Parkwood Spring Cleaning aka Preventive Conservation Work Part II

Reflections of Alyssa:

Since the beginning of our annual spring clean, I have had the opportunity to dabble in a few different tasks alongside the volunteers including sheer washing and silver polishing.  Then last week during reading break Samantha asked Mariah & I to come in for ceiling and chandelier cleaning. The scaffolding arrived on Monday and we set out to not only clean but explore a part of the house we never get close enough to. Now I have cleaned quite a few different places in the estate but this was my first scaffolding experience. With that comes my first time up close and personal with all the details so naturally I had questions. And if you know me, you know that is nothing new. Questions are my favourite

 

 
Once the first section of the hallway was done we had created a flow and rotation of the instruments. First we used the longer brush to dust the surface than the smaller brush to get at the detailing in the ceiling. The Q-tips were for cocoons or smaller spaces that we thought needed a bit more attention. The last part of our process was the sponge that picked up dust and dirt from the flat surfaces. We started by the front door of the mansion cleaning all the corners, tops of the door ways and chandeliers ending in the dining room.

Like I said above this was my first scaffolding experience and I would have to say it was an interesting one. Usually when I do things over and over again I begin to feel more comfortable with it, but I found working on that scaffolding a bit more difficult to adjust to. Feeling this way lead to discussing it with my cleaning partners which lead to all sorts of questions, naturally! First off, 80 years ago who would have been doing this job? How would they have reached these high parts of the mansion? Would it have been a man or a women up on, say a ladder? What would they have been wearing? Ladders and dresses sure would not have mixed 80 years ago and would have made the job quite difficult. Although dusting would have been the housekeepers job, something like the chandeliers would have been done by a household valet or maintenance man.

The Integrated Pest Management program is a very important aspect to the preservation of Parkwood. Pest management means putting out phermone traps and keeping track of the insects that may have made their way into the mansion. If insects are found than they are dealt with by our Curator. To be honest this job can be a bit overwhelming sometimes with 15, 000 square feet of heritage to cover. It may not seem like a huge deal to have a few insects hanging around, but in reality certain types can do a lot of damage to the collection of artifacts because they will eat wood, wool, leather and even sizing (ink). Whenever a project like this is happening pests are always on our minds. Prior to the beginning we had discussed the fact that we may come across cocoons or spider webs. I was expecting to find more cocoons in the areas we were cleaning but we only found three. While removing dust from the chandeliers we started to find a few lady bugs and than I realized that they were not all lady bugs but actually a form of beetle which is called “varied carpet beetle”. All the insects were dead, but the larvae stage is when they do the most damage. This raised further concern since we dealt with a carpet beetle issue in the Billiard Room several years ago.

 

One of my favourite things about Parkwood Estate is that there is always something “new” to discover if you just take the time to see it. On a regular basis I find things I have not noticed before and always end up discussing it with my colleagues. What was so great about being up on the scaffolding was that I was able to explore a whole different section of the house. Details that I had not seen before because they were either too small or hidden. My favourite discovery was the detail in the hallway that was hidden in a crevice that connected the front hall to the side hall. The only way I noticed it was when I stuck my head in crevice to do some dusting. It fascinates me that an area not on display would be decorated like the rest of the hallway. So much time and effort went into this section of the hallway that no one really gets to see, now why would anyone do that? Was it originally built that way or did the McLaughlins' add to it as time went by?

Another interesting part of the hallway is the mural, the Enchanted Wood, by Fredrick Challener. If you have been to Parkwood you know exactly what I am talking about. It has a few family members in the main panels but all around the room is nature, animals and LOTS of birds. Well when we were cleaning the tops of the door way leading into the serving galley we noticed birds that live behind the exit sign.  Finding detail like this is what makes these mundane jobs much more fun.

A few more photos show parts of the dining room ceiling that are absolutely beautiful but no one ever gets close enough to really appreciate it. For example, the trim around the room that is attached to the silk damask covering the walls. From a standing position we notice it is a gold colour trim but when you get closer you begin to see the intricate work that was put into the creation of it.

