“Did astronomers at the Dominion Observatory discover a new planet? Read all about it!” François Charles Pierre Henroteau, Miriam Seymour Burland and Planet ‘X’ – or was it Planet ‘Y’, part 2

Apr 9, 2025

Categories

Sciences

Social Science & Culture

Space

Media

Article

By: Rénald Fortier

Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

The Belgian (Canadian?) astronomer François Charles Pierre Henroteau. Anon., “L’observatoire d’Ottawa a-t-il fait la découverte d’une nouvelle planète?” Le Droit, 23 April 1930, 10.

Hello there, my punctual reading friend. Unlike yours truly, you are right on time to peer into the emptiness of space, the final frontier, and look at the discovery of a trans-Neptunian planet by Canadian astronomers in April 1930.

The reason for my delay? Informatics problems, and for once, they were not mine. Ah, computers, how I hate them? Let me count the ways, but back to our story.

The March 1930 announcement mentioned in the 1st part of this article, yes, that of a trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto, led to a search in the collection of photographic plates of the Dominion Observatory, in Ottawa, Ontario.

More precisely, it led to a search for Planet ‘X’ upon photographic plates dating from 1920 to 1924. At least some staff members seemed to think that the new planet, yes, again, the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto, would be visible in at least a few places. Up to 500 or so photographic plates might have been examined. Small photographic plates, a fact which did not help the search of what would undoubtedly have been a very faint celestial body.

The result of that search turned out to be very interesting indeed. Let us investigate, shall we?

Yours truly has uncovered articles published by no less than 22 Canadian daily newspapers located in at least 5 provinces on 23 April 1930. And here is a list of those provinces, with the cities where the newspapers in question were published:

- Alberta (Calgary, 1 daily; Edmonton, 1 daily)

- British Columbia (Vancouver, 2 dailies; Victoria, 1 daily)

- Ontario (Brantford, 1 daily; Hamilton, 1 daily; Kingston, 1 daily; Kitchener, 1 daily; North Bay, 1 daily; Ottawa, 3 dailies, including a francophone one; Owen Sound, 1 daily; Sault Ste. Marie, 1 daily; Toronto, 1 daily)

- Québec (Montréal, 2 dailies, including a francophone one; Québec, 1 francophone daily; Sherbrooke, 2 dailies, including a francophone one), and

- Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, 1 daily).

And here is a front page of one of the newspapers in question…

A front page with a prominent headline announcing the observation of the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto by Canadian astronomers based in Ottawa, Ontario. Anon., “Ottawa Observers Photographed New Planet X.” The Ottawa Evening Citizen, 23 April 1930, 1.

Pretty cool, eh?

Depending on which of those publications a person read, she or he would have concluded that Canadian astronomers had, perhaps or in fact, unknowingly discovered Pluto or a brand new trans-Neptunian planet. Wah!

Yes, yes, my reading friend, you read it right. Canadian astronomers might have discovered a brand new planet.

And yes, a far greater number of American newspapers covered that same story on 23 April.

You knew that Neptune was the planet known to be the furthest from the Sun before the discovery of Pluto, hence the expression trans-Neptunian used to identify a planet located furthers still from the Sun, now did you not, my reading friend? Sigh… What did people learn in school these past decades? Anyway, let us move on.

And yes, my shocked reading friend who likes to jump from one subject to another, there are indeed people today who believe that the Earth is flat. If the results of a 2021 survey were to be believed, about 10% of adult Americans (seriously?) held such beliefs. Another recent survey, made in Canada this time, revealed that about 5% of adult Canadians (seriously?) held similar beliefs. The mind boggles, but back to our story before my little noggin explodes.

You may wish to note, my eagle-eyed reading friend, that The Toronto Daily Star of… Toronto, Ontario, an important Canadian newspaper if there was one, published its text on page 32 and that this text was really quite tiny. Mind you, the articles published by several other Canadian newspapers were not exactly ginormous either. Those published in a significant if faraway city like Vancouver, British Columbia, for example.

The absence of so much as a semicolon, em dash or comma (Hello, EP!) on the potential discovery of a planet by Canadian astronomers in 23 April issues of daily newspapers as important as La Presse of Montréal or The Gazette, also of Montréal, was even more puzzling.

