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Explore Internationally

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Displaying 21 - 40 of 653
Type Title Date Coordinates Originating Location Description
Story International Drillers and the First World War 1914 to 1918 Latitude: 43° 51' 20.365" N
Longitude: 18° 24' 22.468" E
Europe

An army might march on its stomach, but at the dawn of the First World War the Great Powers realized a new truth - a 20th Century army marched on oil.
Story Wilfred Durham Keith 1876 to 1957 Latitude: 44° 10' 19.056" N
Longitude: 28° 38' 20.584" E
Europe

Wilfred Durham Keith was born in 1877 in Petrolia where his father, Admiral Nelson Keith, and uncles were involved in oil field development in Lambton County.
Story Admiral Nelson Keith 1849 to 1898 Latitude: 49° 36' 4.896" N
Longitude: 21° 42' 24.458" E
Europe

The experience of Admiral Nelson Keith and his family in the international oil fields began with frustration but they proved that sometimes persistence and a bit of luck could bring about great success.  
Story Richard John VanSickle 1868 to 1940 Latitude: 45° 7' 47.273" N
Longitude: 25° 44' 17.441" E

Richard John VanSickle was born in 1869, in Petrolia, Ontario where he was involved in drilling two or three oil wells on his father's farm. In 1889, Richard (Dick) left for the oil fields of Galicia where he would cross paths with many of the Hard Oilers of Lambton County.
Story Dangerous Lives 1869 to 1950 Latitude: 43° 18' 36.166" N
Longitude: 45° 40' 51.384" E
Egypt

Most of the International Drillers recall the high wages they received for working abroad and many lived in greater luxury than they did at home, however each country presented its own set of dangers and risks, from climate and disease to local unrest.
Artifact
The cover of a booklet entitled, "Notes for the Guidance of Members of the Staff proceeding to the United Kingdom on Leave". There is a symmetrical line drawing in the centre and the publishing information at the bottom.
Taking Leave in the United Kingdom
1926
Latitude: 31° 56' 13.823" N
Longitude: 49° 18' 5.335" E
Asia
  • Fifteen page booklet issued by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
  • Notes for the guidance of members of the staff proceeding to the United Kingdom on leave
Artifact
The cover of a driving licence. It is light brown and there is a black spot on the left side and a faded spot on the right. There is a crest at the top. The document reads: "Administration of Tripolitania. Nazirat of Communications Road Transport Department. Class 1 Driving Licence".
Driving Licence, Tripolitania
1960
Latitude: 32° 49' 31.094" N
Longitude: 13° 5' 53.65" E
Africa
  • Driving licence belonging to Clarance Maitland Carter issued by the Administration of Tripolitania (modern Libya).
  • Includes a picture of Carter.
Artifact
A sheet of yellowing paper with black typewritten text. Blue text has been typed in over top. There is a green paper stamp covered by a red ink stamp at the top.
Drilling Contract
1920
Latitude: 27° 23' 43.328" N
Longitude: 95° 37' 49.588" E
Asia
  • Contract made between the Indo-Burma Petroleum Company Limited and Robert McCrie for a period of three years for work in India or Burma (modern Myanmar). 
  • Contract is typed on four pages, with changes made in blue ink. 
Artifact
The cover of a contract. It is long and slender. The paper is grey with, "Agreement Between DE BATAASCHE PETROLEUM MAATSCHAPPIJ And W. O. Gillespie" typewritten on it with purple ink.
Drilling Contract
1916
Latitude: 40° 26' 16.915" N
Longitude: 79° 59' 54.071" W
North America
  • Drilling contract for W.O. Gillespie to drill in the Dutch East Indies (modern South East Asia) for the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (Batavian Oil Company, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell).  
  • Blueish thick paper, folded into quarters length-wise. 
Artifact
A typed form on yellowed paper. Handwritten text has been added above blank lines. There is a signature on the bottom. A round orange sticker with toothed edges is in the bottom left corner.
Proof of Citizenship
1912
Latitude: 45° 52' 45.649" S
Longitude: 67° 33' 22.756" W
North America
  • Paper confirming that Roland Blackwell is a citizen of the town of Petrolia, and that he is about to depart for Argentina to work in the oil fields. 
  • Paper is signed by the mayor. 
Artifact
An advertisement printed on yellow paper. The paper is wrinkled and torn along the edges. There is an image of an alcohol bottle in the centre, with writing in Japanese to the left and English on the right.
Rock and Rye Ad
1902
Latitude: 35° 27' 37.483" N
Longitude: 139° 34' 52.108" E
Asia
  • Advertisement for Crystallized Rock and Rye, printed in both English and Japanese, on rice paper. 
  • The liqueur claims to be the "greatest cure for coughs and colds." 
Artifact
A receipt for Robert Rawlings from a Silk Store. Rawlings purchased a number of doilies and fans. The receipt is signed "T. Tanabe".
Silk Store Receipt
1902
Latitude: 35° 27' 37.483" N
Longitude: 139° 34' 52.108" E
Asia
  • Receipt for items purchased at Dr. to T. Tanabe Sil Store in Yokohama, Japan. 
  • Robert Rawlings bought a number of doillies and fans for a total of 4.45 (yen?).
Artifact
A handwritten letter on a piece of yellowed paper. It is written in black ink and there are ink fingerprints on the right side.
Letter from the R.M.S. Princess Irene
1901
Latitude: 20° 5' 0.431" N
Longitude: 38° 38' 11.648" E
Asia
  • Lunch menu, written in German and English, from the R.M.S. Princess Irene; top half is missing. 

