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Displaying 361 - 380 of 653
Type Title Date Coordinates Originating Location Description
Artifact
A photo of Mr. and Mrs. Saunders and their son riding camels. There are three local people standing on the ground and holding bottles on their heads. The Sphinx and a pyramid are in the background.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Saunders
1916
Latitude: 29° 58' 30.95" N
Longitude: 31° 8' 15.281" E
Africa
  • Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Saunders and their son riding camels to visit the Sphinx in Egypt.
Artifact
A photo of two ships tied to a dock on a pier. There is a hill in the background and gravel and plants in the foreground.
Tankers Loading
1924
Latitude: 12° 8' 4.668" N
Longitude: 68° 55' 59.822" W
North America
  • Tankers loading in Curaçao, off the coast of Venezuela in what was the Dutch West Indies (modern Caribbean).
Artifact
A photo of a tanker tied to a dock along a rocky shoreline. There are four pipes running along the left side of the image and there are boats out in the water in the background.
Oil Tanker in Egypt
1913 to 1918
Latitude: 29° 56' 23.176" N
Longitude: 32° 33' 44.14" E
Africa
  • An oil tanker is being filled at the Anglo-Egyptian Oil Fields Company refinery at Port Taufiq (Taofik), Suez, Egypt.
  • The boats in the background are awaiting service during World War I.
Story Frederick Saunders 1880 to 1964 Latitude: 12° 8' 29.27" N
Longitude: 68° 55' 29.003" W
Venezuela

Frederick Saunders was born in Petrolia in 1881.
Story Alfred E. Harper 1884 to 1965 Latitude: 4° 34' 43.025" S
Longitude: 81° 16' 20.95" W
Peru

Alfred E. Harper was born in Oil Springs on January 25th, 1895. Harper, given the ironic name “Slim” by his friends, was a big man who never backed away from a challenge.
Artifact
A ship with two masts and a smoke stack floating in the water. There are buildings and trees on the land behind it. In the foreground there is a group of people at a dock with a number of small boats.
Ocean Steamer on the Musi River, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • An ocean steamer approaching the dock on the Musi River, Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia).
  • Men gather in traditional Indonesian fishing boats in the foreground. 
Artifact
A dirt street with curbs and buildings on both sides which are close together. At the far end of the street a group of people is walking close together.
Business Street, Palembang, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Street scene in Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia) showing a row of businesses.
Artifact
Two men sit on opposite sides of a pair of food stands. There is cookware on top of both stands, and there is a wooden bar attached to wire hangers that run down to the stands.
Vendors
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Two men sit on either side of a food vendor's outfit in Sumatra. 
  • The two stands are supported on other side of a horizontal bar which was used by the vendor to transport his goods over his shoulders. 
Artifact
A ship docked alongside a wooden dock. There is another ship in behind and a building to the left. People are sitting and standing, looking at the ships.
Wharf in Palembang, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • People sit and stand waiting on the wharf in Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia). 
  • A steamer is docked to the wharf. 
Artifact
A man standing off to the left. There are buildings in the background with a fence and trees in front.
Dutch Hotel, Palembang, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Shaded yard in front of the Dutch hotel Koningin Wihelmina in Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia). 
Artifact
A dirt road with buildings and fences on either side. There are people walking on the street and there is a covered cart, as well.
Street Scene in Palembang, Sumatra
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • A view down a quiet street in Palembang, Sumatra (Indonesia) showing two carts and several people on the side of the road. 
  • Writing on the front of the photo notes that the vehicle is called "karata".
Artifact
A woman and three children standing in front of palm fronds and a building on cracked dirt. The woman and two oldest children are wearing white shirts, while the youngest is wearing a dark outfit.
Malay Woman and Children
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • A Malay woman standing with three children outside a bungalow where the International Drillers lived.
  • The woman is identified as "Dayak cook maid". 
Artifact
Two men sitting in chairs with a man standing on either side. They are wearing white and light coloured clothing. Each man is holding a hat or resting one on the ground. They are standing in front of a fence with vines on it.
Four International Drillers
1889 to 1902
Latitude: 2° 59' 59.251" S
Longitude: 104° 49' 24.618" E
Asia
  • Four International Drillers are posed in front of a wooden fence. 
  • Three of the men are wearing white suits and are carrying pith helmets. 
Story Arthur Brown 1887 to 1969 Latitude: 20° 28' 20.636" N
Longitude: 94° 52' 55.25" E
Myanmar

Arthur Brown learned about oil well drilling in Petrolia along with his brothers. He married Lulu Codling in 1913 and left her with one daughter to join the ranks of other Lambton County men to drill for oil in foreign fields.
Story Gilbert Brown 1889 to 1975 Latitude: 56° 43' 31.375" N
Longitude: 111° 22' 43.126" W
Iran

Gilbert Brown learned the oil business at age 15 in the Petrolia oil fields. His time abroad began with a contract to drill oil wells in Egypt in 1913. Some of these wells are still in production today.
Story Henry "Harry" Brown 1884 to 1949 Latitude: 4° 23' 58.949" N
Longitude: 113° 59' 25.613" E
Borneo

There are several stories of International Drillers who either succumb to illnesses while working abroad or who are the victims of unfortunate accidents, but Henry "Harry" Brown met an untimely death at home in Petrolia.
Artifact
A group of men in two rows. One row is standing and the other is sitting in chairs. They are wearing suits and are in front of large bushes.
Peru International Drillers
1926
Latitude: 4° 39' 2.462" S
Longitude: 81° 18' 15.865" W
South America
  • Photograph from a newspaper of a group of International Drillers from the Petrolia, Ontario area who worked in the oil fields at Talara, Peru. 
Story William Henry McGarvey 1849 to 1914 Latitude: 47° 6' 4.795" N
Longitude: 37° 32' 34.166" E
Europe

Of all the International Drillers, William H. McGarvey amassed the largest fortune. This Petrolia shop keeper would go on to become Canada’s first oil magnate and owner of the largest oil refinery in Europe.

William McGarvey in Austria
Artifact
Front of postcard showing a white boat on a river. There is a pile of logs in the foreground and trees in the background.
Postcard from Nigeria
1908
Latitude: 5° 19' 34.457" N
Longitude: 6° 26' 40.15" E
Africa
  • Postcard showing the S.S. Galloway sailing up a river. 
  • Back of the postcard reads: "Dear Mother, All well, haven't time to write. Geo." 
Artifact
Five International Drillers, three standing and two sitting. They are wearing dark suits. Four of the men are wearing paper hats and one (bottom right) is wearing an ascot cap.
Christmas at Ras Bakr
1910
Latitude: 28° 24' 10.958" N
Longitude: 33° 2' 55.748" E
Africa

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