Mrs. Hilda Rosa Osmond (nee Bridgeman) was born in Hampshire, England in 1888 to parents Edwin Samuel Bridgeman (b.16 Jul 1852; d. 19 June 1922, Brandon) and Rosa Holkham (b. 26 Mar 1859; d. 27 May 1927, Brandon). Edwin was a sailor and Rosa was a dressmaker.
Following the death of her brother Edwin Frederick Bridgeman (1886-1890), the family immigrated to Canada in 1891. The Bridgeman's took the train to Griswold, Manitoba, and settled near Edwin's brother, Albert Bridgeman, and together they farmed the N 1/2 of 36-12-23. The Bridgeman's had three more children, Ellen Grace (b. 27 Jan 1893; d. 22 Feb 1893), Harry Volantine/Valentine (b. 14 Feb 1894), and Charlie Cuthbert (b. 03 Aug 1896; d. 25 Aug 1901). Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bridgeman retired in 1913 and moved to Brandon where they lived until their respective deaths. The couple are interred in the Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Hilda married William Arthur Osmond (b. 1867; d. 26 Oct 1943) of Baisingstoke, England, on 31 Jan 1913. They had a daughter Nellie who later married Glen Mossey. The family continued to farm the property on section 36.
Hilda Rosa Osmond passed away in 1980 at the age of 91. She is interred in the Greenwood Cemetery near Harding, Manitoba, where her husband and siblings also rest.
(Sources: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013 [online]; Findagrave.com; Harding History Committee, Home to Harding 1879-1981 (Brandon: Leech Printing, 1981; Manitoba Vital Statistics Database)
Custodial History
Photograph given to Fred McGuinness by Burton Strange of Kenton, 25 Nov 1974
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Mrs. Osmond and her dog in front of her tractor that she purchased in 1947.
Notes
Label accompanying photograph reads: Mrs. Osmond tractor & her 26 year old tractor
A typed label has been taped to the back of the photograph. Back of photograph has yellowed. No other degredation observed. ST/2016
Custodial History
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from the Winnipeg Free Press Photo Department
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a platform party in front of the Westman Centennial Auditorium. At the microphone is Mayor Ken Burgess. Seated on the mayor's left is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to his right Lorne Watson. The party may have been assembled for the founding of the Brandon University School of Music's Queen Elizabeth II building.
Notes
Photograph was collected during the research phase of the monograph "Manitoba: The Province & The People" (1987) written by Fred McGuinness and Ken Coates.
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Ab Gowanlock 85 years old of Dauphin, two-time winner of the Brier (once in 1938 at Toronto and once in Sudbury in 1953) at the wheel of a Rumley Oil Pull tractor during the Thursday afternoon parade of steam and oil and gas tractors. Mr. Gowanlock is not a newcomer to threshing as he was involved with it on a regular basis from 1916 to 1947. dirk...shot directly into sun and was hard to print...
Emulsive side of image has residue and mock-up lines. A typed label has been taped to the back of the photograph. Back of photograph has yellowed. No other degredation observed. ST/2016
Custodial History
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from the Winnipeg Free Press Photo Department
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a steam tractor on display at the Austin, Manitoba's Threshermen's Reunion.
Notes
Photograph was collected during the research phase of the monograph "Manitoba: The Province & The People" (1987) written by Fred McGuinness and Ken Coates.
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Kevin Milne and Makinak and Gordon Down of Winnipeg chugging up a storm at Austin Thursday. Dirk Aberson for Greg McComb. 1985
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from the Winnipeg Free Press Photo Department
Scope and Content
Photograph shows historic tractors on display at the Austin, Manitoba's Threshermen's Reunion. The tractors are parading on an outdoor track before a packed grandstand.
Notes
Photograph was collected during the research phase of the monograph "Manitoba: The Province & The People" (1987) written by Fred McGuinness and Ken Coates.
Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Austin Parade Thursday, July 27/79
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from the Winnipeg Free Press Photo Department
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a small steam engine to which a tug of rope is affixed. Seven young boys are pulling counter to the engine as an engine operator makes adjustment. Bemused spectators look on.
Notes
Photograph was collected during the research phase of the monograph "Manitoba: The Province & The People" (1987) written by Fred McGuinness and Ken Coates.
Writing on the label filed with the photograph reads: A miniature case steam engine gets an unexpected load as a group of boys try to haul it to a stop during the Thursday afternoon parade. dirk. 19/82
Fred McGuinness is popularly known for his work as the prairie essayist for CBC Radio’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski, a position he held for 17 years. Many of McGuinness’ Morningside essays were autobiographical in nature. He often reported about life on Christmas Tree Farm, a section of land where he and his wife, Christine, built their dream home in the late 1970s. The couple planted a Christmas tree farm on the property and Christine maintained an extensive kitchen garden, while Fred tended honey bees. Life on the farm made its way into radiobroadcasts, Neighborly News columns, and the book "Letters from Section 17: A Collection of Morningside Essays" (Winnipeg: Great Plains Publishing, 1999).
Scope and Content
Set consists of 13 negatives showing work being conducted on the McGuinness property, Christmas Tree Farm, Section 17. The first 12 negatives show the McGuinness family planting with their tractor and the last negative shows a woman working on a swimming pool liner.
Notes
McGuinness drafted a manuscript, titled "Hole in the Ground," about the family pool on Section 17. It was one manuscript McGuinness was re-tooling before he passed away in 2011.
Mrs. Hilda Rosa Osmond (nee Bridgeman) was born in Hampshire, England in 1888 to parents Edwin Samuel Bridgeman (b.16 Jul 1852; d. 19 June 1922, Brandon) and Rosa Holkham (b. 26 Mar 1859; d. 27 May 1927, Brandon). Edwin was a sailor and Rosa was a dressmaker.
Following the death of her brother Edwin Frederick Bridgeman (1886-1890), the family immigrated to Canada in 1891. The Bridgeman's took the train to Griswold, Manitoba, and settled near Edwin's brother, Albert Bridgeman, and together they farmed the N 1/2 of 36-12-23. The Bridgeman's had three more children, Ellen Grace (b. 27 Jan 1893; d. 22 Feb 1893), Harry Volantine/Valentine (b. 14 Feb 1894), and Charlie Cuthbert (b. 03 Aug 1896; d. 25 Aug 1901). Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bridgeman retired in 1913 and moved to Brandon where they lived until their respective deaths. The couple are interred in the Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Hilda married William Arthur Osmond (b. 1867; d. 26 Oct 1943) of Baisingstoke, England, on 31 Jan 1913. They had a daughter Nellie who later married Glen Mossey. The family continued to farm the property on section 36.
Hilda Rosa Osmond passed away in 1980 at the age of 91. She is interred in the Greenwood Cemetery near Harding, Manitoba, where her husband and siblings also rest.
(Sources: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013 [online]; Findagrave.com; Harding History Committee, Home to Harding 1879-1981 (Brandon: Leech Printing, 1981; Manitoba Vital Statistics Database)
Custodial History
Photograph given to Fred McGuinness by Burton Strange of Kenton, 25 Nov 1974
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Mrs. Osmond and her dog in front of her tractor that she purchased in 1947.
Notes
Label accompanying photograph reads: Mrs. Osmond tractor & dog
Photograph shows a group of four men standing on a platform at the entrance of the Dominion Express Company. William Frederick McGuinness stands on the left.
Photograph shows Mr. Blight standing on a hay wagon while he feeds the threshing machine. Lance Blight is standing in the foreground.
Notes
Writing on back of photograph reads: 3 prints [20-2009.153 to 20-2009.155]. Threshing at Blight's farm Willow Creek at Chater. Lance Blight of [sic] front his father on the rack. 1925.
Photograph shows exterior views of five Brandon churches: Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church, St. Matthew's Church, Catholic Church and Monastery, and Methodist Church.
Notes
Part of "Christie's Brandon Series of Six Colored Picture Postcards of Brandon, Manitoba, The Crown Series, Published by Christie's Bookstore, Brandon, Man." [note: missing sixth postcard]. Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church Brandon Man., St. Matthew's Church, Catholic Church and Monastery, Methodist Church.
Photograph shows a southwestern view of Clark Hall and the Brandon College Original Building. The Citizen Science Building is absent from the campus grounds.
Notes
Part of "Souvenir of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada [viewbook], Printed by Photogelatine Engraving Co. Limited, Ottawa." Dates obtained from the Burchill's Music Store Henderson's Brandon City Directory listings (1927-1929). Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Brandon College, Brandon, Man.
Photograph shows two separate views. One is of the main entrance of (Old) City Hall on Princess Avenue. The other view shows the ediface of the YMCA building as well as the adjacent St. Paul's United and First United Churches on 8th Street.
Notes
Part of "Souvenir of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada [viewbook], Printed by Photogelatine Engraving Co. Limited, Ottawa." Dates obtained from the Burchill's Music Store Henderson's Brandon City Directory listings (1927-1929). Writing on the front of the photograph reads: City Hall - Brandon, Man; YMCA, St. Paul's United & First Church United, Brandon, Man.