Throughout this whole process I have not only cleaned and dusted but I had the opportunity to explore a new section of my favourite National Historic Site. With this process also comes the responsibility of protecting the artifacts and the estate itself including walls and doors. The moving and positioning of tthe scaffold could we had to be wary not only for our safety, but also  for the safety of the Estate. Being close to the silk damask walls or the mural in the hallway or even the paintings in the dining room means you have to be very careful, it’s not just a quick and easy dusting duties.  

Mariah spending time with RSM

Additional commentary from Samantha: Alyssa has been working at Parkwood NHS for the last few years in a variety of capacities, most recently as a preventive conservation tech or housekeeper in lay terms, although our housekeeping is very different from what one would define as housekeeping. She is able to reflect on some of the general preventive practices that she does routinely, integrated pest management, monitoring relative humidity and lux levels in terms of light and light damage on textiles while working away on the ceiling and chandeliers.  I am able to comment on her statement that she loves asking questions, which is a genuinely superb attribute since she is a sponge absorbing information.



 

 

 

Spring Cleaning aka Preventive Conservation Work at Parkwood

Reflections of Mariah:

This week I was given the task, along with my partner in crime/co-worker Alyssa, to give the upper half of the estate a little TLC. As mundane as that may sound, you may be surprised to learn that the ceilings are just as, if not more, intriguing than the grandeur of the main level. Several feet suspended in the air (via scaffolding) I discovered a whole new world. Parkwood Estate is known for its incredible architectural detail, and this week I was able to confirm it extends literally from floor to ceiling. I was amazed by the intricacy of every carving within the crown moldings and ceiling tiles. Little treasures spied at every corner. Did you know, for example, that the pattern decorating the ceilings of the Dining Room is in fact made of delicate little flowers? 

Next time you find yourself at Parkwood Estate, I suggest look up! A new perspective of our adored mansion awaits you.  

Additional Commentary from Samantha (Curator):
When we set out to do some of our ceiling work, and no coincidence that it paralleled reading week, I asked that the staff involved reflect on what their assigned chores were and write about the experience for me.

I am sharing with you their thoughts and notes this week.

The work on the ceilings involved dry dusting, a mechanical process, to rid the ceilings of surface soils, cobwebs and cocoons.  We used several materials, two kinds of brushes with sable bristles; a special conservation sponge for flat surface cleaning (not a magic eraser); Q-tips(TM) for bugs and cocoons. 

A wet cleaning process is possible, but for that work or paint infills/touch ups a licenced conservator would be hired and is currently not needed or in the budget.

Curious Curator: The Nonesuch Dickens

There is a set of Charles Dickens books within the Parkwood Library which are referenced by Dickens fans and book lovers as the "most complete and handsome" set of Dickens works ever printed.

The Parkwood set of the Nonesuch Dickens lives upon one and a half shelves and sits nicely among the rest of the books within the collection, but this series of twenty four books, plus one folio, is a limited edition set of works published in 1937, among a lot of only 877 sets produced.
Physically the set is quite pretty and colourful, perhaps too colourful for the leather bound book lover, with its series of different colour buckram covers, and black morocco spine labels lettered in gilt. However, the hand-made linen pages have their top edges defined in gilt, while inside these colourful covers lives a medley of engraved titled vignettes and plates, illustrations that were selected by Dickens himself to accompany his stories.  According to Grace Barham, "Charles Dickens had been closely involved in the choice of each illustration, and his relationships with his illustrators were crucial to his creativity" and the Nonesuch edition was able to ensure that this aspect was part of their publication in 1937.
 

What further adds to the historic value of this set of books is that the actual text was printed from the original woodblock and steel plates used by Dickens original publishers, Chapman and Hall, "the very last editions which Dickens had revised himself, and Nonesuch added “every authentic scrap of his writing which has been collected since his death”.
 
"The Nonesuch Press was one of several deluxe publishers that aspired to the aesthetic standards of the private press movement. Founded in 1922, the Nonesuch Press had a similar aim to William Morris’s Kelmscott Press: to produce artistically designed volumes that demonstrated a care and love for the book, the materials used, and the process of production", although where Nonesuch differed from the arts and crafts presses was that although they hand designed publications they still printed on a trade press.
 