  • Menu can also be folded in half, sealed with wax, and sent as a postcard. 
Artifact
A yellowed piece of paper with crease marks running vertically and horizontally through the centre. There is printed text and names and dates have been written in. There is a purple paper stamp at the bottom in the centre.
Criterion Hotel Receipt
1898
Latitude: 1° 17' 12.7" N
Longitude: 103° 51' 10.048" E
Asia
  • Receipt for payment received by the Criterion Hotel in Singapore. 
  • Robert Rawlings stayed at the hotel for 9 days, for a total of $19. 
Artifact
A lunch menu written in German and English, that has a handwritten note scrawled on either side of the menu. There is an image of an woman in Oriental clothing holding a tea set, in front of two buildings and a tree along the water.
Letter from the R.M.S. Princess Irene
1901
Latitude: 6° 56' 11.188" N
Longitude: 79° 50' 36.341" E
Asia
  • Lunch menu, written in German and English, from the R.M.S. Princess Irene.  
  • Menu can also be folded in half, sealed with wax, and sent as a postcard. 
  • Robert Rawlings wrote a letter to his mother on March 22, 1901 from the Indian Ocean. 
Artifact
Three men in light shirts and dark pants, holding guns, in front of a wooden picket fence. The man in the centre is sitting on the ground and the other two are standing.
Robert Rawlings and Two Dutchmen
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Robert Rawlings (centre) posing with two Dutchmen, each holding rifles, in the yard of a building presumably in Palembang, Sumatra. 
Artifact
A photo of a man standing in front of white pillars topped with black on a fence. There is a building with a porch in the background. The man is wearing a white outfit with a dark hat.
Robert Rawlings and Hotel
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Robert Rawlings posing outside of a hotel, presumably in Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia). 
  • Written on back: "This is a snapshot of myself with the garden of our hotel for a background." 
Artifact
A group of people under an open structure with a tiled roof. There are boards and bowls in front of them and they are preparing food.
Malay Cooks in Palembang, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • A group of Malay people sit next to a road with cooking tools. 
  • Note on the back reads: "Views of Palembang. Malay cooks and cooking utensils. My boarding house landlord and his wife and child in the background."
Artifact
A list written with black ink on a yellowed piece of papers with faded blue lines. There are numbers followed by a list of the required tools.
Outfit of Tools Required for Drilling Rig
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 3° 2' 6.99" S
Longitude: 104° 41' 26.405" E
  • List of tools required for a drilling rig, compiled by Robert Rawlings. 
Artifact
A yellowed piece of papers with a list of names on the left side. The paper has blue lines on it and the names are preceded by numbers starting with 101.
Employee List
1902
Latitude: 3° 2' 6.99" S
Longitude: 104° 41' 26.405" E
Asia
  • List of Chinese labourers working for Robert Rawlings in Sumatra (Indonesia) in April, 1901. 

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