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On
Friday,
August 6, together with Lynda Krause (research transcript assistant), I
visited
the Petersen
Center for Archaeology and History and met with Michelle Hill,
registrar. Ms Hill was extremely helpful in explaining the
collection, answering my questions, and retrieving materials of
interest to me.
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In
summary, the collection is first rate, open to visits by outside
researchers, and assuredly holds primary historical and archaeological
information of much use to Louisbourg.
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I checked
their
holdings and have noted below basic materials which the Fortress of Louisbourg should order.
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I also
recommend that Louisbourg should send both an historian and an
archaeologist to the Petertson Center (copies)/Macinac Island
(originals) on a research mission. Of interest, their archaeology
programme - much of which is French and is of the same period as that
of Louisbourg - is on-going [having unearthed 2 million objects to
date] and new and important findings are made each summer. As well,
the research files of the historians (which are open to researchers)
have not yet been organized beyond having been placed in archival
boxes, and these are sure to provide some interesting insights.
Unfortunately, their project produced nothing like our structural
design team process and hence the minutes of the Mackinac Island State
Park Commission are disappointing as they lack a similar level of
decision making detail.
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Following
the research portion of our meeting, Ms Hill gave us a private tour of
Colonial Michilimackinac
and highlighted points of interest which might have escaped our
attention. I was much impressed, and indeed, in some cases, their
re-construction, animation and exhibit programmes (e.g. their pepper
ghost, their realistic mannequins, and their under-ground exhibits
of as-found archaeological resources) exceeds those of the
Fortress.
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The fort
has extant archaeological remains of piquet. The most dramatic
example are of the burnt walls of the as-built buried piquet
powder magazine
INTERESTING
QUOTE
PHOTOCOPY
ORDERS
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While
in particular, the F3-3 series of reconstruction drawings detail much
of the same matters of interest/controversy to Louisbourg (shutters,
doors, etc.), their entire drawings collection should be
examined. Thus the Fortress should order the COMPLETE Master
List of Plans and Blueprints to ascertain drawings for purchase.
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The
Fortress should also obtain the COMPLETE Master List of Maps.
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The
Fortress should request that author/title cards in the card catalogue
for the B F.2.2 series of Archaeology and History bound reports be
photocopied (c. 100 reports)
BOOK
ORDERS
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Timothy
J. Kent, A Guide to the Daily Lives of Fur Trade and Military
Personnel, Settlers and Missionaries at French Posts. Two Volumes
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Archaeological
Completion Report Series by the Mackinac Island State Park
Commission - check to see if the collection at the Fortress is current
(the last Fortress accession is 1990)
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Mackinac
History: an informal series of illustrated vignettes
- check to see if the collection at the Fortress is current (the last
Fortress accession is 1978)
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