A NORTH American Indian, Grey Owl, spoke to a Helensburgh audience at the Victoria Hall in November 1937, and was well received.
Grey Owl was on tour in Britain, giving talks on his life, on the Canadian wilderness, how native Americans lived etc. Films and documentaries made about him had resulted in him becoming quite a celebrity.
However, he turned out to be a fraud — he was an Englishman. A film was made about him some years ago with Pierce Brosnan playing Archie Grey Owl.
Grey Owl enjoyed the patronage of the rich and powerful, including the monarchy, and Helensburgh was able to show that it too could attract these celebrities.
You can read much more about Grey Owl at http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/grey_owl.html
- Photo by courtesy of Parks Canada
