Fontanus - (E-Journal - McGill University)

Möller, Hans


Some Thoughts on TONTANUS" 
Some Thoughts on "FONTANUS 
- ]From the Collections of 
McGill University" 
by Hans Moller 
The Founder and first Editor of FONTANUS discusses the origin of the journal. 
Le fondateur et premier re'dacteur en chef de FONTANUS parle de l'origine de la revue. 
When I came to McGill in 1977, the very rich, 
and at  times unique, collections in the McGill li- 
braries, archives and museums overwhelmed me. 
Later, when I stepped down from the position of se- 
nior library administrator, Drs. Samuel Freedman, 
David Johnston and Eric Ormsby asked me what I 
then most wanted to do. One of my answers was 
to create a journal with articles about the McGill 
collections, articles t o  be written by professional li- 
brarians and by scholars in various fields. 
Although at the time, librarians had only recently 
obtained academic status, the idea of such a journal 
was well accepted. "Try it, but it may prove diffi- 
cult" was the answer. They meant: difficult to  pull 
librarians and professors together in such a creative 
effort and difficult to  obtain enough material t o  fill 
each annual issue. 
These fears proved groundless: the journal suc- 
ceeded and ever since Volume I was published in 
1988 we have always had sufficient articles and illus- 
trations for each issue. Both librarians and profes- 
sors contributed articles of scholarly quality and of 
value to an intellectual audience. 
My original idea for a journal such as FONTANUS 
goes back to  my work in the early 1950s at  the 
Royal Library of Copenhagen, Denmark (the Dan- 
ish National Library) where I was a member of a 
team that created an annual journal, just like ours, 
named FUND OG FORSKNING (Tkeasures and Re- 
search). This journal is still being published today 
after over 40 years. Its purpose was, and still is, to  
bring knowledge out of the fabulous collections in 
that 300-year old library through articles written by 
librarians and other scholars. I hope FONTANUS 
annual journal will run a t  least three hundred years 
into the future! 
Support for FONTANUS grows year by year. It  
has been described by a noted scholar as "One of 
the best scholarly journals I know." Chancellor 
Gretta Chambers and Dean Carman Miller agree 
that it is unthinkable to  have a McGill without 
FONTANUS. A strong editorial board, with such 
members as Frances Groen, Director of Libraries, as 
well as several librarians and professors, has been 
strong and active support for FONTANUS publi- 
cations. Dr. Richard Virr has made a remarkable 
contribution for many years in his role as Associate 
Editor. 
In 1991 it was decided to  add a series of mono- 
graphs under the title FONTANUS MONOGRAPH 
SERIES. To date, twelve volumes have been pub- 
lished, with the generous support of private donors 
and foundations. Thus the FONTANUS publica- 
tions now account for no less than 22 volumes. 


English

Some Thoughts on "Fontanus—From the Collections of McGill University"

-, -

Fontanus Publications 
FONTANUS Uournal) 
v.l 1988 
v.2 1989 
v.3 1990 
v.4 1991 
v.5 1992 Montreal350th Anniversary Issue 
v.6 1993 Redpath Issue 
v.7 1994 Stephen Leacock Issue 
v.8 1995 Women in the University Issue 
v.9 1996 McGill 175th Anniversary Issue 
v.10 1998 Rutherford Cent.enary Issue 
FO 'TANUS MO 'OGRAPH SERIES 
I Adam Gacek, Arabic Manuscripts in the Libraries of McGill University, Union Catalogue, 1991 
II Calvin Evans, Soren Kierkegaard Bibliographies: Remnants 19.U-1980 and Multi-Media, 1925-1991, 
1993 
III Barbara Lawson, Collected Curios: Missionary Tales from the South Seas, 1994 
IV John Hobbins, On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United 
Nations Division of Human Rights, Vol. 1, 1948- 1949, 1994 
V Max Dunbar, Essays from a Life: Scotland, Canada, Greenland, Denmark, 1995 
VI Alberto PereYrG6me-~ and Louise Pelletier, Anamorphosis: An Annotated Bibliography with Special 
Reference to Architectural Representation, 1995 
VII Adam Gacek, Arabic Lithographed Books in the Islamic Studies Library, McGill University, Descriptive 
Catalogue, 1996 
VIII Irena Zantovska Murray, Sources in Iconography in the Blackader-Lauterman Library of Architecture 
and Art, McGill University, An Annotated Bibliography, 1996 
IX John Hobbins, On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United 
Nations Division of Human Rights, Vol. 2, 1950-1951, 1996 
X Joan C. Bevan and Maria A. Pacelli, The Quintessential Canadian Anaesthetist: Wesley Bourne. A 
Retrospective on the Foundations of McGill Anesthesia, 1996 
XI Goldie Sigal, A Garment Worker's Legacy: The Joe Fishstein Collection of Yiddish Poetry, 1998 
XII John Hobbins, On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United 
Nations Division of Human Rights, Vol. 9, 1952-1957, 1998 
Orders may be placed at: 
Marketing Department 
MeGill-Queen's University Press 
3430 McTavish Street 
Montreal QC 
Canada H3A 1X9 
139 



