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THBSir Wilfred Grenfell, English Medical Missionary, Collection Incl. Pictorial Hooked Rug, Signed Photograph & Books
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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About Auction
LiveNov 17, 2017 - Nov 18, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (372)
- Lot Description
A charming collection capturing the adventurous life and unique character of Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940), an English medical missionary and author of several works detailing his expeditions.
Lot includes one rectangular hooked rug, 40.25 x 25.5 in., depicting a whale surfacing out of water in the left foreground, with a lighthouse shining from shore on the right side. Rug acquired by Grenfell in Newfoundland, where he established the industry that taught women how to use the hooking method and provided them with the raw materials to create these extraordinary pieces.
Also included are several of Grenfell's major works, including hardback copies of Labrador: The Country and the People (1922), Tales of the Labrador (1929) with hand-drawn illustration and signature, Forty Years for Labrador (1923) with hand-drawn illustration and signature, A Labrador Doctor: The Autobiography of Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (1919) with hand-drawn illustration and signature, and a small paperback pamphlet titled, "A Brick for Labrador," with hand-drawn illustration and signature.
Additionally, a signed 6 x 9 in. photograph of Grenfell, made by E. Purdy & Co., Boston, MA, and a copy of Labrador Odyssey: The Journal and Photographs of Eliot Curwen on the Second Voyage of Wilfred Grenfell, 1893 (1996, Edited by Ronald Rompkey) are included in this lot.
Moving to London in 1882, Sir Wilfred Grenfell studied medicine at London Hospital Medical College and Oxford University, graduating in 1889. Having an adventurous spirit and a heart for service, Grenfell joined the National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, and was sent to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1892 with the goal of improving the lives of the island's fishermen and year-round inhabitants. By 1900, Grenfell had established a hospital in the town of St. Anthony, at the tip of Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. Struck not only by the medical needs, but the economic, social, and spiritual needs of the people he encountered, Grenfell was determined to do more. Expanding the scope of his medical expedition, Grenfell created cottage industries and built orphanages, churches, a cooperative building, and a dry dock. One of the most famous of these additional projects was a handicraft industry, in which island residents could make and sell knitted goods and hooked rugs, like the one featured in this collection. Grenfell went on to establish the International Grenfell Association, still in existence today, ensuring that his work would continue for generations beyond his own.
Grenfell was a seemingly tireless advocate for his cause, making the world aware of the great need of the struggling Northlanders through his articles, books, and speaking tours in Canada and the United States. As such, he was a successful fundraiser for the Mission, securing major contributions from inspired donors internationally. His efforts not only furthered his mission, but won him personal fame as well, as the University of Oxford elected him their first Honorary M.D. recipient in 1907, the College of Surgeons of America elected him an honorary fellow in 1915, and King George V knighted Grenfell for his many years of service in 1927. Grenfell received numerous other honors before his death in 1940, but perhaps the most fitting tribute is the boulder housing his ashes at St. Anthony, a representation of his life’s passion and work for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. As historian Ronald Rompkey writes, “Grenfell was one of the last spiritual adventurers, the manly Christians who carried the code of service into the remote places of earth…”
Rug fully intact, with minor discoloration in a few places. Books in varying conditions, all intact. Photograph with minor discoloration and some markings, with bottom left corner torn off.Condition
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Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You!
If you'd like a shipping estimate before the auction, contact Cowan's in-house shipping department at shipping@cowans.com or 513.871.1670 x219.
At the request of the buyer, Cowan's will authorize the shipment of purchased items. Shipments usually occur within two weeks after payment has been received. Shipment is generally made via UPS Ground service. Unless buyer gives special instructions, the shipping method shall be at the sole discretion of Cowan's Auctions, Inc.. Cowan's is in no way responsible for the acts or omissions of independent handlers, packers or shippers of purchased items or for any loss, damage or delay from the packing or shipping of any property.
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