Yours truly wonders if the time, early in the morning perhaps, at which those newspapers reached newsstands might explain the lack of articles, but I digress. Again.

As you might have guessed by now, the search in the collection of photographic plates of the Dominion Observatory was not in vain.

By the way, that search was conducted by a Belgian (Canadian?) astronomer and head of the physical astronomy department at said observatory, François Charles Pierre Henroteau, as well as a Québec / Canadian astronomer, Miriam Seymour Burland, the 1st woman on staff at the Dominion Observatory.

Actually, Henroteau and Burland calculated where the celestial body should be. The two of them then went looking for it in the photographic plate collection of the observatory.

Burland was born in Saint-Lambert, Québec, in early September 1902. After graduating from Longueuil and Montreal South High School, in… Longueuil, Québec, she studied mathematics and physics at McGill University, in Montréal, an institution of high learning mentioned on moult occasions in our blog / bulletin / thingee, and this since December 2018. Burland graduated in the Spring of 1926.

Sometime before or after that date, Burland developed an interest in astrophysics through a Québec / Canadian astronomer / astrophysicist and lecturer at McGill University, Alice Vibert “Allie” Douglas, born Alice Douglas Vibert. In any event, she, yes, Burland, joined the Astrophysics Division of the Dominion Observatory in 1927.

Incidentally, Douglas was the 1st member of the species Homo sapiens to receive a doctorate in astrophysics from a Québec university, as well as one of the first women to accomplish this feat in North America.

A brief digression if I may. You do remember that Arthur Stanley Eddington was mentioned in the 1st part of this article, now do you not, my reading friend? Yes? Good.

Now, would you believe that Douglas published a superb biography of that English astronomer / mathematician / philosopher of science / physicist / populariser of science? The Life of Arthur Stanley Eddington came out in October 1956.

And yes, you are indubitably correct, my reading friend. Burland was indeed mentioned in a February 2021 issue of our awesome blog / bulletin / thingee, in an article which was not written by yours truly.

Incidentally, it has been suggested that Burland was the 1st woman employed by Canada’s federal government to be allowed to wear pants on the job, a skirt not providing enough warmth and protection in an observatory, a building with a large opening which could be friggin’ cold in winter. I kid you not.

She apparently needed some sort of ministerial waiver to wear said pants. A waiver. The mind boggles. Canada was indeed a stuffy, stodgy, provincial, parochial, insular and hidebound backwater in the 1920s and 1930s, but I digress.

Henroteau, on the other hand, was born in Liège / Lièche / Lîdje / Luik / Liege, Belgium, and this toward the end of February 1889.

Yours truly will devote a sizeable amount of space on Henroteau, if only because he has been pretty much forgotten, unlike Burland who has her own Wikipedia page, available in Spanish, Euskara / Basque, English and Arabic. I kid you not.

Oddly enough, Henroteau seemingly came into this world precisely 20 years before the 1st controlled and sustained flight of a powered aeroplane on Canadian soil, a flight made by a young Canadian engineer, John Alexander Douglas McCurdy, aboard an aeroplane of his own design, the Aerodrome No. 4 Silver Dart.

That American-made aeroplane was the most successful machine developed by the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), an American and Canadian group founded in Canada in 1907 by the Scottish American, yes, yes, American, inventor / teacher Alexander Graham “Alec” Bell.

And yes, my reading friend, you are quite right in thinking that Bell, McCurdy and the AEA are known to us. They were mentioned in many previous issues of our amaaazing blog / bulletin / thingee:

- McCurdy, since September 2017,

- Bell, since October 2018, and

- the AEA, also since October 2018,

but back to our story.

Soon after earning his doctorate in mathematics and physical sciences from the Université libre de Bruxelles, in… Bruxelles / Brussel / Brussele / Brussels, Belgium, in 1911, Henroteau carried out an internship at the Observatoire royal de Belgique, located in Uccle / Ukkel,… Belgium, near Brussels. He then taught mathematics in Belgium.

Henroteau fled his home and native land in August 1914, pretty much when Brussels fell to the troops of the Deutsches Heer which overran and occupied virtually all of Belgium at that time.

