Friday, June 24, 2016

Vikings And Heroes

I paid a visit to Library And Archives Canada during Doors Open. The complex, which sits west of the Supreme Court and across from the Garden of the Provinces, provides some of the same services as the Library of Congress, for my American readers. The headquarters building was completed in 1967. While I've featured the exterior periodically before, this is the first time I've photographed inside.

Within the lobby, this plaque caught my eye. It features old Norse runes in the center, with English and French translations at either side. Two accounts, of Bjarni Herjolfsson and Leif Erikson, describing the sighting and early landing in North America by Viking sailors, are translated in vivid detail.


There was also an exhibit going on here on the main floor, of Canada and comic books. That includes characters in Canadian publications, characters of Canadian roots, and Canadian creative talent working on familiar characters. Joe Shuster, for example, the co-creator of Superman, was born and grew up in Canada, and some of those influences went into the character. Many contemporary Canadian comics writers and artists are in the industry today working on major titles. Canadian characters include Marvel's Wolverine (who I refer to as the Drunken Hobbit), Deadpool (who never stops talking), and the Alpha Flight team, while DC recently had one of their Justice League teams operate out of Canada, with a Canadian member. 

29 comments:

  1. Great exhibition. Have a wonderful day!

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  2. A great exhibition apart from I would not like trying to cope with reading French

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  3. Sounds like a great exhibition. Have a good day William!

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  4. Excelente trabalho e bela reportagem.
    Um abraço e bom fim de semana.
    Andarilhar

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  5. i love superheros. so so cool!! i always if had to pick ... i love Captain America. wish Catwoman & other lady superheros weren't so cheesy. ( :

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  6. Fascinating! The Vikings were simply astonishing. I'm probably more interested in them now than DC comics etc (though it used to be the other way round), but I'd love to see that exhibition - and I didn't know that Superman had a Canadian dad.

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  7. @Nancy: thanks!

    @Bill: my French is rusty from lack of use.

    @Bill: thanks!

    @Francisco: thank you!

    @Beth: I recommend Black Widow or Captain Marvel.

    @Mike: Shuster worked for awhile at the Toronto Star, and early on in the run, Clark Kent worked for a newspaper called the Star, as I understand. The influence of the Star carried on into the Daily Planet.

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  8. I like your photos of the comics exhibition.

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  9. Very interesting re the Vikings William, Aimee would have loved the comic exhibition!

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  10. Those Vikings really got around!!

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  11. This is most interesting. I didn't know Superman's dad was a Canadian! Some of my ancestors were Vikings. Wait, maybe it was they rooted for the Minnesota Vikings?

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  12. I didn't know Superman was Canadian. I thought he was Kryptonian!

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  13. You packed a lot into this open doors weekend.

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  14. I have never been a fan of the DC comics, but I really enjoyed your photos, William!

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  15. @Jan: thanks!

    @Grace: it was fun to check out.

    @Kate: they did. There's a Viking site up in Newfoundland that's now a historical site, and where there would be one, there must be other old settlements.

    @Lowell: yes, the Boy Scout is part Canadian!

    @Norma: he's that too!

    @Sharon: I didn't get to as many places as I'd liked to have gone, but I got to a lot.

    @Linda: thanks!

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  16. I did not think of Superman as a Canadian, so I have learned something new:)

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  17. Never cared much for the Marvel comic book heroes but Superman---why he or his illustrator was Canadian---YES!
    Fun to know--haha
    Love all the stories about the Vikings. Have seen (on documentaries) the dig in New Brunswick---very interesting.
    MB

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  18. pretty neat - from ancient to futuristic. :)

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  19. That looks like a great exhibit!

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  20. Canada is beloved for good reasons!

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  21. The building is as old as me! Or should I say young ;)

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  22. I was in the library at the back? of the parliament buildings. that impressed me so this one would be greater.

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  23. @Gunn: he tends to be quite the red white and blue hero, but once you know about some of those roots, it's understandable!

    @Beth: I greatly prefer the Marvel characters over DC, but there are some good ones in the DC stable.

    @Tex: quite a contrast in subjects.

    @RedPat: it was- I enjoyed it. I know Library and Archives tends to put on exhibits regularly. They had one on hockey some months back.

    @Cloudia: indeed!

    @Marleen: it does look to be a product of the era, architecturally speaking.

    @Red: this certainly is a whole lot bigger than the Parliamentary Library, particularly when you add on other facilities coming under the Library and Archives banner, but the Parliamentary Library on the Hill itself is an exquisitely beautiful space.

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  24. This looks like fun. It's nice to learn about some Canadian cultural contributions.

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  25. Uh, you do know comic book heroes are fictional, right? ;-)

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  26. Hah! I love it! Are you comicon fan?!

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  27. @Revrunner: in a manner of speaking!

    @Mari: true!

    @Kay: it is.

    @Linda: they are? :)

    @Jennifer: I am, yes.

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