Online Exhibit Portrays Province in 1930s and 1940s

TOURISM, CULTURE AND HERITAGE--Online Exhibit Portrays Province in 1930s and 1940s

A virtual exhibit now available on the Nova Scotia Archives' website offers visitors an intriguing look at life in Nova Scotia during the 1930s and 1940s.

Clara Dennis: The Quest for the Soul of Nova Scotia tells the story of the province's first female travel writer, and uses Ms. Dennis's own photographs to display Nova Scotia in the years between the First and Second World Wars.

"The launch of this online exhibit acknowledges the significant contribution that Clara Dennis's work made to Nova Scotia's documentary heritage," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

When Clara Dennis was growing up in Halifax in the early 1900s, it was barely acceptable for women to work outside the home, and then only if extra income was needed. Ms. Dennis's father, Senator William Dennis, owned the Halifax Herald Limited and published the city's two leading newspapers. Clara did not need an income, but she did want to write.

During her 25-year career as a travel writer, Ms. Dennis produced three books and a variety of newspaper and magazine articles, all celebrating Nova Scotia, with a focus on attracting tourists.

Nearly 80 black-and white images were selected from her personal photo albums for this exhibit. Some are accompanied by excerpts from her books. The exhibit focuses on industry, scenery, built heritage and natural resources, but above all, on men, women and children going about their daily activities.

The highlight of the exhibit is a magazine article from 1929 titled, Into the North of Cape Breton by Motor with the First Woman to Drive over Cap Rouge. The article describes a memorable road trip undertaken by Ms. Dennis when motor vehicles were still a novelty in northern Cape Breton, women drivers were even more unusual, and the Cabot Trail was neither complete nor paved.

Clara Dennis: The Quest for the Soul of Nova Scotia is available on the Archives' website at www.gov.ns.ca/nnsarm/virtual/dennis .