1

MINNIE AND THE CANARY

by
Dick Perkins
 2

SCENE 1: EXT. BOLTON LIBRARY – DAY

Present-day MINNIE is hurrying up the steps of the library.
She is plainly late.

SCENE 2: INT. BOLTON LIBRARY HISTORY CENTRE – DAY

Whitman’s stuffed canary (in its glass dome) is the
centrepiece of a table on which are glasses of wines. A hand
reaches for a glass, and we pull back to see the ACADEMIC, who
is addressing other academics (also holding glasses).
THE ACADEMIC
And so I welcome you all to this the annual Walt
Whitman conference, at the same time raising a glass
to Whitman.
When Oscar Wilde visited Walt Whitman, he introduced
himself to the great man with ‘ I come as a poet to
call upon a poet.’ Whitman – we are told - went
straight to the cupboard, removed a bottle of his
sister-in-law Louisa’s homemade elderberry wine and
the two men began to empty it.
Wine sealed their friendship. Let this wine do the
same for us. The toast is... Walt Whitman.
MINNIE (VO)
This is the story of a canary – a stuffed canary
that belonged to the American poet Walt Whitman.
(TO CAMERA)
But mostly it’s about me – Minnie Whiteside – an
ordinary working class woman who came to sit at the
centre of it all.

SCENE 3: ARCHIVE FOOTAGE/STILLS – Images of Bolton in the late

1880.
MINNIE (VO)
Bolton at the end of the Victorian era. A
prosperous town. A town built on hard work.
Most of us worked in a mill or weaving shed – up to
55 hours a week. Schooling was available to all, so
most of us read. And we read the newspapers.
 3

The newspapers gave people ideas – new ideas:

temperance, votes for women, socialism, equality for
all.
Those who knew about him were attracted to the ideas
of the American poet Walt Whitman. His poetry was
controversial – radical – and spoke strongly of
comradeship. What he called the ‘adhesive love’
between men.

SCENE 4: INT. RESTAURANT – DAY

Same woman, but now dressed in black and white pinafore and
waitress’ hat. She is seen clearing away, laying tables, etc.
As she does, the Whitmanites arrive and are greeted by her,
who takes their orders. As they give their orders (and good
naturedly argue amongst themselves)...
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
These men were members of the Bolton Whitman
Fellowship – the Whitmanites. Disciples, if you
like. Self-educated Bolton men who became
fascinated by Whitman’s ideas of comradeship and
equality.
Their leader was James William Wallace, an
Architectural Assistant here in Bolton, at the firm
of Bradshaw, Gass and Hope. They sometimes called
him ‘Master’, but I preferred his other nickname –
‘Uncle’.

SCENE 5: ARCHIVE STILLS – Annotated group photograph of the

Whitmanites.
MINNIE (VO)
They were an (BEAT) interesting collection of
gentlemen – all socialists, all in favour of votes
for women. They were a thoughtful group, but also
fun. Fred Wild was a real card, and Dr. Johnstone
was known as ‘the Jester’.

SCENE 6: INT. RESTAURANT – DAY

The Whitmanites have settled up and are leaving. MINNIE is
clearing away, but not as bubbly as usual.
 4

WALLACE (TO THE OTHERS)

I’ll catch you up. I just have to ask MINNIE if we
can have a room next Thursday.
WALLACE follows MINNIE as she takes a tray back to the kitchen
and finds her slumped against a wall in tears.
WALLACE
My child! What is the matter?
WALLACE awkwardly puts his arm around MINNIE’s shoulders and
she leans in to him.
MINNIE (VO)
Two weeks after we married, my dear husband George
fell at work and broke his back.
I always knew Mr. WALLACE to be especially kind and
gentle. And I wasn’t the only one to think so.
As someone wrote years later, his life has been
devoted to promoting the welfare of others.
OVERLAP INTO:
SIXSMITH (VO)
Many invalid and toil-exhausted persons have been
nursed back to health under his hospitable roof, and
elevated and cheered by his constant loving kindness
and comforting words.
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
I know - a flowery way of putting it: they all went
in for that. But it was true.
Mr. WALLACE took an interest in me and George. When
George died – nine painful months later – he asked
me to be his housekeeper, here at Babylon Lane in
Anderton, near Bolton.

SCENE 7: INT. WALLACE’S HOUSE – DAY

WALLACE is carrying MINNIE’s bags into the parlour. Later
(same location – NIGHT) MINNIE is seen pouring tea for
WALLACE.
 5

MINNIE (VO)
My life had been in danger of becoming hard again,
but ‘Uncle’ saved me. I started out as a
housekeeper, but soon became more of a secretary –
reading his letters to him and writing the replies.
He – and the others – wrote to Walt Whitman many
times he always sent letters back. And sometimes
packages.
WALLACE and MINNIE unwrap the canary.
Whitman’s beloved canary, now dead.
WALLACE opens an envelope containing a blank census form.
WALLACE
The print is far too small. You’ll have to read it
to me. Another bill, is it? What’s it for, MINNIE?
MINNIE
It’s the census form. You – I suppose ‘I’ – have to
fill it in.
Later, WALLACE is deep in thought.
WALLACE
That column on the form – ‘relationship to head of
household’. With your permission, I would you write
‘daughter’... because that is how I have come to
think of you.
MINNIE (VO)
And so it was that I officially became Uncle
WALLACE’s adopted daughter. Well, officially as far
as the census was concerned.
Not all the Whitmanites were happy withthis...

