Walt Browarny of Browarny Photography located in Calgary, Alberta created most of the photographs in this series. Other creators include Buddy Knox Entertainment Enterprises Limited, Arnaud, Manitoba and Frank Brandes Enterprises, Los Angeles, California. Leech Printing Limited of Brandon, Manitoba printed a few of these photos, likely as a service to the organizers of AgEx.
Custodial History
Some of the AgEx graphics were stored with the Provincial Exhibition and Royal Manitoba Winter Fair photograph records at the MEA offices until these records were brought to the McKee Archives ca. 1986. Most of the pictures, however, were included in the textual records of the AgEx sous-fonds. Since ca. 1986, this sous-fonds has been transferred on a continuing basis to the McKee Archives. In July 1999, the AgEx photographs were separated from the sous-fonds' textual records and were placed in Series 9.
Scope and Content
Series consists equally of colour and black and white pictures pertaining to AgEx. Roughly half of these pictures date from 1976; the other half date from 1986 and 1987. Four subject areas comprise the series: livestock, exhibits, entertainment, and dignitaries.
LIVESTOCK
Almost all of the AgEx photos are of prize-winning bull and female cattle. Breeds represented in the photos of 1976 are Angus, Charolais, Chianina, Hereford (Polled and Non-Polled), Holstein, Limousin, and Maine Anjou. Depicted in the photos of 1986 and 1987 are Angus, Aquitaine Blond, Charolais, Hereford (Polled and Non-Polled), Maine Anjou, Saler, Shorthorn, and Simmental.
Sheep are also featured in this series. Included are pictures both of sheep shows and sheep shearing.
EXHIBITS
At the 1976 AgEx were various commercial display booths. Depicted in this series are Kullberg’s Furniture, Standard Steel Buildings, Cargill, Rug Doctor, and Linden Trailer Sales and Services Ltd.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment graphics are advertisements for Buddy Knox, a singer who performed at the 1989 AgEx.
DIGNITARIES
Dignitaries depicted in this series are organizers of the fall fair. Also included is the 1976 Hereford Association Queen.
Containing over three hundred images of purebred cattle, this series is valuable for historians of agriculture. By examining these photos, one can ascertain the characteristics of breeds found in western Canada. This series is also useful for historians of agricultural exhibitions. By studying the pictures of Brandon’s AgEx, one can determine the nature of fall fairs in western Canada.
Notes
Part of RG2SF3. Item-level descriptions of the graphics of RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located on a searchable database. This database is entitled “Brandon Photographs” and can be read using Microsoft Access. “Brandon Photographs” is located on a 3½ floppy disk entitled “Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds Series 9” included in this finding aid. The description of each photograph on this database includes the following information: accession number, title, date, place, physical description, scope and content, notes, creator, and copyright. By searching the database, individual photographs can be located easily. Instructions on how to use the database are in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF3 AgEx
Arrangement
Graphics for RGSF1 through RG2SF4 are located in boxes. Graphics larger than 24 x 35 cm are located in the image mapcase, which is located in the reading room. The graphics are filed chronologically by accession number. The arrangement is as follows:
Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds; RG2SF1-RG2SF4; Series 9
Boxes 1 through 15, as follows:
Box 1 EX0001 to EX0125
Box 2 EX0157 to EX0263
Box 3 EX0265 to EX0399
Box 4 EX0400 to EX0499
Box 5 EX0500 to EX0599
Box 6 EX0600 to EX0699
Box 7 EX0700 to EX0799
Box 8 EX0800 to EX0899
Box 9 EX0900 to EX0921
Box 10 EX1000 to EX1099
Box 11 EX1100 to EX1199
Box 12 EX1200 to EX1299
Box 13 EX1300 to EX1399
Box 14 EX1400 to EX1499
Box 15 EX1549 to EX1859
Item is a portrait of men from the Rivers area who attended a meeting or workshop facilitated by Reg Forbes, Principal of the Agricultural Extension Centre in Brandon, MB. Some of the men in the photo are John Dick, Tommy Seens, Roy Murrey, Reed Spearn and Reg Forbes.
