Contacts or photocopies of contact prints of these photographs may be found in the photograph binders in the Reading Room
Vic Runtz was a well-known cartoonist who drew for the Guardian-Patriot newspaper, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in the 1950's and later for the Bangor Daily News. He was also an amateur photographer, taking candid shots of events in Prince Edward Island.
Published
Title based on provenance of fonds
The fonds consists of 21 photograph: 18 images of a devastating fire which took place in Charlottetown 18 August 1951 and three photographs of the bell and the plaque displayed in the community house in Prospect Harbor, Maine.
The images of Charlottetown, depict the fire which began as a flash fire from a broken electric light bulb on the property of F. R. McLaine Ltd., auto dealers on Grafton Street. It cut a wide swath through the entire centre section of the block to Kent Street consuming the buildings of Horne Motors Ltd., Kent Street; Batt & MacRae and the Whelan Memorial Building and Hall on Grafton; as well as several smaller structures. The burned out area included the businesses of Wilson's Barber Shop, Mary's Beauty Salon, Simpson's Order Office, Norma's, Maurice Block, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, and the office of Dr. J.D. MacGuigan. As well, several private apartments including that of Mr. and Mrs. Rankine McLaine were destroyed and the Benevolent Irish Society was able to rescue only the organization's records from its home in the Whelan Memorial Building and Hall. The Provincial Fire Marshall reported that the fire caused a fire loss of over $350,000.
The remaining three photographs refer to the sinking of the "Queen Victoria", a 494 ton iron steamship which was built in 1856. She carried the delegates to the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 and in the following year sank during a hurricane off Cape Hatteras. Thirty-five members of the crew were rescued by Captain Rufus Allen of the brig "Ponvert". In appreciation Captain Allen was presented with the ship's bell which he in turn presented to the Gouldsboro School district. For seventy-five years it served as the school's bell in Prospect Harbour, Maine. It was then given to the Community Association and displayed in the Community House until removed to a Gouldsboro vault.
The photographs of the Ship's bell from the Queen Victoria were formerly Acc4254
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