Área de título y declaración de responsabilidad
Título apropiado
Tipo general de material
- Documento textual
Título paralelo
Otra información de título
Título declaración de responsabilidad
Título notas
- Variantes del título: The collection was known as the "Andrew Merkel Canadiana Collection" when first accessioned by the University of King's College Library, then as the "Andrew Merkel Papers" until its refoldering during this project.
Nivel de descripción
Institución archivística
Código de referencia
Área de edición
Declaración de edición
Declaración de responsabilidad de edición
Área de detalles específicos de la clase de material
Mención de la escala (cartográfica)
Mención de proyección (cartográfica)
Mención de coordenadas (cartográfica)
Mención de la escala (arquitectónica)
Jurisdicción de emisión y denominación (filatélico)
Área de fechas de creación
Fecha(s)
-
1894 - 1953, predominant 1930 to 1948 (Creación)
- Creador
- Merkel, Andrew Doane
Área de descripción física
Descripción física
1m of textual records, which includes 1,310 letters, 700 manuscripts, 7 notebooks, 97 newspaper clippings, and 34 photographs.
Área de series editoriales
Título apropiado de las series del editor
Títulos paralelos de serie editorial
Otra información de título de las series editoriales
Declaración de responsabilidad relativa a las series editoriales
Numeración dentro de la serie editorial
Nota en las series editoriales
Área de descripción del archivo
Nombre del productor
Historia biográfica
Journalist and poet Andrew Doane Merkel was born in New York State in the mid 1880s. He came to Nova Scotia as a boy when his father, Anglican Minister Rev. A. Deb Merkel, took over a parish in Digby. From 1904 to 1905, he attended the University of King's College in Windsor, Nova Scotia, then moved to Sydney, Nova Scotia to attend the university's School of Engineering from 1905 to 1907. He did not complete this degree due to the closure of the engineering school, and represented his classmates to the King's Board of Governors while the school was closing. Merkel married Florence (Tully) E. Sutherland from Windsor and had three children: J. Arthur, Peggy, and Mary-Elizabeth. Merkel spent most of his adult life in Halifax and is known to have lived on South Park Street. He was a journalist for both the Philadelphia North American and the Sydney Record, in the 1900s, an editor for the Saint John Standard from 1908 to 1910 and of the Halifax Echo from 1910 to 1917, the Maritime News Editor for the Canadian Press from 1917 to 1919, and finally, the Superintendent of Canadian Press Atlantic Division from 1919 to 1946. He died in 1954.
Merkel was also a poet and avid historian. His first book length poem, The Order of Good Cheer, wasn’t published until 1944 although he completed it in the early 1920s. His second book length poem, Tallahassee, was published the following year. Both works illustrate his interest in Nova Scotian history; The Order of Good Cheer is about Nova Scotia’s first French settlers while Tallahassee is about Halifax during the American civil war. He published two works of non-fiction as well, Letters from the Front (1914), and Bluenose Schooner (1948). Merkel was also a member of the Halifax literary group called The Song Fishermen and often hosted meetings of the group, which included fellow writers such as Charles G.D. Roberts, Charles Bruce, Kenneth Leslie, and Robert Norwood.
Historial de custodia
The collection was assembled by Andrew Doane Merkel. After his death in 1954, his children donated the collection to the University of King's College. They also donated some Merkel papers to Dalhousie University Archives.
At the start of this arrangement and description project, the correspondence was arranged in blue file folders with names typed on them, perhaps by a King's librarian when the collection first arrived. University of King's College Library bookplates printed with "Andrew Merkel Canadiana Collection" were pasted on six brown 38 cm x 27 cm x 12 cm boxes in which the collection was stored in the Archives until processed.
Alcance y contenido
Collection consists of correspondence written by 56 Canadian authors, poets and journalists who were acquainted with Andrew Merkel, as well as publications and programmes from the literary societies in which Merkel was a central figure.
There are a roughly equal number of typewritten and manuscript letters. Letters from Merkel are predominantly typewritten, as his handwriting is poor, but other correspondents preferred manuscript or type.
The materials range in date from the early 1900s, when Merkel was a student at King's College, Windsor, N.S., to 1953. The final letters are sympathy notes to him on the death of his wife.
Subjects of the collection include visits by poets, meetings of the Song Fishermen, and the publication of their work. Correspondence between Merkel and other Canadian Press men are also present, along with drafts of articles and discussion of reporting and managerial styles.
The letters were written in locations across the western world, from Paris and London to New York, Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax. Some of the article drafts were written as Merkel flew over the Atlantic during the Second World War.
Área de notas
Condiciones físicas
Original letters, manuscripts and news articles are in excellent condition, as are tissue paper carbon copies. Some news clippings have deteriorated to the point of disintegrating at the edges and folds.
Origen del ingreso
There are no records confirming the source of the collection. Dr. Henry Roper (former University of King's College Registrar and professor) believes they were donated by the children of Andrew Merkel, but this has not been confirmed.