The item is a poster published by the Baptist Union of Western Canada promoting Brandon College Sunday, February 28, 1932 asking Baptists throughout Western Canada to support Brandon College financially in its hour of need. The poster asserts that "Pres. Evans is Leading in the Sacrificial Effort by Faculty and Friends to keep the College open."
Some warping. Small hole in background on middle left
Custodial History
Photo was donated to the McKee Archives by Bernice La Buick in 2012. She bought it that summer at a yard sale as part of a box of miscellaneous items.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the Brandon Collegiate 3B class of 1920.
Top Row (L to R): M. Harris; Daisy Patmore; H. Warren, Secretary Treasurer; R. McDorman; M. Abey; K. Cantelon
Second Row (L to R): R. Baldwin; D. McDougall, Principal; J. Gibson
Third Row (L to R): C. Anderson; M. Muller; G. Coristine, Class President; E. Grentham; M. Dorrett; A. Hepinstall
Fourth Row (L to R): M. Skene; M. Davidson; F. Merrell; V. Fielding
Fifth Row (L to R): E. Dorrett; L. Mummery; F. Adolph; M. Maxwell; H. White; E. Kennedy
Sixth Row (L to R): I. Powell; M. Price; F. Green; E. Chalmers
Bottom Row (L to R): J. Mazer; H. Waluk; L. Harper; Miss MacMorine, Class Teacher; Marjorie McKenzie; J. Campell; J. Bolton
Photo was donated to the McKee Archives by Thelma Fisher in May 2015.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the Brandon Normal School class of 1940.
Top Row (L to R): H. Hannah; W. Coulthard; E. Holditch; H. tennant; F. Williams; J. Pettifpher; H. Peterson; A. Embury; I. Campbell; J. Hainsworth; I. Vig; M. Townson
Second Row (L to R): L. Thornton; W. Lochhead; M. Ardron; D. Archibald; Miss M.A. Yeomans, Physical Culture; Mr. C. Moore, Principal; K. Watson; J.S. Caldwell; S. Bradley; J. Christie
Third Row (L to R): M. Witt; H. Mikkelsen; O. Scott; M. Scharff; D. Duncan; Miss B.A. Pilling, Primary Art; I. Duchesneau; E. Hawson; M. Simpson; D. Strath; B. Wiggins
Fourth Row (L to R): E. Henderson; C. Smithson; M. Nelin; J. Campbell; M. Young; V. Brown; G. Wenman; I. Turcotte
Fifth Row (L to R): E. Sommerville; M. Reid; I. Henderson; M. Lychacz; E. Duncan; M. Taylor; J. McPhail; D. Irwin; T.V. Cole; J. Regner; M. Skuce; P. Osman
Bottom Row (L to R): G. Pue; A. Berkhold; D. Pue; B. McLean; E. Nash; J. McFarland; J. Bonner; D. Cousins; E. Pratt; N. Boake; K. Middleton; I. Goldie
Fair. Matting has various pieces missing, tears and stains. Large stain encroaches on the top of the image. Other small stains around the edges for the most part.
Custodial History
Photo was donated to the McKee Archives by Audrey and Duncan Wadell in 2011.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the Brandon Normal School class of 1903.
Composite portrait of the Brandon Normal School Fall Term 1917 class. B.J. Hales, Principal, W. Beer, Vice-Principal, M. Reid, Asst. Teacher, M. Yeomans, Drill Instructor.
One small hole, some pencil marks and stains. A couple of the names are illegible.
History / Biographical
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education. Manitoba Normal schools were initiated in the early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools. Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations until the construction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Custodial History
Photograph was donated to the McKee Archives by Janette Donnelly in 1999.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of Brandon Normal School's third class spring term (1921).
Item is a photograph of the City of Brandon's "See you in '82" float advertising Brandon's upcoming Centennial in 1982. The float is a steamboat and features a number of posters.
