archives
collecting data:
for the love of words and pictures and true stories
Alongside love letters home and milestone headshots, my family members' memorabilia comprise facts and artifacts found deep in the archival crevices of collecting data.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, so may a thousand photos reveal a true story. Like reading between the lines.
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COLLECTING DATA
The types and sources of data I've recovered are astonishing:
I have collected magazine articles and newspaper clippings, catalogues and inventories, pamphlets and programs, diplomas and transcripts. And data culled from minutes, newsletters, and obituaries; from shipping logs, war records, and census data; from year books, report cards, and social media.
And insights gleaned from personal letters, professional interviews, anecdotal memories, and a thousand and one snapshots.
Plus, the wonders of concealed artworks and hidden handcrafts.
Searching almost from scratch, my resources have included:
ancestry.ca
newspapers.com
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Vancouver Magic Circle Archives
The International Brotherhood of Magicians
The West Vancouver Archives
Art School & University Records
High School Newspapers & Records
Facebook Groups
MEMORABILIA
"How fiercely they competed against each other and, at the finish line, how joyfully they were the closest of brothers." [Richard Horner, schoolmate]
booklets
I plan to create several biographic booklets over the years ahead. My first offering, The Boys, draws on facts, stories, and memories:
The Boys: Peter and Paul Martineau. Self-published. 2021. Recalling and showcasing the antics and achievements of my deceased twin brothers while they were growing up. Link to view: The Boys
Future family topics include:
stage magic, sleight-of-hand, comedic pantomime
commercial art and special effects
pen and ink calligraphy and illustration
classical piano medals, competitions, and performances
the fibre and fabric collections
the found-object assemblages
love letters home and life in the WWII Entertainment Corp
fabric art, textile design, and ancient alchemy
the story of a grand piano and a Parisian mural
Fractal art digitally created, collaged, and coloured; applied to kimono styles for digital dye-printing on silk satins and broadcloths. [Sheila Martineau Designs Ltd.]
galleries
While many images and stories will be captured in booklets, some collections will also be showcased in photo galleries:
decorated envelopes with 'Love Letters Home' from WWII
a selection of hand-lettered and illustrated pages from the three-volume Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic, published in the USA by Silk King Studios (1948, 1953, 1962)
hand-lettered and illustrated booklet covers
needlecraft works and quilting designs
fabric art and fashion design (example above)
my mother's, grandmother's, and great-grandmother's newspaper clippings—from gold-medal awards to classical piano recitals to winning jam recipes
paintings, drawings, sketches, caricatures, special effects
Note: Until I begin creating online slideshows and galleries—a long-term project—below are a few art- and magic-based carousels for scrolling.