January 2016 – Newsletter No. 248
Editor: Peggy MacLeod, 213 Grant Avenue, Hamilton ON L8N 2X9
E-mail: [email protected].
PLEASE NOTE THE SPECIAL TIME AND LOCATION
OF THE JANUARY MEETING!!!
Please plan to attend our annual dinner at the Mandarin Restaurant in Burlington. The cost of the
buffet is $23.99, plus beverages, taxes, and gratuities. There is a 20% seniors’ discount for those who
qualify (65 or older with ID). Please advise if you’ll be attending and provide the number in your
party if you’re bringing guests. Send an e-mail to [email protected] or reach Jon at 905-3885840 or by e-mail to [email protected] or Peggy at 905-521-3052 or e-mail to [email protected]. If the
machine responding at Peggy’s number mentions doctors’ appointments, furnaces and air conditioners,
go ahead and leave a message – it’s the right number.
Date, time, reservation:
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
A reservation, has been made for 6:30 p.m.
under the name of the “Golden Horseshoe Post Card Club”.
Location:
The Mandarin Restaurant
1881 Fairview Street (at Brant)
Burlington ON L7S 2K4
Directions:
From Hamilton/Ancaster: 403 Toronto, exit at Brant St. Turn right on Brant St. Turn right on Fairview St.
The Mandarin is on the right.
From Stoney Creek/St. Catharines/Niagara Falls: QEW Toronto, exit at Fairview (East). Turn right on
Fairview. The Mandarin is on the left.
From Oakville/Toronto: QEW, exit at Brant St. (Left). Turn left on Brant. The Mandarin is on the right.
Agenda for the Meeting of Wednesday, January 27, 2016
We’ll ring in the new Post Card Club year with good food and good company! Bring your appetites.
We may be there for a while! There will be no formal meeting – just dinner and conversation.
Location and Dates of Upcoming Meetings:
For the foreseeable future, we’ll meet in the community room at Fortinos in Burlington, which has been
booked for our meetings until September 2016. If you have a suggestion for another possible meeting
room, please put it forward at a club meeting or contact one of the executive.
Meeting dates until the summer break are February 26, March 26, April 23, May 28 and June 25.
Shows! Shows! Shows!
Please check the web site (www.ghpcc.ca) for show listings, or see the paper listing enclosed with the
newsletter if you still receive the almost-monthly missive via Canada Post. Don’t forget the Toronto
Postcard Club’s Annual Show and Sale on Sunday, February 21.
Are You Able to Help? Do You Have an Image of Richard Hatt, Founder of Dundas In Your
Collection?
The following e-mail was received through the general mail address on the club web site, asking for help
locating a portrait of Richard Hatt. If you have such an item in your collection, the family would be very
grateful if you would share it with them. Please read the e-mail which has been included here.
From: "Rick Hatt" <[email protected]>
Date: January 12, 2016 at 13:06:29 EST
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Comment or Question for Golden Horseshoe Post Card Club ( www.GHPCC.ca )
I have been sending e-mails and letters to ALL Groups and Businesses that may be able to help
us.
The Family of Richard Hatt II is planning a re-dedication of the newly discovered Cooley-Hatt
Pioneer Cemetery in Ancaster, Ontario where Richard Hatt, the Founder of Dundas , was buried
in 1819. In all, 99 grave shafts were discovered on this site in 2004 and we fought a successful
fight for 15 years against the developer who wished to move these graves out of the way. We
have since signed a disposition agreement with the developer to cede these lands to the City of
Hamilton as a Pioneer Cemetery and to fence these lands.
The re-dedication is planned for May 2016 and much work needs to be done before this
celebration – signage, to register these lands as a Cemetery in Ontario and public access.
There is one item that we have never been able to solve and that is to locate a portrait of Richard
Hatt. We have portraits of his wife and family but none of him. Would you have any knowledge
of any portraits? We believe that because of his pioneering prominence, there has to be a portrait
somewhere.