Stuart Duncan Schultz was born on December 24, 1892 in Belmont, MB to Frank Albert Schultz and Margaret Maria MacPhail. He graduated from the Manitoba Medical College and then continued his studies with four years at the London Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Schultz served with the 226th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I.
Schultz returned from England in 1925, at which point he joined the medical staff of the Brandon Hospital for Mental Diseases (later the BMHC). In 1942, he became Superintendent, and in 1959, he retired. During his time in Brandon, Schultz served fourteen years on city council and was Mayor from 1956-1957. He was also the director of the Brandon Schubert Choir for twenty-five years. Following his retirement Schultz moved to Winnipeg where he was the consulting psychiatrist for Stony Mountain Penitentiary.
Schultz married Jemima Meiklejohn Gibson on August 30, 1920, in Winnipeg, MB. They had one daughter: Sheilea Schultz Taylor.
Stuart Shultz died in Winnipeg, MB on August 10, 1974.
Scope and Content
Item is a portrait of Dr. Stuart Schultz, mayor of the City of Brandon from 1956-1957.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Manitoba Historical Society website (http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/schultz_sd.shtml)
Exhibitors and participants in the fairs donated many of
these records to the Winter Fair Board. Professional photographers, hired by the Board, generated others. As well, Brandon Sun photographers took a large number of photos throughout the twentieth century. In the 1980s, the Board reprinted them and then added the reproductions to their own photograph collection. Publishing houses generated some photographs, probably as services to participants and organizers of the fairs. Finally, the Canadian government created a few of the photos.
Custodial History
Exhibitors and participants in activities at the winter fair donated many of these records to the Winter Fair Board. The Manitoba Provincial Archives housed other records and later transferred them to the McKee Archives. Most of the records were stored in the offices of the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba until they were brought to the McKee Archives ca. 1986.
Scope and Content
Series consists primarily of black and white photographs either taken at the Winter Fair or owned by the Winter Fair Board. Subjects included are buildings and grounds, horses, livestock, poultry and eggs, exhibits, youth activities, entertainment, and dignitaries. Almost all of the materials have been excellently preserved.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Several of the pictures of the buildings and grounds are aerial photos; these date from 1949 through the 1980s. Photos taken between 1908 and 1952 depict the winter fair building, the livestock arena, the Wheat City Arena, the horse barns, and the swine barn. Photos taken from the 1960s to the early 1980s show horse barns, the Keystone Centre, and quonsets.
HORSES
Photos of horses and horse events comprise the largest number of the graphics of RG2SF2. Unlike other winter fair pictures, types of horse photos do not change throughout the twentieth century. There are many pictures of heavy horses, including Clydesdales, Belgians, and Percherons. They are usually in harness and in teams of two, four, six, and eight. They pull wagons, landaus, and carts. Heavy horses appear in photos of shows, sales, parades, ceremonies, and draft horse competitions.
Light horse photos are also numerous. There are many photos of owners and drivers with award-winning horses. Depictions of races form a prominent part of the light horse pictures; these include portrayals of chuck wagon, chariot, bike, and barrel races. Also featured are competitions like cutting, jumping, pole bending, western riding, musical chairs, hackney, costume, unicorn, and fault and out. Finally, there are many photos of ponies, including hackney, harness, and pleasure ponies.
LIVESTOCK
There are three types of livestock shown in the photos of RG2SF2: cattle, swine, and sheep. Depicted are both sales and shows of these animals. As well, there are pictures of these animals’ carcasses.
In the first forty years of the fair, people took few pictures of cattle, but after World War II, pictures of cattle became a prominent part of the Winter Fair Board’s graphic records. Featured are purebred cattle such as Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, and Simmental. Dairy cows like Jersey and Holstein-Friesian are also notable. Some pictures depict people grooming their cattle.
Photos of swine date from 1927 through the 1980s, and include Yorkshire sows and boars, as well as market hogs. Sheep are depicted throughout the twentieth century. While most sheep photos are of shows and sales, there are some photos of sheep-shearing contests taken in the 1950s.
POULTRY AND EGGS
Poultry photos date between the 1950s and the 1970s. Featured are both chickens and game birds. Pictures of egg shows and competitions date from 1966 through the 1980s.
