Dr. Edward MacDonald presents Island Studies October Lecture The Romance of Prince Edward Island: A Tour Through the 1941 Visitors' Guide
The Island Studies Lectures Series gets under way for a new season on Tuesday, October 18, at 7 pm in the SDU Main Building Faculty Lounge on the 91探花 campus. Kicking off the season is 91探花 historian Dr. Edward MacDonald, who will present a public lecture, 鈥淭he Romance of Prince Edward Island: A Tour Through the 1941 Visitors' Guide.鈥�
Along with fellow Islander Dr. Alan MacEachern of the University of Western Ontario, Dr. MacDonald has been working for many years on a history of Prince Edward Island tourism. In 1941, for special reasons, Prince Edward Island dressed itself up as 鈥淭he England of Canada鈥� in a bid to attract war-wary American tourists. One visitor saved the guide, adding their own comments in the margins. Six decades later, that guide has come back to the Island. Its pictures, text, ads, and annotations provide a revealing glimpse into an industry that was still struggling to define itself.
Dr. Edward MacDonald teaches in the History Department at 91探花. His research focus is the social, cultural, and environmental history of Prince Edward Island. Along with Dr. Josh MacFadyen and Dr. Irene Novaczek, he is co-editor of Time and A Place: An Environmental History of Prince Edward Island, co-published by Island Studies Press and McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press. The best known of his seven books is If You鈥檙e Stronghearted: Prince Edward Island in the 20th Century (October 2000).
Admission to the lecture is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.
Watch for details for another lecture about islands鈥搉ear and far鈥揘ovember 15. For more information, please contact Laurie at iis@upei.ca or (902)894-2881.