Chirp The First

The folio volume that I mention in the second paragraph, is not a book at all, but an enclosure designed to mimic the look of a book, but is a clamshell, holding a piece of the very original printing plate of one of the illustrations used in the first publication by Chapman and Hall. When Nonesuch Press acquired the Dickens' Portfolio from Chapman and Hall, they acquired all the plates, etc. Our set boasts the original illustration plate, Chirp the First, from the novella The Cricket on the Hearth, A Fairytale of Home .

Oh if these walls and shelves could talk!

Curious Curator: Holly Leaves

While working in the vault which houses many of the original blueprints and concept drawings for Parkwood, and miscellaneous McLaughlin affiliated paper based (archival) items, etc., I stumbled upon a grouping of large lithographic prints neatly rolled together. I had noticed them previously, but they were not the urgent item of which I was looking for at that specific moment and they have sat there until I turned my attention towards them again a few months ago.

Each of the lithographic prints, on card stock measuring 70cm x 47cm, seem to depict a military inspired images/campaigns, save one, of different time periods, evoking a variety of emotional responses, mostly empathy, when I looked at them. What struck me as odd, initially, was the typed inscription along the top, Holly Leaves, and a date. Guess what happened? I researched.

"Holly Leaves" was an annual special publication that was issued at Christmas each year by the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. The ISDN was a weekly magazine similar to that of the Illustrated London News, the world's first news magazine, but the ISDN concentrated predominantly on sport and drama, "it answered the demand for a paper devoted to sport at a time when the British middle classes were sharing an increasing enthusiasm in all forms of sporting pursuits."
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News shared its offices and writers with the London Illustrated News, but was able to position itself as the "country gentleman's illustrated paper, focusing initially on equine sports (horse racing, polo, equestrian, hunting), attributing its success in finding favour with the sporting elite that was fostered through a public school* and university system. Shortly adding other public school sports; rugby, cricket, rowing, tennis and billiards.  (*note to NA reader English public school system = fee paying private schools)

These news magazines through the 1930s, held a tradition of using graphic illustrations and often referenced popular subjects of the time for the Empire, especially colonial or foreign military campaigns. The Great War effected the ISDN in an interesting way, and although the magazine continued to focus on issues that the sporting fan would find interesting, it was war, and gone were the actors that graced its front cover, "replaced with stories that reflected hunting in wartime, the commandeering of horses, breaking in mules or the work of the Royal Veterinary Corps.  The Officers’ Training Corps of the country’s public schools and universities were featured as were battalions made up from sportsmen.
The ISDN also took an interest in how women were helping the war effort and reflects their changing roles, with a particular focus on jobs in the countryside, such as the Women’s Land Army or the work of the Army Remount Service."

Discovering this information about the weekly news magazines, and that the lithographs that I was holding in my hands came from a member of the Great Eight, the name given to the most popular news magazines of the day. I still needed more information about the imagery I was looking at.

Faithful Unto Death

Where He Fell

Photographs and sketches of war-themed imagery plays proliferate in the Illustrated Sports and Dramatic News and its annual Christmas issue entitled, ‘Holly Leaves’ was always a festive feast of illustration, with contributions from many era specific artists  

The naval image, Faithful Unto Death is an image used by Holly Leaves in the 1916 edition. Faithful Unto Death is a painting done by W. Hatherell R.I. (1855 to 1928). An illustration artist, Hatherell's work appears in several editions of Holly Leaves. Where He Fell, is another example of Hatherell's work (1919 edition of Holly Leaves), providing the imagery that the ISDN was most famed for publishing, using the work of an artist, who is also exhibited at the Tate, but is often referenced to as an artist of the literary and sentimental genre, in capturing the minds and hearts of the Empire during the First World War.

Le Reve

Throughout the 1920s, ISDN continued to use lithographs of war-themed imagery in its Holly Leaves publications, but as the 1920s moved on, photographs began to replace the lithograph. The 1925 Holly Leaves featured Edouard Detaille's (1848 to 1912) Le Reve, or since the Illustrated Sports and Dramatic News is a British publication, retitled The Dream. The imagery depicts soldiers asleep dreaming of glory, the past glories dressed in republic and empire uniforms, that haunt their sleep found in the imagery of the clouds.  Detaille was a French academic painter, medal of honour recipient and military artist. He is often regarded as the semi official artist of the French Army, and he was entrusted with this title, because of the detail he captured in his work. In this piece, reference the line of rifle beams, parallel to the sleeping soldiers.

