Halifax Part II

The Harlequin Book edition of Roger Sudden by Thomas H. Raddall has an illustration of early (1750s) Halifax, Nova Scotia. The one identifiable landmark is the church St. Paul's, built in 1750, to the right of our heroine's head.

The current steeple, seen in the 1831 illustration below, was added in 1812. The Harlequin view is to the right in this illustration and from behind the church looking to the harbour, largely hidden by the smoke.

Harlequin 141 - December 1950

St. Paul's - 1831

Halifax Part I

This past December 6 was the 94th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. Hugh MacLennan's 1941 novel about the explosion was published by New York's Duell, Sloan & Pearce. The Canadian edition was published in hardcover by Toronto's Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd in 1941 and in paperback in 1943 and 1952. The 1952 version has an illustration with one identifiable Halifax landmark, the Town Clock on Citadel Hill, seen through the window at middle right.

But there is a problem with the illustration which shows the shipbuilder's office at least on the same level as the top of the clock if not higher. As the photographs below show this wouldn't have been possible since the only spot on higher ground than the clock is Fort George behind it on Citadel Hill.

White circle C.D. 529 - 1952

Halifax Town Clock

Fort George with Town Clock