File contains handwritten manuscripts of poems including "Amaranth"; "The Mystery of Love"; "Wot ye What Love is, I Will Not Leave You Comfortless"; "Ballad of Young Jesus and his Father"; "A Wandering Islemen's Song"; "A Good-night"; "Rainbow Haven"; and "A Flint Arrow."
Fonds contains records created and collected by Andrew Merkel, including correspondence with friends and associates such as Charles Bruce, Kenneth Leslie, and Robert Norwood; manuscripts; newspaper clippings; and copies of The Song Fishermens’ Song Sheet and The Order of Good Cheer.
File contains loose manuscript pages of largely handwritten poems, written in pencil or ink variously on writing paper, The Sydney Printing Company letterhead, and foolscap. There are also several typed poems and a page transcribed from Beamish Murdoch's History of Nova Scotia.
File contains a notebook probably dating from Merkel's student years at King's College, which features handwritten poems and illustrations or doodles, as well as three inserts of printed poems. There is also a copy of King's College Record, Vol XXVI, No. 224 (Windsor, NS, February 1905). The first page contains "On Joining the Haliburton Club," October 1905.
Item is a soft cover student notebook containing poems written by Andrew Merkel between 1909 and 1910, including "The Beatification of Joan of Arc" and "Death of King Edward VII."
File contains manuscripts of long poems by Robert Norwood, including "ISSA" and "Aldebaran"; the short stories "Little Essays in Common Sense," numbers 1 & 2; and a play titled "Jumbo." There is also a transcript of "A Prologue of Praise" by William E. Marshall, which was spoken by George Cutten at a lecture-recital given by Norwood in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, on 9 February 1922.
File contains 71 handwritten letters sent from poet Molly Beresford to Andrew Merkel between 1922 and 1936; three postcards; one Christmas card; and four poems, including "The Philosophy of a Would-Be Poet," "Moon Shadows," "To a Fair Lady on returning to her a Pair of Rubber Shoes."
Item is a copy of issue number two of the Song Fishermens' Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Virginia Lynne Tunstall, Evelyn Tufts, Noel Wilcox and Molly Beresford, as well as notes from Bliss Carmen and Stuart McCawley.
File contains 15 issues of a periodical "issued every so often," edited and published by Andrew Merkel out of his Halifax office of the Canadian Press. In addition to publishing the poems of The Song Fishermen, a Halifax literary group that included Andrew Merkel, Kenneth Leslie, Charles G.D. Roberts, Molly Beresford, Bliss Carman, Charles Bruce, and Robert Norwood, it became a vehicle for members to keep in touch with each other, especially those who lived outside of Halifax. Issue numbers 1-4 and 10 were published as "The Song Fishermens' Song Book"; the possessive apostrophe was corrected in the remaining numbers. Number 12 is missing and number 13 took the form of a short book of poems published by Abenaki Press in tribute to Bliss Carman after this death.
Item is a copy of issue number two of the Song Fishermens' Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Bob Leslie and Jerry Murphy, an announcement of poetry recitals by Bliss Carman, and a list of those receiving the song sheet.
Item is a copy of issue number six of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Martha Ann, Mollie Beresford, W.K. Carew, Nathanial A. Benson, Stuart McCawley, Charles Bruce, Bob Leslie and Joe Wallace, and notes about the whereabouts and doings of some members.
Item is a copy of issue number one of the Song Fishermens' Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains an appeal for submissions and a poem by Charles T. Bruce.
Item is a copy of issue number four of the Song Fishermens' Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Kenneth Leslie, R.V. Bannon, J.P.P. Llwyd, and Molly Beresford.
Item is a copy of issue number five of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Annie Campbell Huestis, Charles Bruce, Ellen Hemmeon, Ethel H. Butler, A.L. Fraser and Stuart McCawley, and comments from Jerry Murphy, Joe Wallace, and C.D.G.R.
Item is a copy of issue number 14 of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains an announcement of the winner of the MacAskill-inspired poetry contest and remarks by James Gillis on each entry, which included poems by Robert Leslie, Stuart McCawley (the winner), Joe Wallace, Andrew Merkel, Ethel H. Butler, Michael D, Currie, M. Campbell, Effie MacD Barnes, Katherine F. MacDonald, and Mollie Beresford.
Item is a copy of issue number six of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by W.B., Charles D.G. Roberts, Ellen Hemmeon, Ethel H. Butler and W.J. Carew, and a page of editorial notes and readers comments.
