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Holyrood Architeuthis (1935)
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Giant Squid
This is an excerpt from a 1960's Reader's Digest article entitled 'Mysterious Monster From the Deep' by John Dyson:
Seldom has a giant squid been taken alive, but a 20 year old Newfoundland fisherman achieved that on a crisp fall morning in 1935. The monster's appearance at Harbour Main, in Newfoundland's Conception Bay, meant only one thing to young Joe Ezekiel - a mountain of bait and dog food. The squid lay on the surface, its crimson arms and tentacles giving it the look of an immense flower as Ezekiel rowed his dory straight for it. He gave the boat a last hard thrust, then stood up and hurled his 11 kilogram anchor at the creature.
Serpent like arms wrapped around the anchor. Tentacles longer than the five metre dory coiled in oozing knots and their convulsion made waves that rocked the boat. Ezekiel heaved in the anchor rope and snubbed the boat up to the monster's huge tapered body. One tentatcle, thick as a stovepipe and studded with suckers, writhed above the surface. Ezekiel grabbed it. The creature, perhaps sick, seemed almost listless as Ezekiel threw a couple of half hitches around the tentacle with a rope.
But he kept his fish knife handy, ready to cut the rope, as laboriously he towed the monster into shore. Jetting clouds of ink, it turned the surface of the cove black. Twenty men who had seen Ezekiel's brave capture from their harborside windows hauled it up the shingle beach. As the squid died, its brilliant red color turning a mottled blue, then a milky white, they paced out its length - 8.5 metres.
Ezekiel shroud his monster in a tarpaulin. News of the capture spread rapidly, and carloads of sightseers came from St. John's. Joe charged ten cents a look and in two days made $30.00. Then he sold the squid to a scientist for $10.00 and stored it in the local fish freezer, but that night the freezer caught fire and the monster was destroyed.
Now a sprightly 67, Joe Ezekiel remains one of the few men in the world known to have caught a living specimen of one of the world's most amazing and terrifying creatures, more bizarre than anything appearing in Star Wars.
Note: Joe Ezekiel died in 1992 at the age of 77 years.
This is an excerpt from a 1960's Reader's Digest article entitled 'Mysterious Monster From the Deep' by John Dyson:
Seldom has a giant squid been taken alive, but a 20 year old Newfoundland fisherman achieved that on a crisp fall morning in 1935. The monster's appearance at Harbour Main, in Newfoundland's Conception Bay, meant only one thing to young Joe Ezekiel - a mountain of bait and dog food. The squid lay on the surface, its crimson arms and tentacles giving it the look of an immense flower as Ezekiel rowed his dory straight for it. He gave the boat a last hard thrust, then stood up and hurled his 11 kilogram anchor at the creature.
Serpent like arms wrapped around the anchor. Tentacles longer than the five metre dory coiled in oozing knots and their convulsion made waves that rocked the boat. Ezekiel heaved in the anchor rope and snubbed the boat up to the monster's huge tapered body. One tentatcle, thick as a stovepipe and studded with suckers, writhed above the surface. Ezekiel grabbed it. The creature, perhaps sick, seemed almost listless as Ezekiel threw a couple of half hitches around the tentacle with a rope.
But he kept his fish knife handy, ready to cut the rope, as laboriously he towed the monster into shore. Jetting clouds of ink, it turned the surface of the cove black. Twenty men who had seen Ezekiel's brave capture from their harborside windows hauled it up the shingle beach. As the squid died, its brilliant red color turning a mottled blue, then a milky white, they paced out its length - 8.5 metres.
Ezekiel shroud his monster in a tarpaulin. News of the capture spread rapidly, and carloads of sightseers came from St. John's. Joe charged ten cents a look and in two days made $30.00. Then he sold the squid to a scientist for $10.00 and stored it in the local fish freezer, but that night the freezer caught fire and the monster was destroyed.
Now a sprightly 67, Joe Ezekiel remains one of the few men in the world known to have caught a living specimen of one of the world's most amazing and terrifying creatures, more bizarre than anything appearing in Star Wars.
Note: Joe Ezekiel died in 1992 at the age of 77 years.
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Hello everyone,
The picture of the giant squid is actually my great uncle, taken near Harbour Main where he lived and fished. As mentioned the squid was destroyed the night he caught it, and legend has it some of the townfolk were afraid of the "monster" and burned the barn before the scientists could get to it the following day...