EXHIBITS
There are four types of exhibit photos: commercial, award, seed, and Baby Fair. Commercial exhibits date from the 1940s through the 1980s. They feature agricultural implements made by Ford, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, and Case. Photos dating from the 1970s depict commercial booths owned by such companies as Badger and Sprayer Monitor.
Award exhibits date throughout the twentieth century, and feature ribbons, plaques, and trophies. Placed on tables, these awards are mostly for winners in horse and livestock competitions.
Seed exhibits date from the 1950s through the 1970s. Included in the seed exhibit pictures are prize-winning wheat, potato, and canola seed pictures.
Baby Fair, or petting zoo, photos comprise a large portion of the graphic records of MG 2. Dating primarily from the 1970s, Baby Fair pictures depict chicks, pups, lambs, piglets, and other baby animals.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Most of the youth activities’ photos are of calf and pig scrambles, and date from the 1950s through the 1980s. 4-H Club activities are prominent, and include pictures of boys and male teens learning how to show and judge livestock and seed. Depicted also are fashion shows put on by female 4-H members. Finally, pictures of a hula-hoop competition dating from the 1950s are notable.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment graphics date from the 1950s through the 1980s, and include ceremonies, rodeos, parades, and contests. Pictures of ceremonies depict the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Fair. Featured in these photos are winners of horse events, pipe and drum bands, and dignitaries giving speeches.
Rodeo pictures date only from the 1970s. Featured are men riding bucking broncos and cattle round-ups.
Parade photos, which date throughout the twentieth century, depict floats, six-horse teams pulling wagons, people riding horses, club entries—such as the Lions’ Club and the Neat and Nifty Sewing Club, and marching bands.
Contest pictures include fiddling competitions and dog shows. The Winter Fair Board sponsored fiddling contests sporadically, and photos of such contests date from the 1950s through the 1970s. Dog show pictures also appear intermittently in the records, such as the Mutt Show photos of the 1950s.
DIGNITARIES
Photos of dignitaries, which date throughout the twentieth century, are mostly of men. Depicted both individually and severally are members of Winter Fair Boards, municipal and provincial politicians, and local professional and business representatives. In these pictures they are usually giving speeches, signing documents, and holding meetings. Notable are the pictures of members of associations that held meetings at the winter fairs, including the Cattle Breeders Association (1960s).
The graphic materials of RG2SF2 are useful for many purposes. For one, they offer a rich visual history of the Winter Fair. From these pictures, one can ascertain the ways in which the fair has changed and expanded throughout the twentieth century. By viewing the photos of newly built buildings, for instance, one can determine that the fair expanded in size over the years.
Also valuable is the history of western Canadian agriculture that is contained in these pictures. Over the years, the types of exhibits changed at the winter fair, thus indicating the changing nature of farming. Photos of cattle, for example, reflect the changes in types of breeds raised in the west. Exotics like Simmental only appear after the late 1960s, thus indicating that this breed began to flourish in western Canada only in the second half of the twentieth century.
The number of people contained in these pictures is formidable, and the pictures of people are valuable in many ways. By studying the pictures of dignitaries associated with the fair, one can determine who the leading agricultural personalities were over the twentieth century in Brandon. As well, the photos of exhibitors offer a wide cross section of the rural residents of southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. From the pictures of exhibitors, one can establish who were the farmers and ranchers of this region, where they lived, and in what field they specialized.
The photographs of the Winter Fair, then, are valuable for many researchers. Not only do they offer a rich history of the fair, but they also offer a vivid history of the people and agriculture of southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
Notes
Item-level descriptions of the graphics of RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located on a searchable database. This database is entitled “Brandon Photographs” and can be read using Microsoft Access. “Brandon Photographs” is located on a 3½ floppy disk entitled “Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds Series 9” included in this finding aid. The description of each photograph on this database includes the following information: accession number, title, date, place, physical description, scope and content, notes, creator, and copyright. By searching the database, individual photographs can be located easily. Detailed instructions on how to use the database are located in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF2 Manitoba Winter Fair
Related Material
Pictures of the Winter Fair may also be found on the National Archives of Canada website. The Western Canadian Pictorial Index in Winnipeg, Manitoba, houses additional graphic records of the Winter Fair.
