Queen’s Archives has been contributing to Kingstonist on a regular basis for two years now and they always have something fun, interesting or sometimes surprising to share from our past.  These glances into Kingston’s rich history provide us with perspective on how this town has grown and changed over the years and, in some cases such as this picture below, many things have stayed relatively the same.  Queen’s Archives’ contributions are always a fun treat that I look forward to.
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Picnic, ca. 1900

In the summertime heat, a picnic on the cool grass has always been a popular treat for Kingstonians. This photo, donated to the Archives, was found in an attic with very little details, other than it’s somewhere in Kingston in the early 1900s. The tradition springs in part from meals taken in the fields by workers at harvest time, but it may also have started at the time of the French Revolution when the once exclusive royal parks were thrown open to the citizens who took advantage of this opportunity to meet and relax with friends in elegant surroundings; each providing their own food, perhaps a beverage, and certainly some good conversation.