Henroteau initially went to England. At some point in late 1914, for example, he began to work at the Stonyhurst Observatory, an astronomical observatory / weather station located on the site of Stonyhurst College, a roman catholic private school located near the village of Hurst Green, England. While there, Henroteau worked for / with a prominent member of the British astronomical community, a English jesuit amateur astronomer / music director / teacher by the name of Aloysius Laurence Cortie.

In February 1916, however, Henroteau was appointed visiting assistant astronomer at the Detroit Observatory of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor,… Michigan. He seemingly arrived in the United States in March.

What was supposed to be a one-year appointment in one university turned into a stay at 3 universities which lasted until after the end of the First World War, a dreadful and, dare one state, utterly unnecessary conflict.

In 1917-18, for example, Henroteau could be found at the Lick Observatory of the University of California, an astronomical observatory located near San Jose,… California. At some later point in 1918, he became an assistant astronomer at the Alleghany Observatory of the University of Pittsburgh, in… Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Henroteau remained there until 1919.

Henroteau used the opportunity offered to him to visit several if not many American observatories where he learned a great deal about astrophysics. All in all, he did very well for himself during the First World War.

Henroteau joined the staff of the Dominion Observatory in the early Autumn of 1919, as an assistant astronomer. He soon began to take hundreds, if not thousands of photographs of the heavens, using the observatory’s refracting telescope, but back to our story.

And you have a question… What exactly is a refracting telescope? A valid question and one well worth asking. A refracting telescope, or refractor, is a type of optical telescope which uses a lens to form the image observed by astronomers.

A reflecting telescope, or reflector, on the other hand, is a type of optical telescope which uses a one or more mirrors to form that image, but back to our story. Again. Good question, though.

By the way, did you know that the refracting telescope of the Dominion Observatory can be found in the collection of the Canada Science and Technology Museum, in Ottawa, a sister / brother museal institution of the world class Canada Aviation and Space Museum, also located in Ottawa?

Two of the February 1924 photographs of the collection of photographic plates of the Dominion Observatory, in Ottawa, Ontario, located by François Charles Pierre Henroteau and Miriam Seymour Burland which allegedly showed the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto. That planet, visible in the image on the left, taken on 7 February 1924, was indicated by the arrow. The cross in the image on the right, taken on 29 February, on the other hand, showed that this same planet was no longer in the position it had occupied 22 days before, a position indicated by an arrow. Anon., “La découverte de la planète transneptunienne est prévue et attendue depuis longtemps, et le seul véritable intérêt de son étude sera la vérification de certaines lois astronomiques.” Sciences et Voyages, 19 June 1930, 14.

To repeat what has been said (typed?) above, the search in the Dominion Observatory’s collection of photographic plates was not in vain. Indeed, Henroteau and Burland found a trio of photographic plates dating from February 1924 on which they could see a planetary body whose position and distance to the Sun seemed to match those of the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto.

Actually, Henroteau spotted that planetary body on a photographic plate dating from 29 February 1924. Burland then spotted it on a photographic plate dating from 7 February. Both images might have been captured by Henroteau himself.

A renowned Canadian astronomer, the director the Dominion Observatory in fact, Robert Meldrum Stewart, quickly sent a message to that effect, presumably a telegram, to Harlow Shapley, a renowned American astronomer and director of a distribution centre for astronomical information, namely the Harvard College Observatory of… Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Stewart might, I repeat might, have thought that the plates examined by Henroteau and Burland were the earliest on which one could see the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto, which was far from the case, as you and I learned several days ago.

This being said (typed?), by then, Henroteau and Burland had begun to look at photographic plates dating all the way back to 1906. This arduous work was not done merely for the sake of completeness. Nay. The more often the trans-Neptunian planet could be seen on photographic plates, the more information astronomers would have to calculate the orbit of that celestial body.

Before I forget, Stewart was mentioned in August 2022, September 2022 and January 2025 issues of our monumental blog / bulletin / thingee. Would you believe that he can be found in no less than three September 2022 issues of that publication? I kid you not, but I do digress.

In any event, Shapley seemingly disagreed with the suggestion that Stewart was passing along. You see, he sent out a despatch stating that the information contained in the latter’s telegram as well as in a Canadian dispatch had led him to the conclusion that the object visible on the February 1924 photographic plates of the Dominion Observatory was not the trans-Neptunian planet which would soon become known as Pluto.

According to Shapley, what Henroteau and Burland had discovered was either a celestial body previously unknown to science, a 10th planet in fact, or the nucleus of a comet located at the furthest point of its orbit around the Sun.

His conclusion was in part based on orbital calculations made by staff members of at least 3 observatories, namely the Students’ Observatory of the University of California, in Berkeley,… California; the Lowell Observatory, in Flagstaff, Arizona; and the observatory of the Uniwersytet Jagielloński, in Kraków / Krakow, Poland. (Cześć, AA!)

Shapley added that staff members of the Harvard College Observatory were examining the collection of photographic plates of that institution to see if the object spotted by Henroteau and Burland could be spotted therein.

Another American astronomer contacted by journalists, Frank Schlesinger, director of the Yale University Observatory of… Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, did not want to submit an in depth comment on Stewart’s telegram, of which he had received a copy.

This being said (typed?), Schlesinger did not think that the celestial body discovered by an American amateur astronomer by the name of Clyde William Tombaugh was the planet which was perturbing the orbit of Uranus. There were a number of objects which might explain those perturbations, however, and the one seemingly discovered by Henroteau and Burland might be one of them.

Schlesinger thought that those objects might be very far away counterparts of the more than 2 000 asteroids located between Mars and Jupiter which endlessly circled around the Sun.

Incidentally, 2025 astronomers are of the opinion that there are between 700 000 and 1 700 000 asteroids equal or larger than 1 or so kilometre (0.62 or so mile) across endlessly circled around the Sun. Wah!

Are asteroids dangerous, you ask, my worried reading friend? Well, on 30 June 1908, an object which was not an extraterrestrial starship made its way through the protective atmosphere of our planet and exploded in mid air, leaving no discernable impact crater. The blast flattened / knocked over gazillions of trees over a sparsely inhabited 2 150 or so square kilometres (830 or so square miles) area of Eastern Siberia, in the Russian Empire. An unknown number of people died in what is commonly referred to as the Tunguska event / incident.

The diameter of that object? A puny 50 to 100 or so metres (165 to 330 or so feet)…

By the way, the total areas of the cities of Montréal, Québec, and Toronto, Ontario, are 500 or so square kilometres (190 or so square miles) and 630 or so square kilometres (245 or so square miles), but back to our story, but only next week. Oh yes, and… pleasant dreams…

And yes, the dinosaurs probably felt pretty safe too, 66 or so million years ago.

Little houses on the prairie and large buildings in the city, all built of… straw: Sergei Nikolayevich Tchayeff and his solomite, part 1

A view of the dwarf planet Pluto taken in mid-July 2015 by the New Horizon spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The dark area at the bottom of the photograph was christened Safronov Regio in September 2023. NASA, PIA20037.

“Did astronomers at the Dominion Observatory discover a new planet? Read all about it!” François Charles Pierre Henroteau, Miriam Seymour Burland and Planet ‘X’ – or was it Planet ‘Y’, part 4

A view of the dwarf planet Pluto taken in mid-July 2015 by the New Horizon spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The light area near the centre of the photograph was christened Tombaugh Regio in September 2017. NASA, PIA11709.

“Did astronomers at the Dominion Observatory discover a new planet? Read all about it!” François Charles Pierre Henroteau, Miriam Seymour Burland and Planet ‘X’ – or was it Planet ‘Y’, part 3

Three photographs linked to a piece of news which created quite the buzz in the Canadian astronomical community in April 1930. Anon., “Planète découverte par des Canadiens?” Le Soleil, 28 April 1930, 1.

“Did astronomers at the Dominion Observatory discover a new planet? Read all about it!” François Charles Pierre Henroteau, Miriam Seymour Burland and Planet ‘X’ – or was it Planet ‘Y’, part 1

The former club house of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks located in Brooklyn, one of the boroughs of New York City, New York, February 2013. Beyond My Ken via Wikipedia.

One of the most fertile inventive minds at the dawn of the television age and one of the few African American pioneers of that technology, William Bundy Still, part 3

William Bundy Still at work in his television store, Jamaica Radio & Television Service, New York City, New York. Anon., “Television Today for Tomorrow’s Customers.” Radio & Television Retailing, 12 June-8 July 1944, 30.

One of the most fertile inventive minds at the dawn of the television age and one of the few African American pioneers of that technology, William Bundy Still, part 2

Two photographs of the television placed in William Bundy Still’s station wagon, Montréal, Québec. Still was on the left side of the right hand image. Arthur Prévost, “On peut maintenant voir la TV en auto.” Le Petit Journal, 20 March 1955, 40.

One of the most fertile inventive minds at the dawn of the television age and one of the few African American pioneers of that technology, William Bundy Still, part 1

A typical MHV Spectra II recreational hovercraft. Anon., “Cosy Cockpit.” The Gazette, 6 November 1973, 23.

A down to earth machine which could… fly – MHV Industries Limited / Modern Hover Vehicles Limited of Ottawa, Ontario, and its multi-purpose recreational hovercraft, part 3

Two typical MHV Spectra 1 recreational hovercraft in a reasonably typical Canadian wilderness environment. Anon., “MP al aire libre.” Mecánica Popular, February 1972, 9.

A down to earth machine which could… fly – MHV Industries Limited / Modern Hover Vehicles Limited of Ottawa, Ontario, and its multi-purpose recreational hovercraft, part 2

A typical MHV Spectra 1 recreational hovercraft. Robert Huggan, “‘Wooden boats will soon be a thing of the past.’” The Financial Post, 28 February 1970, C-6.

A down to earth machine which could… fly – MHV Industries Limited / Modern Hover Vehicles Limited of Ottawa, Ontario, and its multi-purpose recreational hovercraft, part 1

An advertisement issued by Imperial Fruit Show Limited of London, England, to advertise the 1929 edition of the Imperial Fruit Show, held in Birmingham, England. Anon., “Imperial Fruit Show Limited.” Evening Despatch, 23 October 1929, 1.

“Luring Adam’s Progeny” in order to make it “Buy Empire Fruits from Home and Overseas” – The 1929 edition of the Imperial Fruit Show and the role played by the Dominion of Canada in that major British event, part 2

The English actress Mary Godwin biting into a Fameuse apple in her role of Miss Canada, at the Imperial Fruit Show held in Birmingham, England, October 1929. Anon., « Mademoiselle Canada. » Le Terroir, February 1930, cover page.

“Luring Adam’s Progeny” in order to make it “Buy Empire Fruits from Home and Overseas” – The 1929 edition of the Imperial Fruit Show and the role played by the Dominion of Canada in that major British event, part 1

A photograph taken by Flying Officer Arthur Lawrence Morfee a few moments after the point of totality of the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925. Anon., “The Standard’s Pictorial Page.” The Kingston Daily Standard, 27 January 1925, 8.

“Flying through an eclipse, from a flying point of view, is just an ordinary job of work;” Or, How the Royal Canadian Air Force captured the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925 – and some extra stuff about that event, part 4

The total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925 as seen from Exhibition Park, on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario. Anon., “Solar Sightseers View the Eclipse at Exhibition Park.” The Toronto Star Weekly, 24 January 1925, 2.

“Flying through an eclipse, from a flying point of view, is just an ordinary job of work;” Or, How the Royal Canadian Air Force captured the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925 – and some extra stuff about that event, part 3

The path followed by the Moon’s shadow during the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925. The map might have exaggerated the width of the zone of total darkness. Anon., “The Solar ‘Shadow Path’.” The Morning Leader, 6 December 1924, 15.

“Flying through an eclipse, from a flying point of view, is just an ordinary job of work;” Or, How the Royal Canadian Air Force captured the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925 – and some extra stuff about that event, part 2

Flying Officer Arthur Lawrence Morfee and the camera he used to photograph the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925. Anon., “How Eclipse Photos Were Made.” Victoria Daily Times, 31 January 1925, 12.

“Flying through an eclipse, from a flying point of view, is just an ordinary job of work;” Or, How the Royal Canadian Air Force captured the total eclipse of the Sun of 24 January 1925 – and some extra stuff about that event, part 1

A Versare 6-wheel gasoline-electric bus as seen in an advertisement issued by SKF Industries Incorporated of New York City, New York. Anon., “SKF Industries Incorporated.” Electric Railway Journal, 21 January 1928, between pages 10 and 11.

Several thousand words on Versare Corporation of Albany, New York, and the monster of Atwater Street / Montréal’s beast, the ginormous 8-wheel gasoline-electric bus operated by Montreal Tramways Company, part 2

The ginormous Versare bus operated by Montreal Tramways Company of… Montréal, Québec, Spring 1927. Anon., “Avtodorozhny ekran – Amerikanskiye chetyrekhosnyye avtobusy.” Za Rulem, 1st issue of December 1929, 29.

Several thousand words on Versare Corporation of Albany, New York, and the monster of Atwater Street / Montréal’s beast, the ginormous 8-wheel gasoline-electric bus operated by Montreal Tramways Company, part 1

A reasonably typical advertisement for the Man from Mars radio hat of American Merri-Lei Corporation of New York City, New York. Anon., “Craig Oil Company.” Southwest Wave, 9 June 1949, 2.

“An entire orchestra in a hat” – Victor Theodore Hoeflich, American Merri-Lei Corporation of New York City, New York, and the Man from Mars radio hat, part 2

A young American turning on… the radio hat worn by her boyfriend. Anon., “Tout un orchestre dans un chapeau mais la musique n’adoucit pas toujours les mœurs.” Regards, 9 September 1949, 14.

“An entire orchestra in a hat” – Victor Theodore Hoeflich, American Merri-Lei Corporation of New York City, New York, and the Man from Mars radio hat, part 1

Henry Joseph Piraux, a French electrical engineer employed by the Société anonyme Philips, with his electric dog, Salon international de la T.S.F., Paris, France. René Bruyez, “Le Salon international.” Lumière et Radio, 10 October 1929, 8.

Do electric dogs dream of high voltage treats? Henry Joseph Piraux and his late 1920s cybernetic canid

A pair of photographs linked to the vegetarian restaurant The Salad Man of Montréal, Québec. Louis Beaudoin, “Au restaurant ‘Salad Man’ – Honnie soit la viande!” Photo-Journal, 14 to 21 November 1959, 8.

In the beginning was The Salad Man, and the salad was in demand; Or, The early days of the vegetarian restaurant industry in Québec

The experimental hybrid automobile completed by Briggs & Stratton Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Arnold Wechter, “Car of the Future At Import Show Is American.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, 16 novembre 1979, 56.

“A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” – The Hungarian Canadian Louis Gyory and the unfulfilled future of his electric and hybrid vehicles, part 4

David Cameron Salter, chairperson of Marathon Electric Vehicles Incorporated of Saint-Léonard-de-Port-Maurice, Québec, with the Marathon C-300 he drove. Éric Hamovitch, “Marathon implante ‘l’électrique’ en douce.” Le Soleil, 19 July 1979, B 7.

“A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” – The Hungarian Canadian Louis Gyory and the unfulfilled future of his electric and hybrid vehicles, part 3

Louis Gyory, on the right, aboard a Marathon C-300 electric vehicle. Michael Shelton, “Seeds of post-gasoline era sown in Montreal – Electric vehicle makes its debut.” The Montreal Star, 27 August 1977, 25.

“A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” – The Hungarian Canadian Louis Gyory and the unfulfilled future of his electric and hybrid vehicles, part 2

The experimental hybrid automobile completed by Briggs & Stratton Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Anon., “Driver Decides Speed, Range – ‘Performance Flexibility’ Cited.” Statesville Record & Landmark, 14 November 1979, 1-D.

“A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” – The Hungarian Canadian Louis Gyory and the unfulfilled future of his electric and hybrid vehicles, part 1

A konjac plant before (1) and during its flowering stage. The flower and corm / bulbo-tuber / bulbotuber, which is edible once detoxified, are identified by the numbers 2 and 3. Henri Coupin, “Légumes japonais.” La Nature, 5 November 1904, 356.

Oodles and oodles of noodles from the land of the rising sun: A brief look at konjac and shirataki noodles – as well as glue and gunpowder, but I digress

The advertisement “Le libre choix d’une carrière,” in English “Freedom of Vocation,” published by Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, as part of its 1954 Worth Defending advertising campaign. Anon, “Canadair Limited.” La Presse, 13 July 1954, 7.

“Worth Defending” – A brief look at the 1954 advertising campaign of a major Canadian aircraft manufacturing firm, Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, part 4

The advertisement “La liberté d’expression,” in English “Freedom of Speech,” published by Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, as part of its 1954 Worth Defending advertising campaign. Anon, “Canadair Limited.” La Presse, 13 April 1954, 25.

“Worth Defending” – A brief look at the 1954 advertising campaign of a major Canadian aircraft manufacturing firm, Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, part 3

“Freedom of Worship,” one of the advertisements issued by Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, as part of its 1954 Worth Defending advertising campaign. Anon., “Canadair Limited.” The Vancouver Province, 5 January 1954, 5.

“Worth Defending” – A brief look at the 1954 advertising campaign of a major Canadian aircraft manufacturing firm, Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, part 2

One of the advertisements issued by Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, as part of its 1954 Worth Defending advertising campaign. Anon., “Canadair Limited.” Toronto Daily Star, 6 October 1954, 4.

“Worth Defending” – A brief look at the 1954 advertising campaign of a major Canadian aircraft manufacturing firm, Canadair Limited of Montréal, Québec, part 1

William Wallace Denslow’s lavishly illustrated booklet Through Foreign Lands with ‘Sunny Jim.’ https://wwdenslow.blogspot.com/ via Wikipedia.

“Forget that times are tough and grim, cheer up and smile with Sunny Jim” – The crunchy saga of Force Food Company’s Force, the 1st commercially successful wheat flake breakfast cereal on Earth, part 3

A typical advertisement issued by Force Food Company which featured Sunny Jim and, in this case, his spouse. Anon., “Force Food Company.” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 23 September 1902, 3.

“Forget that times are tough and grim, cheer up and smile with Sunny Jim” – The crunchy saga of Force Food Company’s Force, the 1st commercially successful wheat flake breakfast cereal on Earth, part 2

The stand of Force Food Company of Hamilton, Ontario, at the 1904 edition of the Central Canada Exhibition, Ottawa, Ontario. Anon., “The Central Canada Exhibition at Ottawa.” The Canadian Grocer, 30 September 1904, 61.

“Forget that times are tough and grim, cheer up and smile with Sunny Jim” – The crunchy saga of Force Food Company’s Force, the 1st commercially successful wheat flake breakfast cereal on Earth, part 1

The arrival of the Koninklijke Marine submarine Hr.Ms. K XVIII at its base in the Netherlands East Indies, July 1935. Koninklijke Marine, via Wikipedia.

Felix Andries Vening Meinesz and his Gouden Kalf; Or, how the Koninklijke Marine played a crucial role in the history of ocean gravimetry, part 3

The United States Navy submarine USS S-21, Panama Canal Zone, circa 1927. Bill Faulk, via Wikipedia.

Felix Andries Vening Meinesz and his Gouden Kalf; Or, how the Koninklijke Marine played a crucial role in the history of ocean gravimetry, part 2

The Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz, on the right, with the crew of the United States Navy submarine USS S-21 during his 1928 gravimetric expedition. Anon., “La détermination de la gravité en mer.” Sciences et Voyages, 26 September 1929, 3.

Felix Andries Vening Meinesz and his Gouden Kalf; Or, how the Koninklijke Marine played a crucial role in the history of ocean gravimetry, part 1

A block of photographs showing some of the people involved in the bombing of beluga whales in the estuary and gulf of the St. Lawrence River. Anon., “La chasse aux marsouins [sic]. » Le Devoir, 15 August 1929, 6.

“The bomb that will kill the porpoise” – A shocking use of air power in interwar Québec: The bombing of the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence River, part 4

A typical pod of beluga whales, Hudson Bay, near Churchill, Manitoba, July 1999. Ansgar Walk, via Wikipedia.

“The bomb that will kill the porpoise” – A shocking use of air power in interwar Québec: The bombing of the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence River, part 3

The beluga whale, a white devil for many fishermen of the estuary and gulf of the St. Lawrence River. Marshall D. Yarrow. “The White Devils of Anticosti.” The Toronto Star Weekly, 24 November 1928, 11.

