Harry Piers

Who was Harry Piers?

Harry Piers was a Canadian historian. He was a long-serving and influential historian and curator at the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Piers was born on February 12, 1870 in Halifax.

He became the second curator of the Nova Scotia Museum in 1899 when he succeeded David Honeyman. Piers also served as librarian of the Provincial Science Library from 1900 and as Deputy Keeper of Public Records of Nova Scotia from 1899 until 1931, when the Public Archives of Nova Scotia opened. He did extensive work with Jerry Lonecloud documenting Mi'kmaq people's culture and history. He died on January 24, 1940 and is buried in Halifax at Camp Hill Cemetery. He was succeeded as curator of Nova Scotia Museum by Donald Crowdis.

Raddall was an active writer publishing on a wide range of subject from the history of the military to the habits of the winter wren, a tiny bird found in Nova Scotia forests. His last book, "The Evolution of the Halifax Fortress 1749-1928", was published in 1947 just after his death and played a key role in restoring the Halifax Citadel and York Redoubt.

Piers was also known for his assistance to other authors. In 1893 he edited Mary Jane Katzmann's Akins Prize-winning History of the Townships of Dartmouth, Preston and Lawrencetown, Halifax County, N.S. posthumously for publication. History and fiction writer Thomas Raddall received crucial encouragement and assistance from Piers who became Raddall's mentor for historical research.