CAG in Niag and other stuff

Charles Bierstadt, S.J.Dixon, crossing Whirlpool Rapids on a 7/8 inch wire cable, Niagara Falls, Ont, 17 July 1891, Library and Archives Canada/PA-143309

I returned yesterday from the Catholic Archivists Group conference held in Niagara Falls. It was an interesting conference, the food was fantastic, the weather great. All in all a good time. I have a thing against the city of Niagara Falls - it is utterly tacky and touristy (a belief that was reinforced by a visit to the Clifton Hills area, which is chockablock with tacky crap) but I was really impressed by the Falls themselves. It has been about 15 years, I think, since I last saw them and I kinda forgot what all the fuss was about. Yes, it is just water, but it is still awe-inspiring. We went to Willowbank Home - and stunning house that was originally built in 1834 but is now in pretty rough shape. A charitable foundation has been established and a School of Restoration Arts is being designed where students will get to learn restoration skills while the house gets repaired, which is pretty damn cool. We also has a brief trip to Niagara-On-the-Lake. Got some fudge and a bit of vino. Oh and if you want my advice don't even bother going into the Niagara Bookshop. Yes they have some excellent books (but really no bargains and nothing you can't find elsewhere), but the proprietress is exceptionally rude and while I have bought things there in the past I don't think she will ever see my business again.

************************************************

Sooner or later I will finish the Amsterdam trip diary. Hopefully this weekend. So, for those of you (Mark) who are avid readers of this, one or two more days should do it.

************************************************

The National Archives...ok, the Library and Archives Canada, has an online databse/exhibit which was released last week called Framing Canada: A Photographic Memory. The thematic essays are not up yet, but the Weird and Wacky: Humour in Archival Photographs are there. (That is where I found the above photo of the guy crossing the Niagara Rapids, quite by coinidence). There is also a pretty awesome exhibit on Canadian Pulp Fiction (which made me sing "Get down, get down" in my head, as PF always does [heh. i love these bunnies. Really they deserve a post on their own, also check out the exorcist re-enactment]). Very nifty.

************************************************

Lastly, I hope all is well with the Pallisters and Levys in Texas. We are thinking about you and are closely watching the path of Hurricane Rita (I just heard on the news that they think Houston will not be in the direct path, so fingers crossed).

rgsc