At first, Carol Perpeluk thought the photo album was an old Bible.
It arrived at the SHAVA bookstore in a box in early September, wrapped in plastic and hidden among old Dutch books and manuals on radio wiring.
But beneath the thick cover and yellowed pages, Perpeluk, a volunteer at the store, discovered a rare collection of old family photographs, some dating back to the 1800s.
Most are of men and women in elegant suits and dresses, with the serious expression typical of the photographs of that time. She didn’t think the bookstore was supposed to get these.
“It would be a shame for the family to lose this,” she said.
The bookstore now wants to return the album to its rightful owner. But the donation was anonymous, so they don’t know who that is.
A newspaper article may help. But if that doesn’t work, they will have to take a closer look at the origin of some of the photos, she said.
Two that stood out to her already are signed with the name Bonitz.
The same name shows up in another book that arrived with the collection, a history of families in the Macrorie District in Saskatchewan. Bonitz is the name of a family that immigrated to Canada from the Town of Guben, Germany in 1875.
The name also shows up in old clippings and obituaries stuck between the pages of that book. Many of them come from a newspaper in the town of Outlook, Sask.
The latest one was addressed to someone in Edmonton, said Perpeluk.
“This name is mentioned quite a bit,” she said.
While the bookstore had its fair share of random items showing up with donations, among them rings, gift cards, birth certificates and a chauffeur’s licence, the photo album is a treasure of its own, said Jackie White, president of SHAVA.
If it can’t be matched with anyone, the store will likely display it in its showcase for a while, or try to return it to the town of Outlook.
“Over the years we’ve seen some great treasures,” she said. “But some of us have never seen that kind of thing.”
The SHAVA bookstore is located in the Scotiabank building at 22 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue. It can be reached at 780-458-4655.