Fontanus Publications

Complete Vol 10 (1998)

Gagnon, Hervé

Nadeau, Christine D.

French

La Contribution de Maude Abbott au Développement de la Muséologie Médicale (1898–1940)

Axelrod, Paul

McGill University on the Landscape of Canadian Higher Education: Historical Reflections

Marley, Carol

Notes and Comments 
With a multipurpose atrium linking it to  Old Chancellor Day Hall on Peel Street, the Nahum Gelber 
Law Library is described in a commemorative brochure as a "suitable consort [for surrounding mansions], 
with its dark seriousness, dignity and occasional touches of whimsy." Hanganu himself has said it is "a box 
- a simple box" conceived to reveal inward beauty and gravity of purpose "for people who come to read and 
learn - and grow." 
According to Toope, the Library is, however, much more than a box - it is a catalyst for the Faculty which, 
poised to mark its 150th anniversary throughout the 1998-99 academic year, is plunging into cyberspace with 
remarkable enthusiasm. Every one of its 350 work stations, for example, is wired for laptops and connected 
to the Internet, with user-friendly technology support "instantly visible as you walk in," he notes. Toope and 
Law Librarian Robert Clarke point out that students have been deeply involved in the project, influencing 
the Library's design to an exceptional degree and helping to ensure that it is the first completely barrier-free 
library in the entire University. 
Implementing the Faculty's new curriculum will continue the momentum forward during 1998-99 and 
beyond. "Our recent revisions are dramatic, but they're based on wide consultation and, in my view, show 
tremendous courage and creativity. Students will have more choice, and the two great legal systems of the 
Western world, common law and civil law, will truly illuminate one another, almost in a dialogue, right from 
the first year of study," says the Dean. 
Walter Hitschfeld Geographic Information Centre 
B y  Carol Marley 
Information Services Librarian 
November 14, 1997 saw the official opening of the new Walter Hitschfeld Geographic Information Centre 
(GIC). Occupying the entire fifth floor of Burnside Hall, the GIC combines the former Walter Hitschfeld 
Environmental Earth Sciences Library with the new GIC Computer Lab devoted primarily to geographic 
information systems (GIs) activities. The library, without walls, serves as a repository of digital geographic 
data (in addition to traditional maps and atlases, as well as collections in the disciplines of cartography and 
GIs). The lab provides the means of analyzing and mapping these data with GIs software and state-of-the 
art computer facilities. The new GIC cost over $280,000, with generous contributions from the Dean of 
Science, Alan Shaver, and the Director of Libraries, Frances Groen. 
This exciting new partnership between the Faculty of Science and the McGill University Libraries has 
enabled the University to bring together a team of GIs "experts" whose mission is t o  further the cause of GIs 
literacy at McGill. There are approximately 60 computers, many of these being Pentium 200 MMXs with 
17 inch monitors attached to  a new file server and Lexmark colour laser printer. Digitizing and scanning 
equipment is also available. There is an interactive classroom for teaching GIs, data retrieval and Web 
navigation. The instructor's computer is permanently connected to  a SONY computer projection system. 
GIs software includes ESRI's Arcview 3.1, and accompanying Network Analyst and Spatial Analyst modules, 
Map Info 4.1 and Idrisi 4 for Windows. 
The GIC is open seven days a week in term time. Graduate students in the Department of Mathematics, 
Geography and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, as well as selected undergraduates, have the additional 
advantage of 24 hour access using a swipe card and PIN system. 
The library's Web page gives details on collections and services, 
Notes and Comments 
The Hitschfeld Hotlist, contained therein, evaluates, organizes and provides access to authoritative Web 
sites in the fields of cartography, geographic information systems, remote sensing, geography, environmental 
studies, global change and pertinent "virtual" reference sources. 
Naming the library in honour of Walter Hitschfeld is eminently fitting. Dr. Hitschfeld not only set the 
tone and the standard for research within McGill as Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice-Principal Research, 
but also became a respected advocate on the national scene for the importance of science education and 
research. The name serves as a reminder of the connection between Walter Hitschfeld and McGill University. 