Tipperary

 To the left are some of the other examples that are found among the rolled up lithographs, also artworks created by leading artists and used in Holly Leaves.
As I have looked at these images over and over again associating them with the era and atmosphere of the carnage and loss of a generation with the first world war, it almost seems fitting that military inspired art work is used to convey emotion in a pop culture piece, especially when it was contrasted with whatever society sport it was illustrating. Unfortunately, I do not have the written portion of Holly Leaves available at Parkwood to compare and contrast what specifically the images are being used to illustrate and illuminate, but it is a curious collection to come upon.


Last of the Garrison

Why did the McLaughlins save these lithographs? I do not think I shall ever have the answer, but this journey into the social history of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, its use of art to inspire and evoke thought, along with polo scores, and its fundamental position as a source of entertainment, news and patriotic pride has proven an interesting journey this week. A fitting find when the world is begin to reflect and commemorate significant anniversaries of international conflicts.













Saving Glass Gardens: the Parkwood NHS Greenhouses

 

Saving Glass Gardens

The greenhouses of Parkwood National Historic Site

 

Pre Conservation work

 

Glass Garden was a common terms for early 20th century greenhouse. For Canadian auto-baron Sam McLaughlin and his wife Adelaide, their glass gardens were enormously practical and highly decorative, providing plants for year round display as well as for the elaborate gardens. 

The Parkwood greenhouses also supported the
family's social pursuits, providing horticultural novelty & entertainment for guests, and the ability to compete and flower shows against others of green thumb and deep pockets.

Garden clubs and societies, from across Ontario and beyond, were frequently
entertained at Parkwood. Invitations to the McLaughlin’s annual Chrysanthemum Tea were coveted for over five decades, when guests came to wander the greenhouses and marvel at the 250 unusual varieties displayed, especially the large single- stemmed plants trained to have just one spectacular bloom.

Today, an engraved invitation is no longer required. Parkwood’s greenhouses are open to the public all year, for education& enjoyment. Now approaching 100 years of age, they still perform many of their historic functions for display and plant production for the gardens.


In  2012 Parkwood began a partnership with Durham College  in  a  Horticulture Technician Program that uses the historic gardens and greenhouses for teaching and lab purposes – extending their education value even further.

 

Why Save?

Parkwood's glass gardens speak to the vanished lifestyle of the early 20th century. They illustrate construction techniques and greenhouse operations of the era, and help visitors imagine the lavish lifestyle of the McLaughlins, and the roles played by their large garden staff (24+) in keeping up appearances. 

 

Why Now?

The greenhouse complex is at serious risk of loss to

the historic building fabric, and of public access and student use due to deteriorated unsafe conditions.

 

Who will benefit?

The greenhouses or glass gardens provide opportunities for education and enjoyment to area residents and visitors from across Canada and around the world, and even more specialised opportunities for horticultural enthusiasts and students.Many volunteers take part in both plant production  and  display  activities  including seniors and apartment dwellers without gardens of  their  own.   

Parkwood’s greenhouses offer  a chance to socialize and keep limbs and green thumbs active.

 

What’s Involved?

Each greenhouse or glass garden has different

requirements, due to its evolution and current condition.

Parkwood has engaged top heritage specialists in historic assessment and future planning.

Together we have determined a course of repair which respects historic values and ensures that each greenhouse can be sustained for 100 years more.

 

Work in progress

Conservation Completed

A pilot project was begun in late 2013, to test the “prescription” and launch a repair sequence for the remaining 5 greenhouses.   The pilot project involved  a  restoration  of  the  c.  1917  Vinery, which still houses one historic grapevine.   The project is complete and the results are stunning, encouraging the public to picture the other glass gardens fully conserved/restored. Community partners rallied to raise $ 200,000 to do this pilot work, but more dollars are urgently required.

One highly visual element of the complete project will be replacement of the decades-old plastic panels now yellowed and opaque, and a return to clear glass .
 

The next glass garden to undertake is the large and wonderful Palm House, home to many tropical plants including a large rubber tree planted by McLaughlin and his Head Gardener, and where Flora a marble sculpture of a woman takes centre stage.