Arrangement
Graphics for RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located in boxes. Graphics larger than 24 x 35 cm are located in the image mapcase, which is located in the reading room. The graphics are filed chronologically by accession number. The arrangement is as follows:
Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds; RG2SF1-RG2SF4; Series 9
Boxes 1 through 15, as follows:
Box 1 EX0001 to EX0125
Box 2 EX0157 to EX0263
Box 3 EX0265 to EX0399
Box 4 EX0400 to EX0499
Box 5 EX0500 to EX0599
Box 6 EX0600 to EX0699
Box 7 EX0700 to EX0799
Box 8 EX0800 to EX0899
Box 9 EX0900 to EX0921
Box 10 EX1000 to EX1099
Box 11 EX1100 to EX1199
Box 12 EX1200 to EX1299
Box 13 EX1300 to EX1399
Box 14 EX1400 to EX1499
Box 15 EX1549 to EX1859
Members of the Provincial Exhibition Board and the Winter Fair
Board created most of the records in this series. The other records were created by R. M. Coleman, Free Lance Photographer, Brandon, Manitoba; Jack DeLorme Photography Limited, Calgary, Alberta; Farmer and Stockman; and Jerrett’s Photo, Brandon, Manitoba.
Custodial History
These records were housed at the PEA offices until ca. 1986, when
on a continuing basis they were transferred to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Series consists of black and white graphics that did not fit easily into Series 1.9, 2.9, or 3.9. Some of the graphics in this series pertain to all three of the fairs; others were placed in this series because it is impossible to determine to which fair they pertain.
Two subject areas comprise this series: animals and dignitaries. Animals represented in this series are horses and cattle. Included are depictions of a man shoeing a horse, an advertisement for a studhorse, and steer shows and sales. Dignitaries represented in this series are men who served on both the Provincial Exhibition Board and the Winter Fair Board.
Notes
Item-level descriptions of the graphics of RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located on a searchable database. This database is entitled “Brandon Photographs” and can be read using Microsoft Access. “Brandon Photographs” is located on a 3½ floppy disk entitled “Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds Series 9” included in this finding aid. The description of each photograph on this database includes the following information: accession number, title, date, place, physical description, scope and content, notes, creator, and copyright. By searching the database, individual photographs can be located easily. Instruction on how to use the database are in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF4 Miscellaneous
Arrangement
Graphics for RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located in boxes. Graphics larger than 24 x 35 cm are located in the image mapcase, which is located in the reading room. The graphics are filed chronologically by accession number. The arrangement is as follows:
Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds; RG2SF1-RG2SF4; Series 9
Boxes 1 through 15, as follows:
Box 1 EX0001 to EX0125
Box 2 EX0157 to EX0263
Box 3 EX0265 to EX0399
Box 4 EX0400 to EX0499
Box 5 EX0500 to EX0599
Box 6 EX0600 to EX0699
Box 7 EX0700 to EX0799
Box 8 EX0800 to EX0899
Box 9 EX0900 to EX0921
Box 10 EX1000 to EX1099
Box 11 EX1100 to EX1199
Box 12 EX1200 to EX1299
Box 13 EX1300 to EX1399
Box 14 EX1400 to EX1499
Box 15 EX1549 to EX1859
Located south of Stanley Park along the 1400 block of Lorne Avenue, Park School was constructed in 1904. Designed by W.A. Elliot and built by the Brandon Construction Company the structure measured 71 x 107 feet and cost approximately $38,000.
The school featured a principal’s office, reception room, staff rooms, an assembly hall for eight hundred, and ten class rooms. The interior walls were lined with mahogany while the floors were made of western pine. The interior of the basement was constructed from Tyndall stone, while Crookston brick trimmed with Bedford stone made up the exterior.
The building was razed in September 1978. Hobbes Manor was built on the location.