Walter Hitschfeld Geographic Information Centre

Chronicle

Thomson, George

Canada's Animal Doctor: Duncan McNab McEachran

Graham, Conrad

Figure 1. Samovar. 
Hand-hammered sterling silver. 
Weight: 94 troy ozs. 
Gift of the estate of Mrs. Samuel Bronfman 
(McCord Museum of Canadian History) 
Notes and Comments 
Silverware Crafted by Carl Poul Petersen: 
Recent Donation in the Decorative Arts Collection, 
McCord Museum of Canadian History 
By Conrad Graham 
Curator of Decorative Arts, McCord Museum of Canadian History 
In September 1995 the McCord Museum of Canadian History became the recipient of a major donation of 
Canadian silver. Ninety pieces of silver from the workshop of C. Poul Petersen', a Canadian Dane, were donated 
to the permanent collection. 
Carl Poul Petersen was born in Copenhagen on November 28, 1895 and died in Montreal on April 6, 1977." 
Petersen immigrated to Montreal in 1929 and came as a master goldsmith. He had learned his trade as a silversmith 
under the internationally famous Danish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866-1935) and the "Jensen style" with it fluid 
modem lines can be seen in Petersen's work. Jensen opened his studio in 1904 and about 1908 Petersen began his 
apprenticeship which lasted the usual five years. On his arrival in Montreal, Petersen was able to find employment 
with the firm of Henry Birks and Sons and by 1931 he was able to bring his wife and three sons to Canada.3 
A fellow Canadian Dane was the chauffeur to Samuel Bronfman and introduced Petersen to Bronfman who 
proceeded to commission him to produce a tea and coffee service. This set, illustrated here by the silver samovar 
(Fig. I), was made before Petersen had registered a Canadian hallmark and is stamped P.P. Sterling Danmark, 
although it was made on McGill College Avenue. This became the first commissioned work executed by him in 
Montreal. This commission enabled him to open a shop at 2024 McGill College and according to Lovell's Montreal 
Directory he worked there from 1939 until 1944 where upon he moved his studio to 1221 Mackay Street where they 
stayed until the firm's demise in 1979. 
Petersen operated his studio with his three sons and by the late 1940's employed over twenty assistants to aid 
in the manufacture of hand wrought flatware, hollowware, tableware and j e ~ e l r y . ~  Petersen created all his own 
designs and did not allow his assistants to vary from them.5 From advertising flyers it is possible to identify eleven 
patterns of flatware with three of the most popular illustrated here. These are from left to right "Dolphin, Wild 
Berrie, and Corn." The Dolphin pattern was the least expensive and Corn the most expensive, being double the 
price. 
Petersen silver was very popular in the 1950's and 60's for gift giving purposes and the footed condiment dish 
illustrated here was one shape that has been seen in many Montreal households. 
The firm of C.P. Petersen & Sons may best be known for their version of the Stanley Cup. In the late 1940's 
they received the contract for engraving the cup and making any necessary repairs. In 1962, then NHL president 
Clarence Campbell commissioned a traveling version of the cup which is the one still presented today and kept in 
the home town of the winning team.6 
Mrs. Bronfman was a patron of Petersen for many years and the wide range of serving pieces represented in the 
recent donation (Figs. 2, 3) illustrate the complexity of the silversmith's craft and rightly places Petersen as one 
of the finest silversmiths to work in Canada in the twentieth century. 
Fontanus 1X 1996 
Figure 2. Condiment or Bonbon dish. 
Hand-hammered sterling silver. 
Gift of the estate of Mrs. Samuel Bronfman 
(McCord Museum of Canadian History) 
Figure 3. Serving Spoons and Forks 
Hand-hammered sterling silver. 
Gift of the estate of Mrs. Samuel Bronfman 
(McCord Museum of Canadian History) 
Notes and Comments 
Notes 
1. C. Paul Petersen is the form of listing found for all his entries in LovellS Montreal Directory. 
2 .  Biographical information supplied by his son Ole Petersen from an interview on Februaly 13, 1996. 
3. Idem. 
4. Information supplied by former Vice-Principal (Academic) Eigil Pedersen, October 15, 1995. 
5. Idem. 
6. Montreal Gazene, July 5, 1994. 
In Their Own Write: An Exhibition Celebrating 175 Years of McGill Authorship 
By David McKnight 
Reference Librarian, McLennan Library 
In her 1991 essay "A Torch for All Time" Carol Martin remarks: "Study, analysis, and research-the desire to 
push back, bit by bit, the frontiers of knowledge. These are the forces that lie at the heart of every great 
university. " I  Although it was not apparent 175 years ago that McGill would, in time, evolve into a great university, 
history has judged otherwise. 
Indeed, as the 19th century drew to a close, McGill had emerged as an institution with great promise due to the 
efforts of the "Three Williams:" William Dawson, Sir William Osler, and Sir William Peterson. Each in their own 
way played key roles in laying the foundation of McGill as a world-class university. As the second Millennium 
draws to a close the record of scholarly achievement is now secure. And yet, one thing is constant since James 
McGill set in motion the founding of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning in 1821, then as now, 
the institution now know as McGill University is beset with new challenges which strike to the very core of its 
existence. 
One of the current key issues is how McGill will adapt to the global information revolution which is manifestly 
changing the essence of scholarly communication. Scholarly communication is, of course, the matrix of print 
documents-learned journals, proceedings, and the books, which have sewed as the primary media of expression 
for researchers and scholars since the rise of the modem research university at the end of the last century. 
Certainly it is too early to judge what the long term effects of electronic publishing will have upon the university 
community. Just as the spread of printing throughout Europe at the end of the 15th century gradually replaced hand- 
lettered books, electronic books and journals may in time become the primary medium for the transmission of 
knowledge rendering the printed word rarefied or quaintly antique. As for the immediate future, it is doubtful that 
scholars and researchers will soon abandon the ritual and necessity of scholarly publishing which is integral not only 
to the creation of new knowledge, but also the means of measuring and advancing academic careers. 
This latter concern, the advancement of an academic career, is today commonly referred to as the 'publish or 
perish' syndrome. Since mid-century scholarly publication has been a major component in the tenure granting system 
and has been the proliferation of scholarly journals and monographs despite the appearance of counter-trends which 
include the high cost of journals and monographs, and the shrinkage of public funding for academic presses. The 
impact has been felt in the arts as well as the sciences. 
On the occasion of McGill's 175th anniversary the Humanities and Social Sciences Library is going to celebrate 
the printed book. Drawing from its various collections, an exhibition will be held to highlight some of the great, 
enduring and curious books published by McGill professors, scholars and graduates during the university's long and 
distinguished history. The number and variety of works published by McGill authors is such that works of poetry 


Silverware Crafted by Carl Poul Petersen: Recent Donation in the Decorative Arts Collection, McCord Museum of Canadian History

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