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 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 1000 word article by Andrew Merkel reporting on the arguments in favour and against the building of a causeway or upgrading the bridge spanning the Annapolis River at the point at which it is divided by Coat Island, between Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry. The manuscript contains no information about where or whether the article was published.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 partial manuscript written by Andrew Merkel describing how he came to live in Lower Granville after his retirement. The first page is missing and it's unclear whether there are more missing after page number six. The manuscript contains no information about where or whether the article was published.
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).
Item is a typed manuscript draft written in conjunction with or as preparation for Merkel's bicentenary anniversary committee's "Founding of Halifax" compilation.
Item is a typed manuscript dedicated to His Worship, The Mayor / and Corporation of the City of Halifax / on the occasion of its Bicentenary Anniversary, 1949. The manuscript includes a poem by Charles Bruce: "Port of Halifax."
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.
Subseries consists of typewritten manuscripts of 1000 word articles by Andrew Merkel largely regarding events in Granville and the Annapolis Basin. Letters to R.J. Rankin at The Herald that accompany several of the manuscripts suggest that these articles were all submitted to (and published by) the Halifax newspaper.
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.
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."
Item is a four-page address about the Historical Association of Annapolis Royal's development of the site of the Habitation gardens and Harriet Richardson's efforts on their behalf. It was given by Andrew Merkel in Truro on November 28th, 1947.
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.
File contains four manuscript copies of a one-act play by Andrew Merkel titled variously "Harriet Richardson" and "Mrs. Richardson Wins." The latter version contains hand-written edits that appear in the both copies titled "Harriet Richardson." One manuscript lists the author as "Marc Lescarbot" and is two pages longer than the others. The copy typed on legal-sized onion skin paper contains a note that the play was originally presented at the Community Centre, Annapolis Royal, on 5th June 1947. There is also a short note critiquing the play.
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.
