Fonds Sound: Accession 1987-028 - Peter Barss and Joleen Gordon fonds

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Title proper

Peter Barss and Joleen Gordon fonds

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    Fonds

    Reference code

    Sound: Accession 1987-028

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    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • [ca.1975]-1977; 1980 (Creation)
      Creator
      Barss, Peter, 1941

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    • 23 cm of textual records
    • 95 photographs
    • 27 sound recordings

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    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    (1941-)

    Biographical history

    Peter Barss was born on 4 July 1941 and is a descendant of the Barss family of Lunenburg County. He emigrated from Massachusetts in 1973 and has a BA and MA in English Literature from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He studied photography in 1971-1972 under Lee Broman at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Barss is an accomplished photographer, having operated the Barss Photographic Studio in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia for many years. He is the author of Images of Lunenburg County.

    Name of creator

    (1945-)

    Biographical history

    Joleen (nee Aldous) Gordon was born 7 July 1945 in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Dr. John Gray and Eileen (Hooley) Aldous. She received a BSc (Hon) from Dalhousie University and a Masters of Marine Biology from the University College of North Wales. She is a gifted teacher and lecturer. She has worked as a research associate with the Nova Scotia Museum since 1972 and is the author of a number of books, articles and reviews, principally about material culture in Nova Scotia. She is a founding member of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society and the Nova Scotia Basketry Guild. She was awarded the Portia White Prize in 2007.

    Custodial history

    Scope and content

    Fonds consists of the research done by Barss and Gordon for "Older Ways: Traditional Nova Scotia Craftsmen" published in 1980. Between 1975 and 1977 they interviewed and photographed 30 artisans who were practicing a traditional craft in Nova Scotia, which produced a practical item (i.e. folk artists were eliminated). Included are: images taken by Barss of the craftspeople at work; interviews with the craftspeople conducted by Barss and Gordon; the creator's grant applications and correspondence, press clippings, etc., relating to the 1977 exhibit at Mount St Vincent Art Gallery based on their research; and a copy of their final publication. Of those interviewed, 19 artisans were from Lunenburg County, five from Kings County, and three from both Queens and Annapolis Counties. Their crafts include the making of fish nets, sails, knives, baskets, butter churns and tool handles. During their interviews, they discuss the technical aspects of their craft as well as modern lifestyles and values as compared to traditional ones.

    Notes area

    Physical condition

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Donated by Joleen Gordon in June 1987.

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        Availability of other formats

        Restrictions on access

        The fonds is accessible to researchers for consultation; written permission is required from Joleen Gordon for use or reproduction until 2025.

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        General note

        Joleen Gordona's research files on this project were transferred to the Nova Scotia Museum Library collection.

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