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Birch bark is commonly found in indigenous collections in Canadian museums. It is empirically known that light can cause the cambium side of birch bark to change colour. The purpose of this research is to better assess the light sensitivities of various colours of birch barks, and the manner, degree, and rate of colour change during light exposure. Six barks with different colours were used: beige, yellow, orange, orange-brown, red, and brown. Samples were exposed to daylight through a north-facing window (window), LED light from an enclosed chamber (LED), and the Newport-Oriel microfade tester (MFT). Window and MFT samples received a total light dose of approximately 25 Mlux-hours, and LED samples, 182 Mlux-hours. Colour monitoring of the samples showed that almost all barks initially darkened and then faded. Daylight through window caused the most rapid and extensive darkening and fading. Bluewool (BW) ratings for window samples were the lowest (most light sensitive). The MFT and LED samples showed a similar degree of colour change, with the same dose, despite the difference in intensity. Ratings of MFT samples are within one BW step difference compared to LED samples. The rate and extent of initial darkening depended on the colour of the bark; the middle range orange-toned barks showed the most rapid and extensive darkening followed by fading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a letter written by the Quebec City Hospitalières to the Society of Jesus in 1925. Written on birch bark, the letter stands out from other notes of congratulation received by the city’s Jesuits on the tercentenary of their arrival at Quebec. Drawing on queer theory ― in particular, Sara Ahmed’s theory of “affective economies” ― this article analyses the ways in which this letter was crafted in order to shape feelings about ― and to colonize ― the seventeenth-century past. Feelings, Ahmed argues, are not “in” objects, but are created through “circulation.” As an object for which circulation is embedded in its purpose, the Hospitalières’ letter provides a useful case study for the examination of the ways in which encounters with objects could shape feeling in twentieth-century Quebec. While the Hospitalières claimed to be able to feel the seventeenth-century past ― and sought to evoke these feelings in the letter’s recipients ― they were, in fact, crafting a feeling for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elizabeth Simcoe (1762–1850) travelled from England to Canada in 1791 and returned to her home, Wolford Lodge, in Honiton, Devon, in 1796. She was accompanying her husband, John Graves Simcoe (1752–1806), who had just been appointed Lieutenant Governor of the newly formed province of Upper Canada. Throughout their travels, Elizabeth recorded her Canadian experiences in her diaries and sketchbooks. She drew, corrected and copied maps for her husband. Upon their return to England they offered to the king an album of 32 works and a map, all drawn on birch bark. The map and the album acted as a report to the king of her husband’s political achievements in Canada and her engagement as a cartographer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A simple, rapid, and nondestructive method for the determination of betulin in the outer birch bark was developed using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). NIRS data of the outer birch bark collected throughout the year was preprocessed and analyzed by principal component analysis, which led to clear discrimination of the samples according to their harvest times. The reference content of betulin, a major constituent of the outer birch bark, was determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (UPLC-DAD). The optimized and validated analytical conditions of UPLC-DAD provided better separation and faster analysis time compared to a conventional HPLC method. Betulin content also showed seasonal variation and was higher in the samples collected during the summer season. Partial least squares calibration techniques were employed to estimate the relationship between the NIRS data and betulin contents. The spectral data showed high correlation coefficients (over 0.700) with betulin content. These results indicate that NIRS combined with UPLC can be used to determine the quality and to quantify the betulin content of the outer birch bark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called stallo-foundations are the most prominent ancient monuments in the mountain areas of Sweden. On the basis of archaeological, historical and ethnological evidence, this paper discusses the type of construction likely to be associated with stallo-foundations dating to the Viking Age. It is argued, in contrast to most accepted ideas, that the stallo-foundations represent the remains of permanent hut dwellings. It is suggested that these huts were built from mountain birch and birch bark, on a bow-pole framework. The surrounding embankments and sunken floors, typical features of the foundations, allowed the construction of low-angled ceilings. This structural design would have enabled the buildings to withstand strong winds and the weight of lying snow, as well as increasing heat retention. In contrast to previous suggestions, that the stallo-sites were inhabited during the summer, we suggest that they were used during the winter. We also suggest that the stallo-foundations represent a system of reindeer herding in which the mountain ridges in the west and areas in Norway were used throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]