Item is a copy of issue number 11 of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Seumas O'Brien, "Mike," Kenneth Leslie, Estelle Fox, Constance L. Coleman, C. MacRae, Nathaniel A. Benson, H.G. McGrath, Alexander Louis Fraser, Pauline B. Barrington, Frank Graham, Ethel Butler, and Bliss Carman; letters from Stuart McCawley and Ross Macaulay; and an announcement regarding the call for poems celebrating Angus McAskill.
Item is a copy of issue number ten of the Song Fishermens' Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Charles Bruce, Alexander Louis Fraser, E.H.B., Andrew Merkel, Kenneth Leslie, Joe Wallace and Stewart McCawley, and letters from James D. Gillis, Robert Norwood, Bliss Carman, Martha Ann, J.A. MacGlashen and Seamus O'Brien.
Item is a copy of In the Offing: A Tribute to Bliss Carman, which was printed for private circultion by The Abanaki Press in Halifax in June 1929. It was considered the thirteenth number of The Song Sheet and dedicated to Carman. Table of contents include: The sea gypsy / Richard Hovey. -- In the offing / Bliss Carman. -- Reinforcement for the city under the star / Charles Bruce. -- Flood tide / Ethel H. Butler. -- Go, lank rover / Kenneth Leslie. -- What new wonders / Andrew Merkel. The issue includes a small original photograph pasted to the first page and a printed photograph of Bliss Carman taken by M.O. Hammon attached to the back cover.
Item is a copy of issue number 15 of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains an announcement of the song sheet's upcoming first year anniversary, an essay on the rewards of living in Nova Scotia and having the leisure to think and write, and poems by Robert Leslie and Joe Wallace.
Item is a copy of issue number nine of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains verses by Ethel H. Butler, Bob Leslie, Noel H. Wilcox, Alexander Louis Fraser, Charles Bruce, "Willie," "A.C.H.," King Hazen, Grace and Joe Wallace, and Stuart McCauley, and notes from and about readers and contributors.
Item is a copy of issue number 16 of the Song Fishermen's Song Sheet, a poetry newsletter issued "every so often" and published by Andrew Merkel on behalf of the Song Fishermen. This issue contains a letter from J.D. Gillis recounting his first visit to Halifax since 1916 in order to attend the Song Fishermen's picnic, and poems by R.V. Bannon, E. Chesley Allen, John Mosher, and Stuart McCawley.
File contains two copies of a transcript of General Paton's speech to the Third Army on the eve of the Allied Invasion of France. The source is not provided—Paton's speeches were extemporaneous and there were several versions based on reports at the time.
Item is a copy of the 1944 abridged edition printed by Imperial Publishing Company. The copy has pencil annotations, which primarily indicate the striking out of passages.
File contains letters of acknowledgement and congratulation from W.A. Buchanan, former president and director of the Canadian Press; A.R. Coffin; "Mike," chief accountant at The Canadian Press; Ben Deacon, manager of the Canadian National Railway System Press Bureau; Robert W.A. Dunn, Montreal Daily Star; Harold Fair, Reuters, New York; J.K. Grainger, vice president of Moncton Publishers Limited; G. Hambleton, Canadian Information Service; Clara L.K. Holmes, CPR; Freeman Jenkins, president of the United Mine Workers of America; C. LeCouteur, Sydney Post-Record; L.H. Mulland, Cable and Wireless Limited; "the Parson," Annapolis Royal; Sam Ross, Vancouver's CKWX; Donald R. Smith, managing editor of The Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB; Norma Smith, The Ottawa Journal; Bob Stanson, Archie and Bill Bartlett, Montreal Daily Star; and Walter S. Thompson, director of public relations at Canadian National Railway System.
File contains a letter of congratulation on Merkel's retirement and another forwarding a request from M.E. Nichols regarding Merkel's contribution to a history of The Canadian Press.
Item is a 1000 word article by Andrew Merkel reporting the development of historic gardens adjacent to the reconstructed Habitation in Lower Granville. The manuscript contains no information about where or whether the article was published.
File also includes three drafts of an address made by Charles Bruce at a dinner held on 11 May 1946 in honour of Andrew Merkel's retirement as Atlantic superintendent of The Canadian Press and a copy of the CP Informative Bulletin, which includes an account of the dinner and tributes to Merkel from editors at Halifax Herald and Halifax Chronicle.
Series comprises correspondence with friends, colleagues and publishers as well as manuscripts solicited by Merkel from other journalists about their reminiscences of life and work in the Halifax Bureau and/or about aviation for AIR (Atlantic Radio and Aviation).