He was a judge in Gore District and he was elected to the House of the Assembly in 1818 & took
his seat on February 6, 1818.
Any help / assistance that you could provide would be sincerely appreciated.
Thank you,
Richard Hatt
1 Valiant St., Box 535
Fonthill, On.,
L0S 1E0
T-905-892-6100
F-905-892-1121
e-mail: [email protected]
In Memoriam – Neil Hayne:
We were saddened by the passing of long-time post card dealer and club member Neil Hehn (Hayne) on
December 11, 2015, in Kingston, his city of residence. Neil was a friendly, helpful, soft-spoken man
who was always a pleasure to speak with. He was a fixture at our annual show and regularly booked 3
or 4 tables, until his late wife became ill a few years ago. He also sold post cards on eBay under the
name “deltiologydungeon", and sold through his own web site www.vintagepostcardscanada.com. He
kept our interests in mind when he and his wife headed south to Florida each winter. While there, he
relaxed, attended post card shows and added cards to his stock. We had hoped to see Neil return to the
post card shows, and will certainly miss him. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family.
You may view his obituary at this link: http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oid=923442
Would You Care to Make a Presentation at an Upcoming Meeting?
If so, please contact Jon Soyka to let him know the subject of your talk and to arrange the meeting date
at which you’ll present your topic. Everyone has something interesting to offer, so have a look at your
collection and share some of your favourite selections with us!
Would You Like to Contribute to the Newsletter?
If you have an article or an idea for one, and would like to contribute to the newsletter, please don’t
hesitate! Even if you have a few post card images that you think would interest and/or amuse the
membership, and don’t feel the urge to write anything about them, I'd be happy to include them. If you
have any questions about how to submit an article or some cards, just ask!
Membership Renewals
As you know, memberships run from September 1 to August 31. For most members, unless you’ve paid
several years in advance, that means that the time to pay your dues was more than 4 months ago. If you
have internet access and access to a printer, you can print a membership form from the membership page
of our web site. http://www.ghpcc.ca/Membership.htm. Click on the Membership Form link part way
down the page. If you’re not sure about your membership status, contact Peggy by e-mail at
[email protected] or by phone at 905-521-3052. The cost of an annual membership is $20.
You can pay your dues in person at a club meeting meeting, or by mail. Complete the form and send it
with your payment to the Golden Horseshoe Post Card Club, c/o 213 Grant Avenue, Hamilton ON L8N
2X9. Please make cheques out to the Golden Horseshoe Post Card Club. Do not send cash in the mail.
Spectator Article About the Club Show:
Here is a link to an article in the Spectator which appeared after the annual show. You may recognize a few
familiar faces.
http://specphotos.ca/2015/09/27/golden-horseshoe-post-card-club-show-sale/
The article includes a photograph of an advertising card for the Hamilton Coffee and Spice Co.,
featuring an artist’s rendering of a butterfly and various products that were available. The card was
priced at $1,250, and is noted here to clarify a reference in the minutes of the October meeting below.
Thanks to Sanna Sinclair who took the minutes at the October meeting and prepared them for the
newsletter.
______________________________
Minutes of the Meeting of October 28, 2015
Held at the Fortinos Community Room, Plains Road, Burlington
Number of Attendees: 6
Chaired by: Jon Soyka
Club Members in Attendance (alphabetically):
Alan Hebb, Bill Nancekivell, Ron Sinclair, Sanna Sinclair, Jon Soyka, Ross Taylor.
We were a small group, due in part to the nasty weather. We had a discussion about declining attendance at our
meetings. Any ideas on how to encourage more members to join us each month would be welcomed.
Jon opened with a recap of the September Show and Sale. This year saw the largest dealer turnout with 25
dealers at 33 tables. We were featured in the Spectator, but unfortunately not until the following Monday. Jon
had photos that were taken of the show.
