Sunday, September 6, 2009

A Labrador Doctor

The Autobiography of Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1919)
"Presentation copy with original mounted photographs. Inscribed and signed by Sir Grenfell on the half-title, with a mounted photograph of "The Doctor on board the 'Stratheona,'" (caption in another hand). Also, inscribed on the front pastedown, "W.J. Brown, Christmas 1919, Best wishes, Jesse Halsey." Halsey was an associate of Grenfell's at the Deep Sea Mission, and inserted before the frontispiece of the book is a 4-page illustrated program for "Illustrated Lectures by Rev. Jesse Halsey" at The Players in Boston."


"Other original photographs mounted on the front endpaper and flyleaves, all captioned, include "Dr. Grenfell greeted by the school children in St. Anthony"; "Jesse Halsey, Labrador & Northern Newfoundland, 1909 to Nov. 1912"; "The 'Boss' and the 'Gang' (boxes of food & clothing from the 'States' being unloaded by U.S. college students)"; "J.H. in Labrador 'dickey,"; and "Tuckamne Croft - Charles Henry & Helen I. Halsey" (a woman with dog sled in front of house)."

"Grenfell (1865-1940) was a noted English physician who had been the house surgeon at London Hospital and then in 1892 became a medical missionary and resident of Labrador, where he also founded hospitals and orphanages."

No comments: