Wee Story of Canada

Doughty, A.G., "The Wee Story of Canada, and A.B.C. Book", Manuscript, Arthur G. Doughty fonds (MG 30 D26, Volume 11) LAC, 1930.

Doughty, A.G., The Wee Story of Canada, and A.B.C. Book, written for Miss Bate, [Ottawa]: [s.n.], 1930.

Doughty, A.[G.], The Wee Story of Canada, and A.B.C. Book, written for Sally Pitfield, [Halifax, N.S.]: [s.n.], 1930.

Draft and proof sheets for the publication, "The Wee Story of Canada, and A.B.C. Book” are found in the Arthur G. Doughty fonds (MG 30 D26, Volume 11) held by LAC.  Copies of the published versions are held by LAC in its Rare Book collection.   It would seem that this book was customized for individual children; as one of the published copies, dated 21 November 1930, was written for Miss Bate, while the other published copy, dated 11 December 1930, was written for Sally Pitfield.  Some of the proofs in the Arthur G. Doughty fonds may have been for the version published for Miss Bate; there was a reference to Sir Henry Bate, the child's great-grandfather, who had lived in Sandy Hill, Ottawa.

Information on the publication place or on the publisher is not provided in these bound books.   They may have been published privately, but that is unknown. These versions showed two variants in bindings.   The Bate version was bound in a off white cloth with black lettering on the spine.  Whereas the Pitfield version was a more elaborate white cloth decorated with tiny flowers on the front and back covers; the spine was plain white cloth with black lettering.  The LAC copy of the Pitfield version also included a slip case; the exterior was plain brown paper, but the interior was lined with blue marbled papers.

The contents of the published books were arranged in two parts; both of which followed an ABC format.  The first part contained a history of Canada, for example, with Champlain under C, and Louisbourg under L; and the second part consisted of a series of illustrations for each letter of the alphabet, for example, with H illustrated with a House. The copy of the version written for Sally Pitfield was more complete than the Bate version.  The illustrations in the Pitfield version were hand drawn and coloured for each letter of the alphabet; whereas the Bate version only had illustrations for a few letters, and these were sketches rather than coloured drawings.   The LAC copy for Sally Pitfield also contained a handwritten note “Sybie Doughty from The Queer Fellow Daddy, Feb 2/01”. This copy inscribed for “Sybie”, that is Sybil, A.G. Doughty’s daughter, suggests that there may have been more than one copy of this version.  

The drafts and proofs for "The Wee Story of Canada and the A.B.C. Book " in the A.G. Doughty fonds (MG 30 D26, Volume 11) held by LAC were reviewed; select images are pictured above. The two published versions are held by LAC in its Rare Book collection: the copy written for Miss Bate (OCLC # 1007738777), and the copy written for Sally Pitfield (OCLC #1007788039) were reviewed. Select images are pictured above. None of these materials have been digitized.