Frederick William Wallace
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Wallace (11 December 1886-15 July 1958) was a journalist, photographer, historian and novelist. He was the author of Wooden Ships and Iron Men, a now-classic 1924 book about the last days of the Age of Sail
in Maritime Canada. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he initially worked as a clerk but turned to the sea as a journalist of the fishing industry which later led to historical work. Wallace served in World War I
as commander of a Q-Ship
. He died in Montreal
.
About forty years later than he preferred to, he said, he published Wooden Ships and Iron Men as a testament to the spirit of the age. He followed this book with In the Wake of the Windships and Record of Canadian Shipping. These three historical works became standard references to the deepwater sailing era in Canada. Wallace also wrote the novels Blue Water and Captain Salvation and several other works. Blue Water was made into a film in Canada directed by David Hartford, but it was never released. Captain Salvation was purchased the Hearst Corporation
and released as a film in 1927
, directed by John S. Robertson
. Both films were from the silent era.
He edited the monthly journal Canadian Fisherman for forty years. The journal, which ran from 1917 to 1970, remains an important source of information for researchers today.
He also wrote Bound for the Rio Grande, an operetta based on English shanties, performed at the 1929 CPR Festival in Vancouver.
His epic poem about his time aboard the Effie M. Morrissey
, "The Log of the Record Run," was widely read and adopted by east coast fishermen with such authentic results that it was mistaken as a very old traditional song by folklorist Helen Creighton
.
An accomplished photographer, in 2006, he was the subject of a book by Nova Scotia writer M. Brook Taylor entitled A Camera on the Banks, which documents seven voyages to the Newfoundland Grand Banks
where he toiled alongside other fishermen at the same time documenting their condition in photographs and words. In conjunction with the launch of Taylor's book, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
opened an exhibit on June 6, 2006 entitled A Camera on the Banks: The Work of Frederick William Wallace, which displayed part of the museum's extensive collection of Wallace's photographs. The Wallace exhibit has since travelled in Nova Scotia to Lunenburg
, Annapolis Royal
, Digby
and Shelburne
. A bilingual version opened at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
in Ottawa, Ontario on September 17, 2008.
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail was the period in which international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing ships, lasting from the 16th to the mid 19th century...
in Maritime Canada. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he initially worked as a clerk but turned to the sea as a journalist of the fishing industry which later led to historical work. Wallace served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as commander of a Q-Ship
Q-ship
Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
. He died in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
About forty years later than he preferred to, he said, he published Wooden Ships and Iron Men as a testament to the spirit of the age. He followed this book with In the Wake of the Windships and Record of Canadian Shipping. These three historical works became standard references to the deepwater sailing era in Canada. Wallace also wrote the novels Blue Water and Captain Salvation and several other works. Blue Water was made into a film in Canada directed by David Hartford, but it was never released. Captain Salvation was purchased the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
and released as a film in 1927
Captain Salvation (1927 film)
Captain Salvation is a 1927 drama directed by John S. Robertson and released by MGM. It stars Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke and Marceline Day. On January 18, 2010 the film had its first home video release on the Warner Archives series.-Cast:...
, directed by John S. Robertson
John S. Robertson
John Stuart Robertson was a Canadian born actor and later film director perhaps best known for his 1920 screen adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring John Barrymore. He broke into filmmaking in 1915 with Vitagraph, then with Famous Players-Lasky, making 57 features in his career...
. Both films were from the silent era.
He edited the monthly journal Canadian Fisherman for forty years. The journal, which ran from 1917 to 1970, remains an important source of information for researchers today.
He also wrote Bound for the Rio Grande, an operetta based on English shanties, performed at the 1929 CPR Festival in Vancouver.
His epic poem about his time aboard the Effie M. Morrissey
Effie M. Morrissey
The Effie M. Morrissey was a schooner skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society. It also helped survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II...
, "The Log of the Record Run," was widely read and adopted by east coast fishermen with such authentic results that it was mistaken as a very old traditional song by folklorist Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton
Mary Helen Creighton, CM was a prominent Canadian folklorist. She collected over 4,000 traditional songs, stories, and myths in a career that spanned several decades, and she published many books and articles on Nova Scotia folk songs and folklore...
.
An accomplished photographer, in 2006, he was the subject of a book by Nova Scotia writer M. Brook Taylor entitled A Camera on the Banks, which documents seven voyages to the Newfoundland Grand Banks
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...
where he toiled alongside other fishermen at the same time documenting their condition in photographs and words. In conjunction with the launch of Taylor's book, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
opened an exhibit on June 6, 2006 entitled A Camera on the Banks: The Work of Frederick William Wallace, which displayed part of the museum's extensive collection of Wallace's photographs. The Wallace exhibit has since travelled in Nova Scotia to Lunenburg
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg , is a Canadian port town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the province's South Shore, Lunenburg is located on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay. The town is approximately 90 kilometres southwest of the county boundary with the Halifax Regional Municipality.The...
, Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
, Digby
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
and Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
. A bilingual version opened at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is located in Ottawa, Ontario, on St. Laurent Boulevard, to the south of the Queensway .-Mission:...
in Ottawa, Ontario on September 17, 2008.
Publications
- Blue Water: A Tale of the Deep Sea Fishermen, Toronto: Musson, 1907.
- The Shack-Locker, 1916.
- The Viking Blood, 1920.http://sdmbizlists.home.infionline.net/VikingBlood.html
- Salt Seas And Sailormen, 1922.
- Wooden Ships and Iron Men: The story of the square-rigged merchant marine of British North America, the ships, their builders and owners, and the men who sailed them, London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1924 (reprinted by White Lion (London) in 1973).
- Captain Salvation, Grosset & Dunlap, 1925 (reprinted in 2005 by Formac with an introduction by Brook Taylor) ISBN 0-88780-676-7
- Tea From China, 1926.
- In the Wake of the Wind-Ships , London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1927.
- Record of Canadian Shipping: A List of Square-Rigged Vessels, Mainly 500 tons and over built in the Eastern Provinces of British North America from the Year 1786 to 1920, Toronto: Musson, 1929.
- The Romance of a Great Port: The Story of Saint John New Brunswick, Saint John: Barnes & Co., 1935.
- Under Sail in the Last of the Clippers, Boston: Charles E. Lauriat, 1936.
- Canadian Fisheries Manual: Thirty Years Progress in Canada's Fish Industry (1914-44)
- Roving Fisherman: an autobiography recounting personal experiences in the commercial fishing fleets and fish industry of Canada and the United States, 1911–1924, Gardenvale, Quebec: Canadian Fisherman, 1955.
Further reading
- Taylor, M. Brook, A Camera on the Banks: Frederick William Wallace and the Fishermen of the Grand Banks, Fredericton: Goose Lane EditionsGoose Lane EditionsGoose Lane Editions is a Canadian book publishing company founded in 1954 in Fredericton, New Brunswick as Fiddlehead Poetry Books by Fred Cogswell and a group of students and faculty from the University of New Brunswick. After Cogswell retired in 1981, his successor, Peter Thomas, changed the name...
, 2006. ISBN 0-86492-441-0