Frederick William Wallace (December 11, 1886 – July 15, 1958) was a journalist, photographer, historian and novelist. He is best known as 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.
After the war, he edited the monthly journal Canadian Fisherman which would be his main occupation for forty years. This publication, which ran from 1917 to 1970, remains an important source of information for researchers today.[1]
Wallace began publishing novels in 1907, beginning with Blue Water and several other works including ‘’Salt Seas and Sailormen’’ (Copyright, Canada 1922), and Captain Salvation (1925). Blue Water was made into a 1922 film starring Norma Shearer and directed by David Hartford, but it had only a limited theatrical release in saint John, where it was partly filmed.[3][4] Wallace's Captain Salvation was purchased the Hearst Corporation and released as a film in 1927, directed by John S. Robertson.[5][6] Both films were from the silent era.
About forty years later than he preferred to, he said, in 1924 he published Wooden Ships and Iron Men as a testament to the spirit of the Age of Sail. He followed this book with In the Wake of the Windships (1927) and Record of Canadian Shipping (1929). These three historical works became standard references to the deepwater sailing era in Canada.
In 1929 he wrote Bound for the Rio Grande, an operetta based on English shanties, performed at the 1929 CPR Festival in Vancouver.[7] 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.[8][9]
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. Some of these photographs had originally appeared in the National Geographic. 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.
Publicationsedit
Blue Water: A Tale of the Deep Sea Fishermen, Toronto: Musson, 1907. Film version
The Shack-Locker, 1916.
The Viking Blood, 1920.
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) ISBN0-88780-676-7
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.
^Fiction Magazine Index January 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Accessed January 21, 2015
^Morris, Peter (1978). Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema 1895-1939. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 120. ISBN0-7735-0323-4.
^Webb, Steven (September 11, 2022). "Lost to history, Saint John's silent movie is barely a memory a century later". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
^American film Institute: Silent Films, Captain Salvation
^Canadian Encyclopedia of Music entry, "CPR Festivals - 1929"
^F. W. Wallace, "Roving Fisherman" March 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^James P. Delgado, 1990 "Ernestina" National Historic Landmark Study January 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine p. 5
^"Novelist, Editor Dies". Windsor Star. Montreal. CP. July 16, 1958. p. 10. Retrieved July 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Further readingedit
Taylor, M. Brook, A Camera on the Banks: Frederick William Wallace and the Fishermen of the Grand Banks, Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2006. ISBN0-86492-441-0
External linksedit
Works by Frederick William Wallace at Faded Page (Canada)
frederick, william, wallace, december, 1886, july, 1958, journalist, photographer, historian, novelist, best, known, author, wooden, ships, iron, classic, 1924, book, about, last, days, sail, maritime, canada, born, 1886, december, 1886glasgow, scotlanddiedjul. Frederick William Wallace December 11 1886 July 15 1958 was a journalist photographer historian and novelist He is best known as 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 Frederick William WallaceBorn 1886 12 11 December 11 1886Glasgow ScotlandDiedJuly 15 1958 1958 07 15 aged 71 Montreal Quebec CanadaOccupation s Journalist photographer historian novelist Contents 1 Life and career 1 1 Photography 2 Publications 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksLife and career editBorn 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 After the war he edited the monthly journal Canadian Fisherman which would be his main occupation for forty years This publication which ran from 1917 to 1970 remains an important source of information for researchers today 1 He would also write short stories for such pulp magazines as Adventure between 1912 and 1922 2 Wallace began publishing novels in 1907 beginning with Blue Water and several other works including Salt Seas and Sailormen Copyright Canada 1922 and Captain Salvation 1925 Blue Water was made into a 1922 film starring Norma Shearer and directed by David Hartford but it had only a limited theatrical release in saint John where it was partly filmed 3 4 Wallace s Captain Salvation was purchased the Hearst Corporation and released as a film in 1927 directed by John S Robertson 5 6 Both films were from the silent era About forty years later than he preferred to he said in 1924 he published Wooden Ships and Iron Men as a testament to the spirit of the Age of Sail He followed this book with In the Wake of the Windships 1927 and Record of Canadian Shipping 1929 These three historical works became standard references to the deepwater sailing era in Canada In 1929 he wrote Bound for the Rio Grande an operetta based on English shanties performed at the 1929 CPR Festival in Vancouver 7 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 8 9 He died in Montreal on July 15 1958 10 Photography edit 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 Some of these photographs had originally appeared in the National Geographic 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 Publications editBlue Water A Tale of the Deep Sea Fishermen Toronto Musson 1907 Film version The Shack Locker 1916 The Viking Blood 1920 1 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 amp 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 amp 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 References edit Memorial University Births Deaths amp Marriages in Newfoundland Newspapers 1810 1890 Fiction Magazine Index Archived January 19 2015 at the Wayback Machine Accessed January 21 2015 Morris Peter 1978 Embattled Shadows A History of Canadian Cinema 1895 1939 Montreal McGill Queen s University Press p 120 ISBN 0 7735 0323 4 Webb Steven September 11 2022 Lost to history Saint John s silent movie is barely a memory a century later CBC News Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved September 12 2022 American film Institute Silent Films Captain Salvation Classic Film Guide Captain Salvation Canadian Encyclopedia of Music entry CPR Festivals 1929 F W Wallace Roving Fisherman Archived March 20 2008 at the Wayback Machine James P Delgado 1990 Ernestina National Historic Landmark Study Archived January 4 2006 at the Wayback Machine p 5 Novelist Editor Dies Windsor Star Montreal CP July 16 1958 p 10 Retrieved July 15 2020 via Newspapers com Further reading editTaylor M Brook A Camera on the Banks Frederick William Wallace and the Fishermen of the Grand Banks Fredericton Goose Lane Editions 2006 ISBN 0 86492 441 0External links editWorks by Frederick William Wallace at Faded Page Canada Works by Frederick William Wallace at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Frederick William Wallace at Internet Archive Excerpt from Wallace poem and photos aboard the Effie M Morrissey 1912 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frederick William Wallace amp oldid 1159339144, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
