“Gargoyle” is a popular term for whimsical statues of odd looking beings attached to the top of old buildings. The museum was offered a gargoyle in 2011 that originated in Winnipeg, and after some further research I found that we had another gargoyle from the same structure, the Tribune Building. The Winnipeg Tribune was an influential city newspaper that was founded in 1890 and closed in 1980. In 1914 a new building for the newspaper company was constructed at 257 Smith St. by architect John D. Atchison, and it was decorated with 14 gargoyles. They were removed from the building in 1969 during renovations and sold to newspaper employees. At that time The Manitoba Museum received one of the statues from the Tribune – “The Printer”. This figure holds an archaic miniature printing press and grasps the handles, turning the screw and applying pressure to the paper held between two plates.

Each of the 14 gargoyles was unique, holding tools symbolic of the newspaper trade. They were dressed in medieval clothing, their bodies contorted, stunted and muscular. Even their faces were quite expressive. The terra cotta figures themselves were not carved out of stone but moulded with clay. They were posed in such a way that they leaned over passersby on the sidewalks six storeys below.  Each figure was only two feet high, and I wonder if anyone ever really noticed them, but there they sat for almost 70 years jeering at innocent pedestrians.

The second and most recent gargoyle to join our collection is “The City Editor”, donated by Helen Leeds. This figure almost carelessly holds a pair of scissors in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other. Overall, the expression and pose seem somewhat casual.

Although such figures are popularly known as “gargoyles”, that term technically only refers to statues that act as water spouts, helping to protect the architecture by taking the rainwater and spewing it far from the building. The word “gargoyle” comes from the French gargouille, meaning “throat” (think “gargle”). Our Tribune statues would more correctly be referred to as “grotesques” -
decorative exterior figures that indulge in caricature or absurdity.

One mystery remains. It is not known (yet) who sculpted these strange and symbolic creatures. I’ll post this on the blog as soon as I find out…

Pronghorn Diorama by Clarence Tillenius. Grasslands Gallery, The Manitoba Museum.

The recent passing of Clarence Tillenius brings into focus his many influences here at The Manitoba Museum. He was the creator of The Manitoba Museum’s largest dioramas, as well as a comprehensive collection of paintings and sketches. His vision of art and nature, which spanned over 75 years, indicates a persistent dedication to the life of animals and their habitats. What inspired him? Perhaps it was simply the beauty of landscapes: when I look at his paintings, well-liked by many audiences, I see a great respect for wildlife and the use of art as drama. And certainly, there is no lack of drama in nature. But as I looked more deeply into our files I found a quote from Mr. Tillenius that sheds light on his purpose.

Mr. Tillenius was born in 1913 and raised in the Interlake region of Manitoba, which had only recently been settled by European newcomer farmers. Their presence took a toll on the region’s wildlife.

As Clarence wrote, “But while I was growing up, moose, elk, wolves and bears were being destroyed, wiped out by the settler’s ready rifle, leaving only nostalgic memories of the days when their numbers were such that no one thought they could ever disappear. So while I was young, I learned that much of the fascinating world of wildlife will always be doomed to disappear with the coming of settlement by man. I grieved that it must be so, and was determined to paint pictures that would convey what I felt about this wonderful world which I believed was slipping away.”

I sense a note of resignation in this quote, but also the need to observe, record and dramatize. While Clarence “grieved that it must be so”, he acted through art to create works that would inspire younger generations. Environmental groups, schools, scientists and museums have coalesced over the decades to create not only an appreciation of nature, but a way forward to protect Canada’s wilderness.

Chess set made by Winnipeg Grenadier POW, Hong Kong, ca. 1942-1944. H9-37-547-a-ag. Unless otherwise noted, The Manitoba Museum holds copyright to the material on this site.

Part II

During the Battle of Hong Kong, 290 of the 1,975 Canadians defending the island were killed in battle. After the Canadians were captured by the Japanese on Christmas Day, 1941, Canadian soldiers were taken into a brutal period of captivity, first in Hong Kong and then in Japan. Deprived of food and sanitary conditions, 267 more Canadians died as Prisoners of War. 

In Hong Kong the Winnipeg Grenadiers suffered through long days of hunger and boredom. Woodworking contests were set up to keep minds and hands busy. A very recent donation to The Manitoba Museum includes one of these wooden artefacts: a hand-carved chess set inlaid with bamboo. This belonged to Lieutenant Richard Maze, who signed up for the Saskatchewan regiment with Corrigan (see Part I): they were both later moved to the Winnipeg Grenadiers. The complete set features tiny chess pieces (about 2 cm tall) that include thin pegs to secure them to the board. Lieutenant Maze received the set from a fellow prisoner who constructed it from wood scraps found around the Kawloon POW Camp, Hong Kong. This little chess set is an example of how creative activity and friendship helped the prisoners withstand deprivation in such difficult conditions. Thanks to Rose-Ann Lewis and Ann Maze for the donation of Lieutenant Maze’s Hong Kong Veterans items to The Manitoba Museum.

The Canadians were later moved to a POW camp in Japan, where many worked in mines and they were limited to less than 800 calories of food a day.  

Japanese Military Sword (detail of handle) H9-36-184. Unless otherwise noted, The Manitoba Museum holds copyright to the material on this site.

Part 1

In the autumn of 1941 World War Two was raging across Europe, but the battles of the Pacific region were yet to come. Although considered of little strategic importance by Winston Churchill, the island of Hong Kong was considered defensible by some Canadian military leaders. On October 20^th, 1941 the decision was made to send just over 2,000 Canadian soldiers to help defend Hong Kong from possible Japanese aggression. On December 8^th the Japanese attacked…

In defence of the island, the Canadians fought the battle-hardened, well-trained soldiers of the Japanese forces. One artefact of this battle is a Japanese military sword now at The Manitoba Museum. On December 20^th, Lieutenant Leonard B. Corrigan was in action with a small fighting patrol of the Winnipeg Grenadiers when they encountered an enemy patrol and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. According to his citation for the award of a Mention-in-Despatches, Corrigan killed two Japanese soldiers and was attacked by a Japanese officer with the sword. He caught the sword with his left hand (suffering a severe injury) and killed the officer with a flare gun. Despite their victory over the enemy patrol, the Canadians were taken prisoner days later and spent the rest of the war in captivity. Their Prisoner of War experience is told at The Manitoba Museum in the Parklands/Mixed Woods Gallery.

Part Two of this blog will showcase an artefact from their POW experience, when food was in short supply and the days were long.

For more information on the Battle for Hong Kong, visit http://www.hkvca.ca, or for more on the experience of Canadians in the Pacific during the Second World War , visit the exhibit (which will feature some of our artefacts) in Calgary – http://themilitarymuseums.ca/whats-new

It’s a simple tool: a rolling pin made from a single piece of wood, fashioned into a two-foot long rod tapered at both ends. Sometimes these are called French rolling pins, but this one was made in Latvia over one hundred years ago and made its way to Winnipeg in 1909. A young woman named Rytze (1885-1962) followed her married sister to Canada, and the rolling pin was part of Rytze’s trousseau (items gathered together for a woman to bring into her household once she was married). And in fact Rytze did marry a man named Schmul Aron in Winnipeg on January 10, 1910. It was an outdoor wedding (strange for January) held in the yard of their Rabbi’s house. Rytze and Schmul knew each other from their childhood in Latvia, where they grew up in neighbouring villages.
Schmul (Simon) Aron was avoiding military conscription in Latvia when he decided to leave his homeland in 1909. He travelled through France, Spain, Germany, Argentina and Boston before deciding on Winnipeg as a final destination, where friends and family awaited him. According to family legend, Mr. Aron had earned over $500 tailoring and selling bananas on the ship from Argentina to Boston, but it was all stolen by the captain! By the 1920s, Mr. Aron had set up a tailor shop on Main St. which served the people of Winnipeg for decades.
The Arons’ daughter Sophie Shinewald, who is now 98 years old, donated the rolling pin to the museum this summer, and with it the memories of her life and her parents. Artefacts, no matter how humble or seemingly commonplace, often act as a touchstone of stories and forgotten journeys. Together, the artefacts at The Manitoba Museum tell our shared history through the charming, strange, and sometimes heartbreaking stories of our ancestors.
A special thanks to Sophie Shinewald for the donation of the rolling pin and her family stories.

Roland Sawatzky, Curator of History,  will share with visitors interesting facts about his work at The Museum and the research he is conducting. You may subscribe to the RSS feed so you will never miss a post!