FYI
The picture of the giant squid is actually my great uncle, taken near Harbour Main where he lived and fished. As mentioned the squid was destroyed the night he caught it, and legend has it some of the townfolk were afraid of the "monster" and burned the barn before the scientists could get to it the following day...
FYI
Hey, this thread delivers! Thanks (belatedly) Marie for posting that reader's digest article, and Rod thanks very much for joining and posting about your great uncle.
Curious, do you and your family own the original photo in question?
Curious, do you and your family own the original photo in question?
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Wow! Thank you Marie and Rod for the article extract and the information about your great uncle. This kind of interconnectiveness is what makes the internet so great - from an old black and white photo we had no information on, we now have a full history and a personal connection too! This would make a great article if it could be pulled together, with your permission of course Rod.
As Tony requests, do you have any more photos please? Also, would you happen to have a precise date in 1935 please?
Oh, and
to the both of you too!
As Tony requests, do you have any more photos please? Also, would you happen to have a precise date in 1935 please?
Oh, and
to the both of you too!
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Hi everyone,
I know there were always stories about what happenned but thankfully my great uncle set the record straight for us. The day of catching the squid, my uncle said scientists in St'John's ( the capital of Newfoundland) we dispatched to come get the creature. He put the squid in his barn so animals would not get at it, also the barn was cool so it would not decompose so quickly. He thought that the scientists would get much out of the study and was pleased that they would take such interest in the creature. That night though, and he thought it was people in the small area they were, a small outport called Harbour Main, thinking it was a sea monster, they burned the barn down that night. They next morning the barn, its contents including the squid were destroyed with almost nothing left. An interesting but sad tale of fear that prevented some great research at that time. As far as my uncle told us, no Americans from New York were ever in contact with him.
The picture that you have all seen in this thread is the only one we have and my family does have the original.
Thank you for your interest and i encourage any info shared about it of course. On a side note for those of you the are interested in the fishing industry and or the Maritimes should read a book about the impact of the Cod on not just Newfoundland but the entire world. THe book is called "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky and is one of the best historical reads on the fishing industry starting over 500 years ago and brings us to present day. It is very interesting and worth a look for history buffs and those intrigured by fish of all types...did you know the cod fish helped the British gained much of the control of the world centuries ago, that the cod was involved in the growth of the slave trade, or that the American Revolution was primed by trade conflicts with this grand fish the cod? Take a read, if you have the time.
All the best to you all and keep thinking !
Rod Ezekiel
I know there were always stories about what happenned but thankfully my great uncle set the record straight for us. The day of catching the squid, my uncle said scientists in St'John's ( the capital of Newfoundland) we dispatched to come get the creature. He put the squid in his barn so animals would not get at it, also the barn was cool so it would not decompose so quickly. He thought that the scientists would get much out of the study and was pleased that they would take such interest in the creature. That night though, and he thought it was people in the small area they were, a small outport called Harbour Main, thinking it was a sea monster, they burned the barn down that night. They next morning the barn, its contents including the squid were destroyed with almost nothing left. An interesting but sad tale of fear that prevented some great research at that time. As far as my uncle told us, no Americans from New York were ever in contact with him.
The picture that you have all seen in this thread is the only one we have and my family does have the original.
Thank you for your interest and i encourage any info shared about it of course. On a side note for those of you the are interested in the fishing industry and or the Maritimes should read a book about the impact of the Cod on not just Newfoundland but the entire world. THe book is called "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky and is one of the best historical reads on the fishing industry starting over 500 years ago and brings us to present day. It is very interesting and worth a look for history buffs and those intrigured by fish of all types...did you know the cod fish helped the British gained much of the control of the world centuries ago, that the cod was involved in the growth of the slave trade, or that the American Revolution was primed by trade conflicts with this grand fish the cod? Take a read, if you have the time.
All the best to you all and keep thinking !
Rod Ezekiel
Thanks Rod! Very very interesting story. As far as the original photo goes -- I really hope you don't mind my asking but feel free to ignore me if you do! -- Is it preserved somewhere, or is it just the kind of thing laying around with family pictures? Does it have a particular monetary value that you're aware of? As it's a family photo I'm sure you're not interested in its monetary value, but I thought it would be interesting to know whether you've ever received an offer, or what. Is it the kind of thing you have negatives for, and sell those?
I have definitely heard of the book Cod but haven't read it. Thanks for reminding me.
I have definitely heard of the book Cod but haven't read it. Thanks for reminding me.