Scope and Content
Item is a postcard showing Park School in Brandon, MB.
Princess Anne visited Brandon for seven hours on July 15, 1982. Her visit was covered in the July 16, 1982 issue of The Brandon Sun.
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph of Princess Anne's welcome at City Hall. The event was attended by a crowd of 1500 and most of Brandon's dignitaries. The Princes is standing on a small platform on the west side of 9th Street facing spectators and the honor guard from CFB Shilo. A Canadian flag is in the foreground and Mayor Ken Burgess is standing to her right. A number of individuals are standing on the steps behind her.
Notes
The Brandon Sun includes a photograph of this same even taken from the opposite side of the street and from a wider angle.
Many of these records were donated to the Board by exhibitors and participants in the fairs. Some are advertisements sent to the Provincial Exhibition Board by businesses such as Conklin Shows. Professional photographers, who were likely hired by the Board, generated others. As well, Brandon Sun photographers took a large number of the photos throughout the century. In the 1980s, the Sun photos were reprinted and then the reprints were added to the Exhibition’s collection. Privately owned photos were also reprinted and added. Publishing houses generated some photographs, probably as services to participants and organizers of the fairs. Finally, the Canadian and Manitoba governments created a few of the photos.
Custodial History
Exhibitors and participants in activities at the summer fair donated many of these records to the Provincial Exhibition Board. The Manitoba Provincial Archives in Winnipeg housed other records, of which the McKee Archives acquired copies. Most of the records were stored in the offices of the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba until they were brought to the McKee Archives ca. 1986.
Scope and Content
Series consists primarily of black and white photographs pertaining to the Provincial Exhibition. Subjects of the records vary over the century, but overall subjects included are buildings and grounds, horses, livestock, exhibits, youth activities, entertainment, and dignitaries. Almost all of the materials are in excellent condition.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
The graphics that depict the buildings and grounds of the summer fair are both ground and aerial photos. From the records generated between 1900 and 1930, there are pictures of the Crystal Palace, the Wheat City Arena, the Experimental Farm, the horse barns, the racetrack, and the grandstand. The pictures dating from the forties through the sixties are of the racetrack, the grandstand, the Provincial Display Building, the Trade Fair Building, and the Main Gate. The records from the 1970s and the 1980s feature the Keystone Centre, cattle buildings, and horse stables.
HORSES
Graphics from the 1890s through the 1980s feature various light and heavy horses, from single horses to eight-horse teams. Pictures dating from the first fifty years of the fair are of stallion and purebred shows. Also depicted are racing events such as chuck wagon, bike, and single rider races. Graphics of equestrian events like jumping and hackney classes date from World War II until the 1980s. Dating from the fifties to the seventies are photos of children's events like costume classes and pony competitions. Finally, pictures of barrel racing and horse pulling competitions date from the 1970s and 1980s.
LIVESTOCK
Livestock photos, which date throughout the twentieth century, are mostly of cattle and swine, but there are a few pictures of buffalo and sheep. Cattle photos depict purebreds such as Holstein, Jersey, Hereford, and Angus. Swine pictures are of Yorkshire sows and boars, as well as of market hogs.
POULTRY AND EGGS
Graphics depicting poultry and egg shows date between 1950 and 1985.
EXHIBITS
Photos of exhibits taken throughout the century feature home-craft displays such as clothes and quilts. Tack rooms, farm implement shows, and club displays, like those of the Brandon Lion's Club, are also consistent throughout the period. Other graphics of exhibits are particular to certain years: in the late 1940s through the 1950s auto shows are featured; and from the fifties to the eighties commercial exhibits are prominent.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Graphics of children and teens' activities form a large part of MG 1. From the 1920s and 1930s, there are pictures of boys and teens who attended the Farm Boys' Camp. Photos taken at the Agricultural and Homemaking School in the late 1940s and early 1950s depict male teens learning about mechanics, welding, and electricity. Photos of female teens at the camp depict weaving, sewing, and cooking classes. In the records dating from 1957 to the 1980s, photos feature both pig and calf scrambles. As well, some pictures are of male teens participating in seed, poultry, and judging courses. Photos of female teens during these years show them participating in such activities as clothes-making, 4-H Queen contests, and fashion shows.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment pictures include graphics of the midway, the carnival and travelling acts, parades, and miscellaneous events. Pictures of the midway are both aerial and ground photos, and date from 1913 to the 1970s. Ferris wheels and carousels are the main rides featured until the 1960s, after which many motorized rides like the Wild Mouse and the Tidal Wave are prominent.
