Oyster Tongs - Keir Memorial Museum
History Of The Artefact:
The earliest known production date for this artefact is around 1950.
These Oyster Tongs are made of wood, metal and iron and comprised of two long wooden pole handles hinged together 1/3 of the way up the shaft; at the ends, attached and braced, are flat rake heads made of wood with iron teeth and braced with metal brackets; each of the teeth appears to be hand forged and measurers approximately 9 cm long. Originally, each of the rakes would have had eight metal teeth, but only three remain on one of the rake heads; the top portion of one of the shaft handles is broken and missing; there are no visible makers marks and it appears to be hand made.
These oyster tongs were likely used in the Malpeque Bay, close to the Keir Memorial Museum, where for many years the oysters have been fished. Termed “Malpeque” oysters from the bay, these oysters have been considered the “world’s best” for over 100 years. In 1880, Canada entered Malpeque oysters to the International Exposition of Paris competition and won.
Fishing for oysters in the past, meant collecting fully grown shell fish which are growing ‘wild’ on the bottom of bays, rivers and inlets. There was no cultivation as there is today. The catches were landed, cleaned, graded and packed for market. Until the early years of the 20th century, it was a common sight to see up to 500 in Malpeque Bay, fishing or collecting oysters that grew there naturally.
Modern oyster farming, based on oyster biology began in France in 1870 and in Eastern Canada by the 1930’s.
The hallmark of oyster fishing is a set of oyster tongs. Their use in Malpeque dates to the mid 19th century and are still used today for certain limited conditions. The Malpeque Bay types are made of two sturdy wooden rakes, the handles of which are pivot-hinged up about 1/3 of the length of the handles from the head (in a scissor-fashion). Handles may be any length from 4 ‘to 18’. In fishing, the tongs are lowered from the boat and the heads opened. They are closed by short lifting jerks which scrape up the oysters from an area of 2-3 feet square from the bottom of the bay.
Although most oysters are harvested in the fall, they can be maintained alive and fresh for several months by keeping them cool and damp.
Excerpts taken from “Malpeque and Its People”, written by the Malpeque Historical Society
These Oyster Tongs are made of wood, metal and iron and comprised of two long wooden pole handles hinged together 1/3 of the way up the shaft; at the ends, attached and braced, are flat rake heads made of wood with iron teeth and braced with metal brackets; each of the teeth appears to be hand forged and measurers approximately 9 cm long. Originally, each of the rakes would have had eight metal teeth, but only three remain on one of the rake heads; the top portion of one of the shaft handles is broken and missing; there are no visible makers marks and it appears to be hand made.
These oyster tongs were likely used in the Malpeque Bay, close to the Keir Memorial Museum, where for many years the oysters have been fished. Termed “Malpeque” oysters from the bay, these oysters have been considered the “world’s best” for over 100 years. In 1880, Canada entered Malpeque oysters to the International Exposition of Paris competition and won.
Fishing for oysters in the past, meant collecting fully grown shell fish which are growing ‘wild’ on the bottom of bays, rivers and inlets. There was no cultivation as there is today. The catches were landed, cleaned, graded and packed for market. Until the early years of the 20th century, it was a common sight to see up to 500 in Malpeque Bay, fishing or collecting oysters that grew there naturally.
Modern oyster farming, based on oyster biology began in France in 1870 and in Eastern Canada by the 1930’s.
The hallmark of oyster fishing is a set of oyster tongs. Their use in Malpeque dates to the mid 19th century and are still used today for certain limited conditions. The Malpeque Bay types are made of two sturdy wooden rakes, the handles of which are pivot-hinged up about 1/3 of the length of the handles from the head (in a scissor-fashion). Handles may be any length from 4 ‘to 18’. In fishing, the tongs are lowered from the boat and the heads opened. They are closed by short lifting jerks which scrape up the oysters from an area of 2-3 feet square from the bottom of the bay.
Although most oysters are harvested in the fall, they can be maintained alive and fresh for several months by keeping them cool and damp.
Excerpts taken from “Malpeque and Its People”, written by the Malpeque Historical Society