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Mas Camp 89'

 

Pirates Ahoy! was the theme for the T-Shirt Carnival Expressions band entry into the Caripeg Carnival of 1989. A successful Carnival theme is labour intensive. The production of the King and Queen costumes and the 100 plus individual costumes involves a core group of 15 – 20 volunteers. These volunteers blend skills in design, construction, welding, wire bending, sewing, organization and style to arrive at the wonderful costumes that are the focus of Carnival. The photographs are presented chronologically; starting with a costume preview and social on May 6 1989 and ending with the King’s costume being loaded on a trailer at the end of the Caripeg Carnival Street Parade, August 12 1989. They are presented here with many thanks to T-Shirt, Ranee and all the Pirates for their time, patience and joy.

In early 1989, Steve Prystupa, Curator of Multicultural Studies at the Manitoba Museum, told me he had started to plan an exhibit centered on Caripeg, Winnipeg’s Celebration of Carnival. He asked if I would be interested in doing some photography. I agreed and through Steve’s efforts, we were introduced to the community at a workshop on April 9 1989. And again at a social and costume preview on May 6 1989, where it was indicated that I wished to photograph the preparations leading to Carnival. Colleen McRae, of the Pirates Ahoy! band, invited me to their camp which would start production in July. The Pirates Ahoy! camp was under the direction of and at the home of Alvin Alleyne (T-Shirt) and Ranee Maharaj. I contacted other groups and photographed their preparations as well, but it is the Pirates Ahoy! band that Mas Camp 89′ centers on.

Mas Camp 89′ was a part of a larger exhibit titled Time and the River of Rhythm at the Manitoba Museum. The main component of Time and the River of Rhythm featured the King, Queen and individual competitor costumes collected during Caripeg 1992. Another facet, was the 1989 documentation of the wider community; bands such as Glimpse of Greece, Islands in the Sun, Fantasy of Flags and Aladdin’s Dream, and the smaller individual costumes that were able to be collected at that time.

These photographs from the 1989 celebrations are now in the National Archives of Canada and can be accessed online.

 

 

Notes …  Clicking on an image will give you a full screen view. Comment section comments may not be posted immediately but are appreciated, do not panic. Contact and subscription information on home page.

 

 

 

 

Raymon, Mighty Fee and Rakeeb at Carnival social and costume preview

May 6 1989

Colleen at Carnival social and costume preview

May 6 1989

Miss Caripeg Carnival Pageant contestant Desirree Anselm (Pirates Ahoy !) escorted by Clayton Stewart

June 2 1989

Miss Caripeg Carnival Pageant contestant Desirree Anselm (Pirates Ahoy !) escorted by Kerwin Clarke

June 2 1989

Miss Caripeg Carnival Pageant contestant Hazel Anderson (Pirates Ahoy !)

June 2 1989

Desirree Anselm is crowned Miss Caripeg by Joe Collins and June Henry

June 2 1989

Miss Caripeg Carnival Pageant contestants; Michelle Lake, Minerva Raymond, Hazel Anderson, Desirree Anselm, Marla Goberdham, Kerry Cox and Chorine Scott

June 2 1989

Pirates camp; T-Shirt, Soapy, Knolly, Carl and Rashid begin work on the Queen’s costume

July 2 1989

Ranee doing a fitting on Raymon, King’s costume

July 2 1989

Pirates Ahoy! display of theme costumes at Deen’s Diner

July 15 1989

Pirates Ahoy! display of theme costumes at Deen’s Diner. Mike and Cathy in pirate costume

July 15 1989

Pirates Ahoy! display of theme costumes at Deen’s Diner. Malcom in pirate costume

July 15 1989

Pirates Ahoy! display of theme costumes at Deen’s Diner

July 15 1989

Pirates camp; Ranee, Cathy and Jocelyn working on pirate costumes

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Patrick, Rakeeb and Boxx working on framework and suspension for Queen’s costume

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Raymon bending wire to make cannons for Queen’s costume

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Raymon, Jocelyn, T-Shirt and Patrick with Queen’s costume

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Jocelyn fitting pirate leggings on Carl

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Patrick and Mike building cannons for Queen’s costume

July 16 1989

Pirates camp; Raymon and Rakeeb fitting prototype masts on Queen’s costume

July 23 1989

Pirates camp; T-Shirt and Nyla road testing the Queen’s costume

July 23 1989

Pirates camp; Cathey, Ranee and Jocelyn sewing pirate costumes

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; T-Shirt and Carl welding frame on King’s costume

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Carl and Knolly working on King’s costume

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Boxx, Raymon and Knolly working on King’s costume

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Sadi, Marina and Nyla turning straw hats into pirate hats

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Rakeeb gluing fabric on Queen’s costume

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Mike and Mitch cutting out skulls and crossbones for pirate flags

July 30 1989

Pirates camp; Mambo and Mitch shaping the hand controls on Queen’s costume

August 5 1989

Pirates camp; T-Shirt checking positioning of sabre on King’s costume

August 5 1989

Pirates camp; Cathy glitzing up eye patches

August 5 1989

Caripeg Children’s Carnival; Mike “Mighty Whity” (Pirates Ahoy!) wins Junior King title

August 6 1989

Caripeg Children’s Carnival; Rhonda and Nadia (Pirates Ahoy!) at parade of bands

August 6 1989

Caripeg Children’s Carnival; Pirates Ahoy! band in Parade of Mas Bands

August 6 1989

Pirates camp; T-Shirt and Raymon working on King’s costume

August 8 1989

Pirates camp; Tyrone, Coleen and Mike putting final touches on hook for King’s costume

August 11 1989

Pirates camp; Mike putting final touches on King’s costume

August 11 1989

Pirates camp; Sails for Queen’s costume

August 11 1989

Pirates camp; Patsy, Piggy and Mike putting lettering on Queen’s costume

August 11 1989

Pirates camp; Lisa, Nyla and Sadi watching final preparations on Queen’s costume

August 11 1989

Pirates Ahoy! King and Queen costume arriving on trailer for the King and Queen of Carnival competition

August 11 1989

Pirates Ahoy! T-Shirt and Queen’s costume arriving on trailer for the King and Queen of Carnival competition

August 11 1989

Willie and Raymon at the King and Queen of Carnival competition

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; Pirate Queen Nyla in Queen’s costume “My Lady”

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; Pirate King Raymon in King’s costume “Blackbeard’s Treasure”

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; Rakeeb, Soapy, T-Shirt, Nyla, K.P., Willie and Cas cheering on the King

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; Esme Stewart presents the trophy for first runner up in the Queen competition to Queen Nyla

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; June James presents the trophy for King of Carnival to King Raymon

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; King of Carnival Raymon

August 11 1989

Caripeg King and Queen of Carnival competition; Raymon and T-Shirt with trophies

August 11 1989

Mike (left) moving costumes back to Mas camp

August 11 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy!

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy!

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy!

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Calypso/Soca band on flatbed

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Ranee with Pirate’s Ahoy! flag

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy!

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy!, Sadi and Nyla resting after parade

August 12 1989

Caripeg Carnival Street Parade; Pirate’s Ahoy! , Manitoba minister of Culture, Heritage and Recreation, Bonnie Mitchelson presenting trophy to T-Shirt for 1st runner up in the Band of the Year competition

August 12 1989

Pirate crew loading King’s costume on trailer

August 12 1989

4 Responses

  1. You are certainly gifted with trigering the shutter release at the precise moment. Keep me on your mailing list.
    Denis Duguay.

  2. What a great documentary! I never attended the event, and your pics are perfect compensation. Love the “back room” shots, scenes I would never have seen! Thanks, Rob!

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