One of the highlights was the expensive "Butterfly Card" that drew lots of attention.
One new member signed up.
Jon advised that membership to the Hamilton Wentworth Heritage Association was paid ($20/year). Included in
the membership is a table at events including the City of Hamilton Heritage Week.
We enjoyed a presentation that included a circular (grain) elevator in Niverville, Manitoba (1878) with a
connection to Ross's great grandfather, as well as a 'then and now' series from Hamilton, Sheffield and Troy.
Jon is very open to helping anyone with "file management", scanning, etc. so that hopefully we can get more of
our collections shown on a big screen so that everyone can see the postcards at the same time.
An Article from Lorne Smith:
Lorne is becoming a regular Sherlock Holmes, as you’ll read below. Thanks to Lorne for another great article.
Case Study in Forensic Deltiology
by Lorne Smith
In mid-October 1912, the Empress Theatre in Winnipeg was proud to headline a unique world famous vaudeville
act - Queen Mab and Caspar Weis. The advertisement in the Winnipeg Tribune billed the diminutive duo as “The
World’s Tiniest Comedians”. There were 3 shows daily with matinees 10¢ to 25¢; evenings 10¢ to 35¢. Patrons
were assured of “PLENTY OF SEATS –– ALWAYS”. That being said, where is this going i.e. where is the
postcard connection?
Enter Exhibit A [Figures 1 and 2], basically an unremarkable Valentine Winnipeg street scene, unstamped yet
carefully addressed. On the front [Figure 1] there is a specific date along with a reference to the Empress Theatre
followed by a scrawled signature. So what do we have here?
On North Main Street as illustrated, the Empress Theatre is located off to one side but not clearly visible unless
you were a passenger in one of the street cars depicted [thank you Andrew Cunningham]. Why the reference to
this theatre? The message on the reverse makes only an enigmatic reference to forthcoming travel. Could this
person possibly be associated with a theatre company in some capacity? We know that 1912 was Winnipeg’s
heyday on the North America stage circuit. The Empress Theatre was well known at the time for travelling
productions, especially American.
Deciphering the signature was pivotal to any further enquiries but it was not the clearest of specimens. The
clarity of the uncommon “Caspar” had potential but it carried through to a surname that looked like a nonsensical
“Aellab”. Googling that combination got me nowhere. The eventual breakthrough came by comparing the
signature on the front and back of the card. In a Eureka moment, I recognized the use of the symbol “&” instead
of what I had mis-read as an upper case letter “A”. The revelation that the writing after the & was actually a
flowery cursive “M” only became obvious after an admittedly lucky Google hit with Caspar Weis and Queen
Mab. Working backwards, I was able to recognize the signature as that of “Caspar & Mab”, confirmed by the
1912 vintage newspaper hit advertising the duo’s performances at the Empress Theatre. The addressee [Figure 2]
was the icing on the cake. Mrs. Octavia Smits was Caspar Weis’ mother-in-law and she lived in Canton,
Pennsylvania. [Presumably the postcard was delivered but by some unknown avenue other than as a “pure”
postcard.] These performers married in 1906 and had a home in Canton in which they lived until a fire destroyed
it and all of their show business memorabilia in 1951. Casper died in 1965 at the age of 92 and Queen Mab
passed away in 1973, age 89. The Queen Mab nickname has its origins in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in
reference to a fairy but by what means it became her stage name is not clear.
Further research on this midget act was nothing short of amazing. One website seems to have appropriated all the
information pertaining to these international performers [http://www.joycetice.com/articles/little.htm] who during
their careers appeared before Queen Victoria, Paul Kruger {President of South Africa}, the President of France
and the Czar of Russia to name just a few. In short, they were big in their time! And yes, there are a few cards out
there on eBay featuring the couple and their troupe [Figures 3 and 4].
So the mystery of this postcard has been solved, proving yet again what an interesting hobby deltiology can be
and reinforcing the fact that the even most benign cards can yield rewarding surprises.
