Quebec Tercentenary Celebration

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure

The Quebec Tercentenary, 1908 - JD Kelly & AH Hider

Orig. lithograph - Size - 15 x 30"
Found - Clappison's Corners, ON
Signed JD Kelly & AH Hider

The Quebec Tercentenary:

A huge military pageant was held on the Plains of Abraham.

Two of Canada's top artists, JD Kelly and AH Hider collaborated on this magnificent litho to capture the occasion with all its pomp and ceremony. Hider probably painted the horses - his specialty - and Kelly did the rest.

It was six years after the end of the Boer War, and six years since the Duke of Cornwall had been in Canada to present medals to the Boer War volunteers. His grandmother (Victoria) and father (Edward, the Prince of Wales) were both alive.

This time, as the Canadian Army marches past, the Duke returned to take the salute as Prince of Wales - Victoria had died and Edward was now Edward VII.

Standing behind the "king in waiting," in frock coats, are Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Lord Strathcona.

But only two years later he will be crowned King George V.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure

Serving Tray - Quebec Tercentenary, 1908

Orig. tin - Size - 34 x 41 cm
Found - Quebec, PQ

A very rare and fabulous memorabilia tray in very fine condition featuring cameos of all the notables who were being celebrated on the occasion. The monument in the centre was erected in the early 19th century in honour of Wolfe and Montcalm and sits at the foot of the Governor's Garden beside the Chateau Frontenac overlooking the Lower Town where it all began in 1608.

No King or Queen attended the festivities, not even a royal pair. George the Duke of York came over to host the event, without his consort Princess Alexandra. Both had toured Canada in 1902. Within two years George would be crowned George V (in 1911).

In 2008, for the Quadricentenary Celebrations, no British royalty of any kind was formally invited, as the nationalist fervour was for celebrating the French, not the British fact, in their province. Even though a huge part of the money for the celebrations came from Canadian Government sources. Amid these ethnic controversies many regard these festivities as a pale imitation of the Tercentenary Celebrations of 1908 when Canadians, not just French nationalists, proudly took part in what was actually the founding of Canada.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure	This fabulous Wedgwood plate is one of the finest memorabilia plates ever produced for a Canadian historical event. It celebrates the Quebec Tercentenary in 1908, honouring the founding of Quebec three hundred years before by Champlain. It is the only such plate we have ever seen and must have been a highly coveted treasure at the time. It features a cameo of Champlain who founded Canada's first permanent settlement at Quebec below the hill, and a picture of the first house - his Habitation - he built on the site in 1608. It was a combination of housing for his little band, and fortification to protect them should the Indians prove hostile.

*Wedgwood Plate - Quebec Tercentenary, 1908*
Orig. plate - Size - 25 cm Found - Quebec, PQ

The location is marked on the side of the Church Notre-Dame-de- nos-Victoires on the Place Royale in the Lower Town. The plaque is on the lower right of the front wall just below the window.

The location - the heart and spiritual centre of old French Canada - is one of the most visited sites in Quebec.

The Habitation fronted the river, flowing behind the buildings on the left of the photo below, so you would have been looking at the side of Champlain's building from this view.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure	Found in a remarkable state of preservation is a rare original copy of the official souvenir program of the week long festivities, from July 20 - 31, 1908, marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of Canada, by Champlain at Quebec. It contains 24 pages, and includes photographs and a large fold-out map that shows the festivities were to take place on the very battlefield on which Wolfe had defeated Montcalm in 1759, so effectively ending the French Regime in Canada. The cover of the program, with a balance between a French and an English soldier, drew attention to the fact that, in 1908, Canada had been under French and English rule for the same length of time - 150 years each.

*Souvenir Program, Quebec Tercentenary - July 1908*
Orig. program - Size - 15 x 26 cm Found - Portland, ME 24 pages with photos & map

IIIe Centenaire de Québec. For the occasion a special set of stamps was struck, featuring the historic personalities and highlights that were to be celebrated.

The Prince & Princess of Wales. The Prince was the guest of honour.

Jacques Cartier the "discoverer" & Samuel de Champlain the founder of Quebec City.

Queen Alexandra & King Edward VII

Champlain's Habitation 1608

Montcalm the Vanquished, Wolfe the Victor in 1759, when French Canada became English.

Quebec as it looked in 1700.

The fur trade canoes - which were the lifeblood of New France - leaving for the West

Arrival of Cartier at Quebec in 1535

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure	A fine souvenir of the Tercentenary it is the most common plate from the event that can still be found. Being smaller it was cheaper to buy than its more gaudy flow blue cousin above. The plate symbolized the theme of the Tercentenary: 150 years of French History wedded to 150 years of British History in the make-up of Canada. The plate memorialized the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 when Wolfe - cameo left - defeated Montcalm - came right - and New France became British Canada. Separating them is the column erected on the battlefield where Wolfe was killed at the moment of victory. Montcalm died too later in the day. For 150 years his skull was on display for tourists in the religious building in which he died. Only a few years ago it was removed from view - to the great chagrin of thousands of school children who had seen it - and buried

*WA Reynolds - Quebec Tercentenary Plate, 1908*
Orig. plate - Image Size - 19 cm Found - London, ON

Quebec Tercentenary Celebration - 1908