Dec 3, 2020

CY from years past

Back in the day, the publisher of a magazine would receive a bound copy of the year’s monthly editions from the printer. This made for better storing/archiving and helped to keep the volumes in better condition. I was fortunate enough to have many of these bound copies of Yachting magazine, dating back to the 1920s given to me. It was fun to read the various articles written about products, boats and competitions – some of which are still going today.

But what to do with them? We had no room for them and they had been sitting in our garage for over a year, which was not good. So we contacted the Naval Marine Archive – the Canadian Collection in Picton, Ontario. The curator, Paul Adamthwaite, jumped at the chance to acquire these treasurers, as many of his copies were damaged or missing. So last Sunday, on a beautiful November day when it reached 20 degrees Celsius and our boats were put to bed for the winter, we made the trip down to Picton to donate the books.

Katherine Stone and Curator Dr. Paul Adamthwaite

Paul’s wife, Mary Ann Anderson, met us at the back door and we unloaded the volumes. We then had a lovely chat with the couple and a tour of the three-story building, located on Main Street.

With 5,000 feet of linear shelving, they are now running out of space for their collection of documents, books, magazines, charts, marine art, displays and ship models. Their mission, as a federally incorporated charity oriented towards maritime and related history, is to conserve documents, educate and carry out research.

Their current 2020 display features an exhibition of Marine Art in the Victory Gallery by the Canadian Society of Marine Artists. There are historical events as well as fishing and merchant scenes, sea coasts, yachting and the Royal Canadian Navy portrayed in oil, acrylic, watercolour and scrimshaw.

the oldest section of the archive

De-accessioned and duplicate copies of books and magazines are available for sale (either in person or online) including copies of Hornblower’s adventures for as little as one dollar! If you don’t have the time, or can’t make it down to Picton, to delve into any of your own research, they may be able to help you.

Founded in 1999, they were originally called the Archives and Collections Society (ACS). As the years went by, there were many discussions about changing the name of the collection to depict a better description of their compilation. In 2011, Lord Sprules suggested that it be called the Naval Marine Archive – A Canadian Collection, which the archive’s board wholeheartedly adopted.
Volunteers have painstakingly catalogued and put online the archive’s ship database as well as books on yachting, the navy, modelling, biography, aviation, military, art novels and Canadiana. The models located around the building are a marvel, with several examples of Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory. Because they are mainly a volunteer run organization, interested persons are welcome to donate their time or become a member. There are also opportunities to sponsor the Archive in deferred or planned giving or through corporate gifts.

Whether you decide to browse online, visit for an hour or two or become a member, it is worth your while to see these extraordinary items in the Archive. And yes, they do have older copies of Canadian Yachting too!

- Katherine Stone

Naval Marine Archive – The Canadian Collection; 205 Main Street; Picton, Ontario K0K 2T0

(613) 476-1177 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.navalmarinearchive.com