F. B. Skinner Furniture store front, circa 1900, persons unidentified. Frederick Bowden Skinner and his brother George Henry Skinner, sons of Hugh and Catherine Skinner, owned this business in Guelph Ontario and sold furniture manufactured in their father's nearby factory.

4 May 2001:

Just landed on your Web page by accident after doing a search on "Burr Brothers" and "Guelph".

It turns out that my great-grandfather, George Porteous, worked for the Burr Brothers' furniture manufacturing company in Guelph, Ontario, Canada from about 1892 through 1904. (Burr Brothers was taken over by the Canada Furniture Co. at some point during this period).

I found a picture of furniture factory workers (I've scanned and cleaned it up a bit). The photo is taken from a "Picture History of Guelph", Volume 2: http://members.home.com/dporteous/graphics/family/BurrBrothersGuelph.jpg... and also http://members.home.com/dporteous/Porteous/GeorgePorteous.html

I've also been in communication with the Guelph Library (after MUCH searching) and have recently learned that all of the photographs reprinted in the above book went to the library after the death of the author (Robert Alan McLean Stewart). I'm waiting to hear from them as soon as they locate the original photograph.

If you happen to have any additional information regarding Burr & Skinner Furniture Co., the information would be greatly appreciated. (BTW, I think my g-grandfather is in the 2nd row from the bottom, 2nd gentleman from the left in the photograph).

Thanks!

Doug Porteous

dporteous@home.com

Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada