According to the Canadian Old-time Radio Alliance website, the Happy Gang radio show was established by Bert Pearl for the CBC in 1937. The show remained on the air until 1959. Colgate Palmolive was the radio show's first sponsor. Other sponsors included Carnation Milk, Mills' Flower, and Red Rose.
Custodial History
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from Lillie S. Wilkins of Killarney, MB
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a group portrait of the "The Happy Gang" family. The promotional photograph was produced for the 143rd anniversary of the Colgate-Palmolive company.
Notes
Members of the Happy Gang are identified on the back of the photograph along with "a message" from Bert Pearl, the M.C. for the Happy Gang. Date of photograph determined from Colgate-Palmolive company history.
Frank Pimentel exhibited his works in numerous galleries in Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The artist is a recipient of many Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council Awards. His work is included in the collections of Canadian Art Bank, National Library of Canada, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. (Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba)
Description
From 'Excerpts from a conversation with Frank Pimentel': "There are people I've photographed consistently over the years. They look a little different - they've changed. You can see something that's happened over time, and I almost have a series of certain people because I've photographed them so much..I think the restaurant is a place that hasn't been able to keep up with the way the world has changed, like at a certain point the people decided that it was time to give up. When I look at the work that I've done it makes sense that I've left the gaps that I have because I'm trying to say something about the place and the people, that the place itself relates to these people and the objects there just seem to - I guess the word is pathetic - they're worn. I get a sense that the people have given up and they are just going through time and they're not going to get any better.." (from Photo Communiqué).
Dimensions
31 X 31 cm
Size Overall
52.5 X 51.5 cm
Medium
Limited edition portfolio of 70 Ektacolor photographs