“The bomb that will kill the porpoise” – A shocking use of air power in interwar Québec: The bombing of the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence River, part 2

The Franco Canadian physician / pilot Louis Cuisinier and one of the 45 or so kilogram (100 or so pounds) handmade aerial bombs with which he hoped to kill beluga whales. Anon., “La bombe qui tuera le marsouin.” La Presse, 5 August 1929, 11.

“The bomb that will kill the porpoise” – A shocking use of air power in interwar Québec: The bombing of the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence River, part 1

The roadster of the Société anonyme des automobiles électriques, Concours des véhicules électriques, Paris, France. Charles Dantin, “Automobiles – Les Essais contrôlés de véhicules à traction électrique à accumulateurs (octobre 1924).” Le Génie civil, 27 December 1924, 589.

“Petrol will never kill electricity, especially if the latter is defended by a Kriéger.” Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger and his electric automobiles, including some of the first hybrid vehicles on planet Earth, part 4

The stand of the Compagnie parisienne des voitures électriques at the Exposition internationale de l’automobile, du cycle et des sports, Paris, France. Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger was at its entrance. Anon., “Le Salon de l’automobile.” Le Monde Illustré, 19 December 1903, 551.

“Petrol will never kill electricity, especially if the latter is defended by a Kriéger.” Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger and his electric automobiles, including some of the first hybrid vehicles on planet Earth, part 3

Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger, on the left, at the wheel of an Électrolette a few moments before the beginning of his journey between Paris and Chatellerault, France. Georges Prade was at his side. Georges Prade, “Les records électriques.” La Vie au Grand Air, 27 October 1901, 638.

“Petrol will never kill electricity, especially if the latter is defended by a Kriéger.” Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger and his electric automobiles, including some of the first hybrid vehicles on planet Earth, part 2

A typical hybrid vehicle of the Compagnie parisienne des voitures électriques of Paris, France. Lucien Fournier, “La voiture mixte Kriéger.” La Locomotion automobile, 7 July 1904, 422.

“Petrol will never kill electricity, especially if the latter is defended by a Kriéger.” Louis Antoine Jules Tony Kriéger and his electric automobiles, including some of the first hybrid vehicles on planet Earth, part 1

Some ripe and not so ripe loganberries. Pajaro Valley Nursery, The Loganberry (Unknown location: Unknown publisher, circa 1895). No page number.

“Canned it is most excellent, being splendid for pies” – The crawling and flowering saga of a slight horticultural mystery of the early 20th century, the loganberry, part 2

Some ripe loganberries ready to be picked. Albert Maumené, “La Logan-Berry – Hybride de ronce et de framboisier.” La Nature, 30 July 1904, 141.

“Canned it is most excellent, being splendid for pies” – The crawling and flowering saga of a slight horticultural mystery of the early 20th century, the loganberry, part 1

Fred Magee. Anon., “Who’s Who in the Fishing World – Hon. Fred Magee.” The Canadian Fisherman, December 1920, 263.

It was indeed one heck of a brand: Fred Magee, Fred Magee Limited of Port Elgin, New Brunswick, and their Mephisto brand products – not to mention a few words on the Canadian lobster industry, part 2

It was indeed one heck of a brand: Fred Magee, Fred Magee Limited of Port Elgin, New Brunswick, and their Mephisto brand products – not to mention a few words on the Canadian lobster industry, part 1

The Bendegó meteorite on display at the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 2011. Wikipedia.

“A stone fallen from the Moon… or elsewhere” – The Bendegó meteorite, part 2

The Bendegó meteorite being transported, bank of the Jacurici river, Province of Bahia, empire of Brazil, 1888. Stanislas Meunier, “La météorite de Bendego.” La Nature, 22 June 1889, 49.

“A stone fallen from the Moon… or elsewhere” – The Bendegó meteorite, part 1

An Institute for Aerospace Research staff member conducting an inspection on a Shuttle Remote Manipulator System, or Canadarm, around 2000. National Research Council Canada.

“It is only with the DAIS that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye” – A respectful look at a great Canadian aerospace invention, the Diffracto DAIS non destructive testing equipment, and a bit more, part 2

$A technician conducting the first corrosion detection trial, on a Boeing Model 727 test airframe, using a Diffracto DAIS-500 non destructive testing equipment, 1992. National Research Council Canada.$