Photograph was given to Fred McGuinness by Linda Bilkoski (nee Lepard) of Lac du Bonnet, MB.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the remains of the Syndicate Block after the fire in January 1916. The building is situated on the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Rosser Avenue. Ice from the firefighting process covers the building. The tailor shop J.S. Laughton & Son (701 Rosser Avenue) can be seen on the north side of Rosser Avenue.
Erected in 1889, on the southeast corner of Rosser Avenue and 7th Street at 806 Rosser Avenue, this block was designed by Brandon architect W.H. Shillinglaw. At the time of its construction the structure housed the Nation & Shewan Department Store, one of Brandon’s largest and most successful drygoods businesses, owned and operated by Fred Nation and Alexander Shewan.
Major improvements were made to the store and an annex was added in 1910. Some of the renovation additions included, but were not limited to, an updated frontage with new copper sash windows and prismatic glass tops, plate glass windows, new fixtures and carpet. With the renovations the floor space of the business was to be almost doubled. The stock of the business also increased, with the Brandon Weekly Sun reporting that when finished, Nation & Shewan would be a “store of which the citizens of Brandon will be justly proud.” The drygoods firm operated until Nation’s death 1926, when it became known as A. Shewan Limited. From 1933 to 1944, the business was known as Shewan and Son. Shortly thereafter, the Metroplitan Stores Ltd began operating out of the Nation & Shewan Block.
In 2000, the Town Centre prepared to knock down the Red Apple Building, formerly the Nation & Shewan Block. The demolition was to make way for the new atrium and entrance for the mall, and begin a new period of redevelopment at the downtown shopping centre.
[History/Bio written by Christy Henry (SJ McKee Archives) and Eileen Trott (Daly House Museum), researched by Morganna Maylon, for 2015 photographic exhibition "Gowen's Brandon: Then and Now".]
Custodial History
Photograph was given to Fred McGuinness by Linda Bilkoski (nee Lepard) of Lac du Bonnet, MB.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a display of women's clothing and accessories in the window at Nation & Shewan. A sign reads: 1914 Spring Opening commences on Wednesday March 25th.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Mrs. E. Harden, 33-10th St., City. According to the Henderson's Brandon City Directories, Catharine "Kate" Harden (nee Chalmers) worked as a cashier at Nation & Shewan from 1913 to 1914.
Some damage to matting, especially on the back. Photograph is good. There are two brads in the matting (one on the left edge, one on the right edge). The brads are connected to a (broken) red ribbon likely used to hang the photograph.
Custodial History
Kay Sullivan gave the photograph to Fred McGuinness in August 2007.
Scope and Content
Photograph was taken from the riverbank and shows the steel bridge in Souris, MB. A second wooden bridge is visible behind the steel bridge. The residence of Dr. W.A. Sherrin can be seen to the right of the bridges.
Notes
Dr. Sherrin's residence was identified using the Illustrated Souvenir of Souris, Manitoba (p. 38).
Postcard is of buildings at Brandon University, including Clark Hall and the Original Building prior to the renovations, McMasater Hall, and the Q.E.II School of Music building.
Notes
Writing on the front of the postcard reads: Brandon University. Back of the postcard reads: (Top Left) Brandon University original building (Administration Center.), Bottom Left) Queen Elizabeth II Music Building, (Right) McMaster Hall Residence; Photo by Sandy Black; Printed in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, by Leech Printing Ltd.
Photograph shows two women at a tractor. One is cranking the engine, the other is seated at the wheel.
Notes
Writing on back of photograph reads: "Threshing. Blights Farm Willow Creek at Chater. My mother at crank. Now over 90 living at 403-12th Street. G. Baldock 1971. 1925."
According to G.F. Barker (Brandon: A City, 1977, 291), William (Billy) Muir worked at Coombs & Stewart's on Pacific Avenue until he opened his own grocery store in 1888. The shop was located at 143-6th Street, Brandon, and was demolished for a parking lot in 1952.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the "Wm. Muir General Grocer" building on 6th Street. Two men pose in the doorway of the store. The man on the left is likely William Muir. Barrels are lined on the boardwalk in front of the store. Apples and mason jars can be seen in the shop's windows.
Notes
Front of photograph reads: Sixth Street between Rosser - Princess. Back of photograph reads: Billy Muir's Store, 143 6th Street Brandon - 57 years in business in this location. An address label affixed to the back of the mat reads: Mrs. James Strath, Box 421, Souris, Man.
Photograph shows the midway at the 1913 Dominion Fair. Attractions include California Orange Juice stand and Patterson's Animal Trainer Show. The Dominion Exhibition Display Building II can be seen in the background.
Notes
Photograph appears to be a part of a sequence of photographs, see 20-2009.30 to 20-2009.40