 

The Palm House connects directly with the recreation  wing  of  the  mansion for seamless public access year-round. Its restoration program is pegged at just over $ 400,000.

Join the Palm House Rescue Party

Be a pane!  
Help fill in wall and roof sections with new glass, with a $ 75 gift.
724 panes required

Be  a  crank!     

Turn the handle on restoring the original ventilation system, with a $ 4,000 gift.

Give  a  shot  to  the  ribs!    
Help repair or replace original yellow cedar glazing ribs with $ 150 gift.
1410 ribs required



Did you know?

A gift of any amount is appreciated, and its impact immediately increases by 50% with the fund-matching challenge! In  2013,   The    City    of    Oshawa  pledged fund-matching support to assist in a full conservation/restoration program for the greenhouse complex, and will provide $ .50 for every $ 1 raised.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parkwood & Philanthropy, Then and Now

When reviewing the giving legacy of the McLaughlin Family and their impact on philanthropy in Canadian history one is always in awe of their achievement, a generous achievement, which to date, has not been matched by any other Canadian in terms of donorship. 
 
One of the areas that the family was keen to support was that of child welfare and health issues. In fact many of the programs which have long been equated with the McLaughlin Family are programs that support or endorse the key elements of the well being of children: including the scouting and guiding movements; the Home & School Movement; the Boys and Girls Clubs; and the Intensive Care Unit of Sick Children's Hospital.

When one reflects on the causes supported, we can see both the influences of former school teacher, Adelaide McLaughlin, in terms of her support and interests, but also many of the foundations of small "l" liberalism in terms of community support and philanthropy which would have been part of their social circles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The idea of  Parkwood and philanthropy continues to this day, but in most cases it is the Estate that is benefitting the philanthropic donations as opposed to dispersing them, as it once did pre-1972.  What many people forget in this post- Sam McLaughlin world is that Parkwood is a charity, yes, a charity. With a property as big & beautiful and historically important as Parkwood it should be no surprise that help is always needed—volunteers, sponsors, partners, heritage enthusiasts and, of course, donors. 

As a charity, we are always looking for opportunities to generate the dollars needed to preserve and present the Estate, best reflecting the stories and stewardship of the family.Canada Helps.org offers perhaps the best website support to Canadian charities and is the most prominent, frequently- used portal for making secure donations on-line. Canada Helps handles any type of gift and tax receipting too, making it invaluable to small & medium organizations. The website was recently redesigned, and it now allows Parkwood to be presented more succinctly, even more visually. We have been able to add photographs, and links to historic McLaughlin home movies, to help showcase our special place in history and the comparative rarity of our historic resources—and ultimately present a compelling case for donor support.



Joint Fundraising Poster

Other opportunities present themselves for raising dollars, also. Modern philanthropic types have hosted events of their own donating their proceeds to a Parkwood project or joint fundraising opportunities emerge, like the one with Their Opportunity, whose mandate parallels much of the philanthropic spirit of Sam and Adelaide McLaughlin.

Their Opportunity makes it possible for children to participate in sports by removing financial barriers. In return, children are asked to pay the opportunity forward through volunteer service. We think this work resonates handsomely with Parkwood’s heritage preservation mission, which ensures public access to historic resources, education and enjoyment opportunities.
The wine & scotch tasting event marks the first collaborative fundraiser for both organizations. It will raise funds to support both charitable organizations and their public-benefit missions in our community, with some sampling of the fine Parkwood heritage resources, and the amazing stories these resources tell.

 

 

Mural Image and the Introduction of Mr. George W Beardmore

Recognise this image from Parkwood?  It's from the F. Challener mural on the north east side of the Billiard Room and captures HRH Edward, the Prince of Wales (in green frock coat), on a visit to Canada in 1924. The rest has always been a bit of a mystery, with minimal information available about the "hunt" and where in fact this image is suppose to be, described for many years as the Orillia Hunt Club. 
I like sleuthing, when I can, and decided I wanted to learn more about the Orillia Hunt Club and the "hunt" history in Canada. Guess what? I cannot locate any information on the Orillia Hunt Club, and am starting to think that no entity ever existed. This interpretive material, information we have inherited over the years, is proof of how here-say becomes fact, even with historians. On my own twitter account, I frequently read Tudor historians bemoaning how myth/legend become historic fact that is often repeated by generations of academics who never bother or have the time to research what they have come to know as a truth.