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One last thing
Hi everyone,
Sorry one last thing, Joe told us about his fight in his boat, so we know it was alive. My grandmother also confirmed this and said Joe and his boat were covered in ink from the fight with the huge squid, and that Joe had nearly been pulled in many times from the struggle. He attempted to get it into the boat, but could not as the creature was too big and he feared it would pull him in the water and those huge tentacles would drown him.
Thanks and have a great day everyone,
Rod Ezekiel
Hi everyone,
Sorry one last thing, Joe told us about his fight in his boat, so we know it was alive. My grandmother also confirmed this and said Joe and his boat were covered in ink from the fight with the huge squid, and that Joe had nearly been pulled in many times from the struggle. He attempted to get it into the boat, but could not as the creature was too big and he feared it would pull him in the water and those huge tentacles would drown him.
Thanks and have a great day everyone,
Rod Ezekiel
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Hi Tonmo,
We do have the photo but as far as i know there hasnt been any offers for it. One of my uncles has the actual pic, and i have a copy of it. I dont believe there are any negatives left as it was so long ago and my Great uncle Joe, his wife Mary, my grandfather Chris and my grandmother Margaret have all passed and they were the family members that would have had the negatives. Joe kept this picture in a frame in his house in Harbour Main and it was passed down after his death. If someone is interested and the offer is reasonable to consider, i can contact the holder of the pic to see if they would sell it.
Thanks for your interest
Rod Ezekiel
We do have the photo but as far as i know there hasnt been any offers for it. One of my uncles has the actual pic, and i have a copy of it. I dont believe there are any negatives left as it was so long ago and my Great uncle Joe, his wife Mary, my grandfather Chris and my grandmother Margaret have all passed and they were the family members that would have had the negatives. Joe kept this picture in a frame in his house in Harbour Main and it was passed down after his death. If someone is interested and the offer is reasonable to consider, i can contact the holder of the pic to see if they would sell it.
Thanks for your interest
Rod Ezekiel
Thanks Rod --
Oh, I wasn't really looking to extend an offer, but I can tell you I would be very interested in this and I'm sure I'm not alone. Hard for me to divine an appropriate offer -- not sure I'm quite eccentric enough to hit the right amount
, but it certainly would make a nice addition to my collection of cephalopod-related items! Perhaps I'll research this a bit and will reach out (and again, I'm sure I'm not alone...) You might expect a few private messages (PMs) over this system!
Oh, I wasn't really looking to extend an offer, but I can tell you I would be very interested in this and I'm sure I'm not alone. Hard for me to divine an appropriate offer -- not sure I'm quite eccentric enough to hit the right amount
, but it certainly would make a nice addition to my collection of cephalopod-related items! Perhaps I'll research this a bit and will reach out (and again, I'm sure I'm not alone...) You might expect a few private messages (PMs) over this system! 
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Hello Rod,
What a story! Belatedly I ran across this post in the "U-Haul Giant Squid" thread, a variation on the tale that also involves a destructive fire, but not in a barn. There's a different pic on U-Haul's page that appears to be of your uncle's squid, but with a crowd gathered 'round holding up the arms.
Cheers,
Clem
What a story! Belatedly I ran across this post in the "U-Haul Giant Squid" thread, a variation on the tale that also involves a destructive fire, but not in a barn. There's a different pic on U-Haul's page that appears to be of your uncle's squid, but with a crowd gathered 'round holding up the arms.
Cheers,
Clem
Attachments
tonmo;89163 said:Thanks Rod --
Oh, I wasn't really looking to extend an offer, but I can tell you I would be very interested in this and I'm sure I'm not alone. Hard for me to divine an appropriate offer -- not sure I'm quite eccentric enough to hit the right amount
Ohhh, I would help contribute some $$$ so the photo could go to an appropriate place. Tony, maybe in your spare time you could start a giant squid museum? I promise to visit!
This is a great thread, I love hearing about the history of giant squid strandings/captures!
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tonmo;89163 said:
Gee, if eccentricity is supposed to lead to having money, I'm clearly not getting paid what I deserve
I don't know about relocating the pic (where would it go?) but perhaps, if Rod's OK with it, we could chip in to getting it scanned at some very high resolution and hosting that online here... I think most copy places have pro quality photo scanners these days, but I don't know how much they charge, but we could pay a bit to Rod for his trouble above and beyond, perhaps, as well as giving appropriate credit and making sure that the story is associated with the picture for posterity....
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