Arreglo
The original organization of the letters is unknown. Most of the documents were already arranged in rough chronological order, suggesting that Merkel may have imposed a degree of order on the files.
The Archives Assistants maintained the arrangement alphabetically by correspondent or creating body, dividing each into a separate series. There are 70 series in the collection.
Within each series, the letters, poems and associated material are arranged chronologically. Where the date is uncertain, the item has been placed at the chronological beginning of the span.
The collection is described to the item level. A brief abstract has been written for each letter, including names of persons mentioned and subjects discussed.
The series are as follows:
Abanaki Press (1949), Angus MacAskill Boat Episode Contest (1929), Molly Beresford (1929-1945), Craven Langstroth Betts (1928), Charles Bruce (1923-1946), Ethel H. Butler (1923-1946), Canadian Authors' Association (1921-1946), Canadian Newsletter (1938-1939), Canadian Press (1918-1938), Bliss Carman (1894-1945), Horatio Crowell (1922-1928), W. A. Deacon (1929-1945), James D. Gillis (1922-1949), The Habitation (1923), Haliburton House (1939-1941), The Harp of Acadia (1907-1946), The Harpsichord (1945-1946), Annie Huestis (1915-1946), John Leblanc (1943), Kenneth Leslie (1927-1945), Dorothy Livesay (1927-1932), John David Logan (1917-1925), Frank Lowe (1939-1945), Rev. Stanislaus P. MacDonald (1930-1935), Wilson MacDonald (1936-1932), Malcolm MacLeod (1918-1942), Manuscripts (sorted by author's last name) (1913-1956), Manuscripts, various (1884-1945), William E. Marshall (1916-1923), James S. Martell (1943-1946), Stuart McCawley (1929-1936), Andrew Merkel (1917-1949), Miscellaneous typescripts (1905-1951), Miscellaneous news articles (1929-1950), Elaine Morris (1923-1953), E. M. Murray [194-?], Moses Nickerson (1944-1945), Robert Norwood (1942-1945), Nova Scotia Centre - Poetry Society Bulletins (1934), Nova Scotia Drama League (1949-2004), Nova Scotia Poets Broadcast [194-?], Seamus O'Brien (1900-1945), Order of the Good Cheer (1928-1935), Parnassus (1928-1936), Pictures, snapshots, etc (1915-1945), Elsie Pomeroy (1945), E. J. Pratt (1923-1946), Thomas Raddall (1932-1934), Silas Rand (1810-1889), John Regan (1872-1945), Forbes Rhude (1898), Charles G.D. Roberts (1860-1943), Leila Roberts, Theodore Goodridge Roberts (1877-1953), Samuel S. Robertson (1905-1941), Andy Ross, Frederick George Scott (1861-1944), Laura E. Smith, Norma E. Smith, Song Fisherman's First Annual Convention (1929), Song Fisherman's Song Sheet (1928-1930), Bill Stewart, Tales Told Under the Old Town Clock, Syd Thomas, John Tracy, Edwin L. Williams, Sidney Williams, and Constance Davies Woodrow (1899-1937).
Idioma del material
Escritura del material
Ubicación de los originales
Many of Merkel's letters are carbon copies of the originals, which were undoubtedly sent to thecorrespondent. Many of the manuscripts are drafts or carbon copies.
Disponibilidad de otros formatos
Restricciones de acceso
Condiciones de uso, reproducción, y publicación
Materials may be subject to copyright. Permission of the University Librarian and Archivist is required to reproduce any of the materials. Fees apply.
Instrumentos de descripción
Finding aid for the Andrew Doane Merkel Correspondence Collection available below, as well as in-person in the King’s Library Archives.
Uploaded finding aid
Materiales asociados
Dalhousie University's Archives and Special Collections holds 30 cm of Andrew Merkel records (call number MS-2-326). Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management holds 18 short films and home movies produced by Andrew Merkel in "The Way We Were: Nova Scotia in Film"; these films include footage of the Song Fishermen and other individuals included in King's collection.
Records relating to Merkel are available in the King's Archives in the following fonds and collections: The King's College Record, the University of King's College Registrar's Office Fonds (UKC.REG), University of King's College Financial Records Collection (UKC.FIN), and The University of King's College Board of Governors Fonds (UKC.BOG).
Acumulaciones
No further accruals expected
Nota general
Andrew Merkel clearly saved much of his correspondence as he received it, although there are gaps in his letters of reply, indicating that not everything has been preserved. Letters accumulated gradually from 1900 to 1953; the majority date between 1930 and 1948.
Identificador/es alternativo(os)
Número estándar
Número estándar
Puntos de acceso
Puntos de acceso por materia
Puntos de acceso por lugar
Puntos de acceso por autoridad
- University of King's College (Materia)
Tipo de puntos de acceso
Área de control
Identificador de registro de descripción
Identificador de la institución
Reglas o convenciones
Estado de elaboración
Nivel de detalle
Fechas de creación, revisión o eliminación
2022-09-05
Idioma de descripción
- inglés