Imagine my delight when I began looking into hunt club histories in Ontario and I find this photo (r), with persons identified, the year and location in a book written for the sesquicentennial for the Toronto Hunt Club.
According to William M Gray, author, A History of the Toronto Hunt Club written in 1993, we have George W Beardmore (MFH), in scarlet, escorting HRH Prince of Wales at a meet in Aurora, October 1924. (MFH- Master of Foxhounds). At last we may have some information to go on about the occasion and who is in the mural image. I did double check and Edward did visit the Toronto area in 1924 and if you are knowledgeable on hunt seasons, the northern hemisphere hunt season begins in October and runs through March/April, dependent on weather (especially in Canada) and Beardmore held property, Beverly Farm, in Aurora.

Brief History of the Toronto Hunt Club
The Toronto Hunt Club has an extensive and interesting history. In 1895 land was purchased in Scarborough Heights (current Kingston road location) and architectural firm Darling and Pearson (architects of Parkwood) were commissioned to design and build the "new" club.Under the name of “The Toronto Hunt and Country Club”. The Club was first incorporated under the Provincial Letters Patent in May 1894. In 1905, it was re-incorporated under Dominion Charter as “The Toronto Hunt Limited” and finally in October 1930, it was again incorporated under Provincial Letters Patent as “The Toronto Hunt” and still operates under this Charter. In 1893, George Beardmore was elected president and held that position, as well as Master of the Fox Hounds until 1930. Polo, skeet shooting and eventually tennis were added to the pursuits of the club, but hunting with the hounds was the most popular at the club. There seems to have been a peak in terms of the hunt at the turn of the century, with a decline occurring with the introduction of the automobile and then WWI, but the hunt popularity was revived in the 1920s among society elite.

C. Churchill Mann & Billie Mann

While all this is occurring at the Scarborough "campus" of the Toronto Hunt, Beardmore is investing his own finances in a northern campus, at the then rural, Eglinton and Avenue Road location, of what becomes the Toronto and North Hunt in 1919. Beardmore instructs architects to design and create an elaborate horse facility, and houses a second pack of hounds, creating this clubhouse that many will recognise as one of the gems of Heritage Toronto today (above photo). In 1929 the Toronto and North Club is renamed the Eglinton Hunt, and is administered by Beardmore from 1929 - 1934.
The Eglinton Hunt becomes home to the first Canadian branch of the Pony Club.
As Toronto expanded, Beardmore was forced to move the hounds to his property in Aurora, Beverly Farm, and as the depression worsened, Lady Eaton provided many of the financial and property resources, neighbour to Beverly Farm, Eaton Hall, to support the hunt, through the end of the 1930s.

From 1949 to 1952, Eleanor (Billie) Mann ( nee McLaughlin) is Master of the Hunt of the Eglinton Hunt.


Introducing George W Beardmore 
Who is this George W Beardmore gent that was very influential in the club and is portrayed in the mural at Parkwood, and I know nothing of?
Beardmore came from a leather and shoe (tannery) empire, Beardmore & Co. Ltd., and is described by Gray as an "out-going, successful businessman, sportsman, and accomplished horseman".

His Toronto estate, Chudleigh, is now the Italian consulate, but stands in much of its grandeur, with the changes George W Beardmore saw it undergo through the nineteen teens and twenties.

The relationship between Beardmore and McLaughlin is unknown and may be strictly through sport. Sam and Adelaide McLaughlin were members of the Toronto Hunt, as were their daughters.  We know the successes of the McLaughlin family in terms of horses; jumpers, hunters and thoroughbreds and the legacy of Parkwood Stables.
Both the McLaughlin's and Beardmore's were in business with architects Darling and Pearson, but so were many of the "society set".
In terms of business accounts, Oshawa had its own renowned tannery, Robson Leather, and the McLaughlin Carriage Works, McLaughlin MotorCar Company and eventually General Motors seem to have done most of their tannery business dealings via this enterprise. 
 
The exact relationship between McLaughlin and Beardmore may be forever elusive, however, we now know what & whom the "hunt" image in the mural depicts, and an image, I believe, would have had a great importance to the McLaughlin family as it was painted onto their wall.