Carnival pictures throughout the century include shots of aisles along which several attractions are set up. Photos of clowns and other costumed people are numerous. Graphics of travelling acts depict parachutists (1920s), follies (1950s), exotic dancers (1950s), trained animals (1950s-1970s), singers and bands (1970s-1980s), and trapeze artists (1970s).
Parade photos date throughout the century, and feature pipers, horses pulling carriages, people riding horses, clowns, soldiers, floats, and members of various clubs.
Miscellaneous events graphics include pictures of horseshoe throwing competitions, square dancing shows (1950s), fiddling contests (1970s), smash-up derbies (1980s), and tractor pulls (1980s).
FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE
There are seven photos of First Nations people at the summer fair. In all but one of the pictures, they are in traditional costume. Depicted are pow-wows, parades, a female teen sewing a mukluk, and tee-pees. These records date from 1914 to 1969.
DIGNITARIES
Pictures of dignitaries are of members of the Provincial Exhibition committees and boards; federal, provincial, and municipal politicians who attended the summer fair; and various business, medical, and judicial representatives. Especially notable are the group photos of the Board of Directors for the years 1894, 1900, 1941, 1949, 1951, 1952, and 1968.
The graphic materials of RG2SF1 are useful for many purposes. For one, they offer a rich visual history of the fair. Agricultural historians will find poultry, horse, livestock, horticultural, and farm implement images informative. Such images describe how farming has changed through the last century. The records offer many clues into the cultural history of Brandon and surrounding area. The nature of the carnival, for instance, changes. At the turn of the century, attractions of various booths were not advertised overtly; one had to pay before they were given hints as to what they were going to view. By the Second World War, however, attractions’ exteriors were more garish. Because the carnival was more open in its advertisements, one can determine that the boundaries between the private and public shifted in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
The pictorial history of the exhibits at the fair reveals much about the city’s culture. The pictures from the post-World War II era, for example, are indicative of the period’s climate of consumerism: a commercial display building was built and commercial exhibits were added to the displays of the fair. Also signified in the postwar photos is the emphasis upon family values that pervaded the fifties; for instance displays of home-crafts became prominent in these years.
Social historians will find in these records a vibrant portrait of the social composition of twentieth-century Brandon. The community’s leaders, for example, are represented in the pictures of the Boards of Directors. From these photos, one can ascertain the social characteristics of Board members: white, male, and middle class. Parade photos are also indicative of social composition, as organizations from all classes of society participated in parades. Agricultural clubs, unions, women’s organizations, and church groups are just a few of the entries featured in the parade pictures.
Historians of gender will find that throughout the fairs’ years definitions of femininity changed. In the early fairs, women are shown in their booths at home shows, demonstrating their association with the private sphere. During the Second World War, some photos start to appear of women doing secretarial work. After World War II, however, gender norms constricted. Pictures of female teens taking classes at the Agricultural and Homemaking School depict them learning about how to run a well maintained home: they learn about sewing, cooking, and weaving. In the seventies, gender boundaries again shifted: for example, female teens began to participate in the previously male-only calf scramble events.
Finally, these records are useful for any historian of Brandon and area history. There are thousands of people from the region featured in these records. Different places and buildings in Brandon are also a prominent part of the collection. Together, the pictures of RG2SF1 offer a vivid history of both Brandon and the Provincial Exhibition.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF1 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
Related Material
Pictures of the Provincial Exhibition may also be found on the National Archives of Canada website. The Western Canadian Pictorial Index in Winnipeg, Manitoba, houses additional graphic records of the summer fair.
