 1912. -the turn of the century. Exeter photoyrap6or k.y to Grand Bend archives Joseph Senior, an Exeter pho- tographer who amassed an exten- Sive body of work in the Grand Bend area around the turn of the century, has become the corner- stone of the Lambton Heritage Museum's photo archive pro- ject. "Our interest in the Seniors is that about 80 percent of the pho- tos we've got were his (Joseph Senior)," said Bob Tremain, cu- rator of the museum. Tremain explained that though many of the Senior picture - postcards of Grand Bend in its earlier days are stamped with the Senior studio label, many more have been identified as his by a flaw in the photographers hand- writing. As was the custom at that time, the name of the area in the photo has been inscribed in some portion of the picture. Senior's work can be identified by the odd way he drew the "G" in Grand Bend. In most of the photos, the letter more closely resembles a "C". Senior is known to have com- pleted a• -number of other area photographs using glass -plate negatives, but what became of those negatives is something of a mystery. Tremain explained that the Senior estate was wound down after the Second World War -- a period when there was a general shortage of glass. The glass - plate negatives were likely sold " at that time and there is evidence indicating that they may have been used to build a greenhouse. The Senior family set up a - photograph studio in Exeter as early as 1884. Joseph Senior took over the business from his father, taking postcard pictures from 1905 until the 1940s. Anyone who has a Senior pho- tograph or a glass -plate negative should contact the Lambton County Museum. A SPLENDID BUILDING (Right) The Colonial Hotel in its hey days. Photos such as this provide an interesting contrast when compared to the buildin g's modern ap pearance. THE EMPORIUM - (Below) . Originally, the Amos General Store on the North side ot Main Street. It was the post office in 1910 when this pict- ure was taken. • t 4.0 41 • • The early days on the Lake SUNBATHERS - (Above) This photo was taken on the beach at Grand Bend near the casino in 1929. Note the Japanese parasols, the style of the day. IDYLLIC SETTING - (Right) Pic- nickers take advantage of a beauti- ful day at the Grand Bend picnic grounds. • • ON THE BEACH - The Grand Bend Casino, located on the beach at (he end of Main Street. Huron Apothecary Ltd. J T WILSON PHARMACIST PHONE 235-1982 440 MAIN ST.. EXETER. ONT. PRESCRIPTIONS We accept most major drug plans Blue Cross, Green Shield, Drug Benefit, etc. Hours Mon. Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Wed. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. "Your Independent Pharmacist"