Figures 1 and 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Minutes of the Meeting of November 25, 2015
Held at the Fortinos Community Room, Plains Road, Burlington
Number of Attendees: 10
Chaired by: Ron Sinclair
Club Members in Attendance (alphabetically):
Alan Hebb, Ivan Killins, Peggy MacLeod, Bill Nancekivell, Carl Schlosser, Ron Sinclair, Sanna Sinclair, Jon
Soyka, Lorne Smith, Ross Taylor.
Carl Schlosser is working on a club directory.
Ron Sinclair gave us a PowerPoint presentation about what he considers to be the most important part of his
Hamilton-Wentworth collection – Glanbrook, which was created under the Bill Davis Government by the
amalgamation of Binbrook and Glanford. The 17 cards and accompanying photographs of the buildings or sites
as they stand today, are described in order. The municipal fathers created cards of the town hall, churches and
other important buildings, and Ron is trying to collect them all.
(1) SS #3: A real photo card showed a school, SS #3 (SS stands for School Section), which has since been
converted to a residence by friends of Ron. A modern roof has replaced the old style of roof, and the bell tower is
gone.
(2) SS #6, Binbrook. A real photo card showed SS #6 in Binbrook. There was a stile over the fence. The school
yards in those days were carved out of farm properties. Today, parts of the bell tower still exist, and the brick
building is in tact. The building has been a residence for about 30 years, with a barn/storage building at the side.
The windows have been bricked in.
(3) Baptist Church, Binbrook. The next card showed a frame, brick and stone church in Binbrook, with a huge
pine tree in front. In the 1950's-1960's, the church was replaced with a brick Baptist church. The Baptist church
cemetery, which dates to the 1870's, is still there.
(4) Methodist Church and Parsonage, Binbrook,1906. This card belonged to Jon Soyka, and showed the church
and parsonage, on Binbrook Road. It had decorative iron on the roof. A photograph can’t be taken from the same
angle today due to the trees. Over the years, there were additions at the back and side. In 1925, the Methodist
Church became the United Church, which is still active. The house which was the parsonage, is privately owned
today.
(5) Binbrook Post Office. The post office also functioned as the general store. It was Murphy’s store until about
5 years ago, when it was ripped up and replaced. There is a Tim Horton’s there now.
(6) The Cloth House. Cloth House on Cemetery Road was built in 1903, and was originally a farmhouse. The
property was sold but still operates as a farm. The current photo shows the house at 3470 Cemetery Road which
appears as all vegetation from the street. The verandah is gone, and window spacing is different, which casts
doubt as to whether or not the modern photograph is of the same house. Ron will do some investigating to try to
make a determination.
(7) English Church, Glanford. This church can be found by continuing south on Upper James Street to just
outside the village of Mount Hope. It is located on English Church Road, and the original building has seen no
significant changes over the years. It was designed by a well-known American architect. There is an adjacent
cemetery, St. Paul’s Cemetery. In 1946, there were 19 grave sites for World War II flyers and navigators who
died training at Mount Hope Airport. The new picture shows that the wooden bell tower was replaced by a brick
one. There were 2 additions in the 1930's and in 1995.
(8) Methodist Church, Glanford. This church is in the village of Mount Hope on Homestead Drive, and the
congregation is still active. The original church and bell tower remain. An old addition was replaced in the
1950's by a church hall, and a wheel chair ramp was added
(9) School, Glanford. SS #2 was similar to SS #6 in Binbrook (see item 2 above), but there was no stile. The
building is at 9061 Airport Road and is now occupied by a company named Aggressor Automation.
(10) Town Hall, Glanford. The town hall was built in 1906. It was an elevated building with windows, featuring
a lightning rod, elaborate chimney and elevated door. As it stands today, the windows have been filled in and
entry is at ground level. It is a designated heritage building which houses the Mount Hope Library and is part of
the Community Hall.
