Unveiling of the Halifax Memorial Tower, 1912

Print measuring 303 x 252 mm, with handwritten caption and studio stamp on the reverse.
A view showing various notables gathered round the entrance to the Halifax Memorial Tower on 14 August 1912, the day of its opening. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1908 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first General Assembly of Nova Scotia. The tower, set in a 100 acre park on the western shore of the north western arm of Halifax, was opened by the Duke of Connaught, seen here reading his speech. Other identified figures are: The Duchess of Connaught (seated beside her husband); Sir Ralph Williams, Governor of Newfoundland (standing behind the Duchess of Connaught); Sir James McGregor, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (white beard, standing behind and to the left of Williams); Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for Australia in England (standing to the left of the doorway); Dr (later Sir) G.R. Parkin, who spoke on behalf of the Royal Colonial Institute which had donated a pair of bronze lions which stand at the entrance to the tower (standing second from the Duke of Connaught's left); James R. Boose, also representing the RCI (standing between Parkin and the Duke of Connaught); and Sir Jean Lomer Gouin, Premier of Quebec (head visible behind the Duke of Connaught).

Commercial photographers active in Canada during the 1910s with a studio, 'The Elite Studio', in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1912.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Very poor condition, with bends and tears in print and some fading.

For more information and photographs of the bronze lions see Y3064B.

A full description of the building, its history and the inauguration ceremony can be found in: Chisholm, Sir, Joseph (1913), The Halifax memorial tower, Halifax: Canadian Club.

This collection level description was entered by SG using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Gauvin and Gentzel