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Reflections: The Shakespeareland connection

To follow up on the column that appeared in last Saturday’s edition of the Beacon Herald, submitted by the Stratford-Perth Archives about the history of the Shakespearean Gardens and the aspirations for a restoration of the Gardens, there seems to some confusion as to why there was a connection made with Shakespeareland.

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Stratford-Perth Archives

To follow up on the column that appeared in last Saturday’s edition of the Beacon Herald, submitted by the Stratford-Perth Archives about the history of the Shakespearean Gardens and the aspirations for a restoration of the Gardens, there seems to some confusion as to why there was a connection made with Shakespeareland.

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Shakespeareland was a privately owned tourist attraction that was not part of the Stratford parks system. However, the company that built Shakespeareland was among those consulted, years ago in regards to building a full-scale replica of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage for the parks board. Shakespeareland (and the vintage postcard showing it) was mentioned in remembrance of an attraction that many look back on with fondness. It was added as an additional topic of interest in relation to Stratford’s history, and not meant to confuse anyone who might be wondering why it was included in an article about the Shakespearean Gardens. Our apologies go out to anyone to whom this may have caused some consternation.

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The postcard included this week was printed just after the opening of the Shakespearean Gardens in the late 1930s and is also from the collections of the Stratford-Perth Archives.

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As a reminder, the Friends of the Shakespearean Gardens, headed by Reg White, a former member of the parks board, and Colleen Devine, are working diligently on restoring the Shakespearean Gardens. They have created a new visitors’ guide, for the gardens, which will be available next spring. If you are interested in joining the Friends of the Shakespearean Gardens or have any questions, please contact Reg White at 519-273-0952, or Colleen Devine at 519-274-4930, for more details.

Although the Stratford-Perth Archives building was closed to the public from March until the end of August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to help researchers. Service by phone and email is still an option, but if you’re ready, please contact us to set up appointments to use the collections or to meet with the archivist to discuss possible donations of archival material. We can be reached at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or archives@perthcounty.ca.

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