(11) Temperance Hotel, Glanford. The hotel also sold ice cream, and was on Highway 6, also known as Plank
Road, between Hamilton and Port Dover. It is now a semi-detached house on Homestead Road with few
modifications aside from blue vinyl siding.
(12) G. Neill’s Residence, Glanford. George Neill’s residence was across from the Temperance Hotel, and today
has white siding.
(13) Lee’s Chinese Restaurant. Lee’s existed from the 1950's until 2003-2004. Today, it is “The Wing”, the 447
Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Association club house, which had previously been housed in an old building at
the airport. Besides having cheap beer prices, The Wing has memorabilia of the training functions of the original
airport.
(14) Main Street, Mount Hope, Ontario. This was Highway 6, now Homestead Drive. This view shows the
Temperance Hotel and other buildings, and dates back to World War II. Flyers and trainers were billeted outside
of the airport. The modern view is the intersection of Airport and Homestead Roads.
(15) Hannon, Ontario. The card shows McKee Blacksmith General Repairs. The Satellite Garden Centre is now
on the site, on Rymal Road west of Nebo Road, and there is a gas station next door.
(16) SS #1 in the village of Woodburn, in Binbrook. The school was built in 1895, had a large bell tower, and
was very substantial compared to earlier schools. Today, it is a day care centre, and the features are the same as
they were when the post card was produced. In 1955, it was taken out of service as a school, and sat idle for 10
years until it was turned into a community hall as a Centennial project. Back in its day, a student would be
allowed to ring the bell as a reward. The bell would be rung in the morning to start the school day, twice at lunch
to indicate the start and end of the lunch break, and finally to signify the end of the school day. This school was
near the intersection of Golf Club Road and Woodburn Road.
(17) English Church, Woodburn. The stone church was built in the 1880's, and there is an adjacent cemetery.
Today, it looks like a late 19th century church inside. There is a breeze way between the main entrance of the
church and the main entrance to the church hall.
We thanked Ron for his excellent and informative presentation, and then took a short break.
Alan Hebb reported that he is working with Mike Smith on a book about W.E. Hebb post cards, The W.E. Hebb
Picture Postcard Handbook 1904-1914. Alan showed us a copy of the obituary for Willis E. Hebb, his
grandfather, from 1926. It was a very long write-up. Alan also showed us a scrap book, a biography of his
grandfather and views of Halifax Harbour. Mike Smith’s article entitled Postcards from W.E. Hebb, Halifax’s
Outstanding Citizen, was published in Canadian Stamp News Volume 40 #12, October 6-19, 2015.
Alan showed us a post card view of the Mackay-Bennett at Wharf, Halifax, N.S., which included the crew. The
Mackay-Bennett was a vessel which after the Halifax explosion, was put to use recovering bodies from the
harbour. Ernie Nix had requested of Alan that he produce an account of W.E. Hebb’s life for the Golden
Horseshoe Post Card Club years ago. He provided a letter from Thomas Kotter, a survivor of the Halifax
explosion. Alan and Mike will be at the Toronto Postcard Club’s Annual Show and Sale on February 21.
Peggy MacLeod showed a newly-acquired Christmas decoration, which was an electric lamp with a post card
motif. It was a wooden cube with a light inside and a colour transparency on one side, showing a representation
of an early post card with Santa Claus, fir trees, stars, a post card back, cancellation and stamp.
It was noted that SCView, a well-known postcard seller on several sites (Bidstart, Playle, etc.) was currently
having a sale. We will be having our annual club dinner in January at the Mandarin in Burlington on Wednesday,
January 27th, our regular meeting night. We were asked to consider how to get more members to attend our
meetings.
Jon and Ron were at the Juravinski Cancer Centre today (November 25, 2015), and sold 11 copies of the book and
lots of post cards. There were also inquiries from people who wanted to buy the book closer to Christmas. Don’t
forget to regularly check our facebook page and add comments and information if you like.
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.