Arrangement
Item-level descriptions of the graphics of RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located on a
searchable database. This database is entitled “Brandon Photographs” and can be read using Microsoft Access. “Brandon Photographs” is located on a 3½ floppy disk entitled “Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds Series 9” included in this finding aid. The description of each photograph on this database includes the following information: accession number, title, date, place, physical description, scope and content, notes, creator, and copyright. By searching the database, individual photographs can be located easily. See the printed finding aid for instructions on how to use the photograph database.
Graphics for RG2SF1 through RG2SF4 are located in boxes. Graphics larger than 24 x 35 cm are located in the image mapcase, which is located in the reading room. The graphics are filed chronologically by accession number. The arrangement is as follows:
Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds; RG2SF1-RG2SF4, Series 9
Boxes 1 through 15, as follows:
Box 1 EX0001 to EX0125
Box 2 EX0157 to EX0263
Box 3 EX0265 to EX0399
Box 4 EX0400 to EX0499
Box 5 EX0500 to EX0599
Box 6 EX0600 to EX0699
Box 7 EX0700 to EX0799
Box 8 EX0800 to EX0899
Box 9 EX0900 to EX0921
Box 10 EX1000 to EX1099
Box 11 EX1100 to EX1199
Box 12 EX1200 to EX1299
Box 13 EX1300 to EX1399
Box 14 EX1400 to EX1499
Box 15 EX1549 to EX1859
Alfred Walter Pryce was born in England c. 1880. He emigrated from England in 1903 and was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway, likely in Manitoba. His wife, Kate Louisa Buchan, was older than her husband. She was born in England c. 1873. They were married in England? and she followed her husband to Canada in 1904. Alma Jane Pryce was born June 24, 1905 and Herbert Walter Pryce was born May 12, 1907 in [Elton] Manitoba. In autumn 1911, the Pryce family returned to England for a Christmas visit. They sailed from Halifax on the Empress of Britain and arrived in Liverpool on December 9, 1911. The family returned to Canada on the Empress of Ireland from Liverpool in early 1912, landing at St. John, New Brunswick.
Alfred Walter Pryce died in Brandon, MB on January 31, 1922. Kate Pryce died in Winnipeg, MB on March 18, 1938.
Custodial History
Donated to the McKee Archives by Jennifer L. Bunting in November 2013.
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of Alma and Herbert Pryce, The Railway Foreman's children, taken June 1911 in Kenora, ON. Writing on the back reads: To Granfather with Love from Herbert and Alma. Alma Jane Pryce Age 6 years. Herbert Walter Pryce Age 3 years 5 months. Keonra, Ont. Canada. June 1911.
Notes
History/Bio information provided by Jennifer Bunting. Additional information is available in the custodial file.
Very poor. Item has been broken in half on a diagonal from top to botton. Upper right corner is missing. Various tape stains and some tape residue on the bottom left.
History / Biographical
Lottie Louisa Currie was born on September 9, 1876 in St. Mary's, Perth, ON, to William and Eleanor Currie. She came to the Brandon area with her family in the 1880s. Currie worked as a bookkeeper and stenographer for Smith & Burton, from at least 1906 until the business ceased operations in 1917.
Currie continued working in bookkeeping and accounts, first for Brandon Gas & Power Co., then for the Manitoba Power Commission. She appears to have retired around 1942. She is not listed as living in Brandon between 1943-1945, but was once again a resident by 1947. Currie was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, a charter member of the Brandon Business and Professional Women's Club and in 1916, she passed her examinations for the St. John's Ambulance Association.
Lottie Louisa Currie died on November 25, 1972 in Brandon, MB.
Smith & Burton, a grocery store that also had mail order and china departments, was founded by E.B. Smith and John Burton in the 1886. It was housed at a few locations in downtown Brandon; their location at 829 Rosser Avenue is the one that mostly likely appears in the photograph.
Scope and Content
Item is a portrait of office employees at Smith & Burton, grocers. Lottie Currie, daughter of William Currie, is shown standing on the left.