SCENE 8: INT. RESTAURANT – DAY

The Whitmanites are seated round a table.
SIXSMITH (CONFIDENTIALLY TO FELLOW DINERS)
Uncle WALLACE has been saddened by the failure many
friends to appreciate his affection for MINNIE
Whiteside, the most recent among his huge family of
lame dogs.
 6

(TO CAMERA)
I will confess to a little jealousy of her constant
place at WALLACE’s side, but I came to understand.
I now feel that MINNIE – with all her limitations –
deserves our utmost gratitude, for she gives WALLACE
the hourly devotion that he needs and has made for
him a home as only a real daughter could have.

SCENE 9: ARCHIVE FOOTAGE – Scenes from the Home Front:

recruitment, matches, protest, discussion.
MINNIE (VO)
The Great War split the country; some were against,
some were for. But the Whitmanites stood firm,
sticking to their principles of comradeship. They
were against the fighting.

SCENE 10: EXT. GARDEN – DAY

MINNIE is serving tea to the Whitmanites.
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
I think the Great War did form them. The beautiful
world imagined by the romantic poets was crushed by
the industrial scale of the killing.
As peace returned, Uncle WALLACE himself was fading.

SCENE 11: INT. WALLACE’S HOUSE

MINNIE enters, having just returned from WALLACE’s funeral.

SCENE 12: MONTAGE – Mass Observation photographs of a funeral.

MALE VO
Bolton Evening News – 19th January 1926
Lovers of the works of the late Walt Whitman will be
sad to hear of the death of his devoted disciple
James William WALLACE.
Mr. WALLACE’s principles were of the democratic
order as taught by Whitman. His temper was calm,
 7

but capable of expressing strong indignation at any

injustice.
His death means to many the loss of a loving heart,
a lofty mind and a great soul.
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
With Uncle WALLACE gone, I had lost my best friend.
Some people didn’t understand the depth of my
feeling for him. Not ETHEL Austin, though – she
knew what was what.

SCENE 13: INT. ROOM – NIGHT

ETHEL is straightening chairs, tidying papers, etc. following
a meeting.
ETHEL (VO)
Mrs. Whiteside was most certainly not just WALLACE’s
housekeeper.
She carefully watched over his friends and carefully
watched over his interests. Mr. WALLACE realised
this, and never failed to refer to her in his
letters to me as his beloved daughter.
We see that ETHEL is in Bolton Library in the modern day. She
gets up to leave and goes to the entrance.
(TO CAMERA)
We take on a great responsibility by adopting the
name of the Whitman Fellowship. Any record that is
likely to be kept for future generations should be
carefully and truthfully prepared.
I am sure that Mr. WALLACE would like MINNIE’s share
of his work to be mentioned in association with is.
He was so scrupulous in giving her true honour. He
has left her as a sacred trust to us.

SCENE 14: ARCHIVE – Photograph of shop in Halliwell, then...

INT. SHOP – DAY
MINNIE is working in the shop, serving customers.
 8

MINNIE (VO)
Uncle WALLACE left it all – such that it was – to
me. The house in Babylon Lane was rented, so I had
to move out.
I stayed with Mr. ORMOROD – another of the
Whitmanites – and bought a shop on Halliwell, near
Bolton town centre.
After a customer leaves, MINNIE looks through a box of papers
and re-discovers the canary.
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
Very soon after Uncle WALLACE died, people from all
over were asking me what I was going to do with his
papers.
MALE VO 1
Dear Mrs. Whiteside – It might be well for you to
send a list of things you have to sell to Mr. Thomas
Carnels of the Huntington Library, Pasadena,
California. His library buys many rare things from
American authors...
FADE TO...
FEMALE VO
If you have any special books of Mr. WALLACE’s,
please let me know what they are before you sell
them...
FADE TO...
MALE VO 2
If you desire to sell any material originating from
Walt Whitman, I urge you to consider allowing me to
purchase same, such that I may distribute them to
libraries and universities in the US.
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
I ignored all that. I was used to having Uncle
WALLACE’s papers around – they were my last
remembrance of him. Anyway, I needed them to rfer
to for the letters that I would exchange with
Whitman followers around the World.
 9

SCENE 15: INT. A CLUTTERED AND RUN-DOWN ROOM – NIGHT

MINNIE is listening to the radio.
RADIO (VO)
It’s “Take Your Pick” with Wilfred Pickles and Mabel
at the Table!
RADIO CONTINUES QUIETLY IN THE BACKGROUN, AS...
MINNIE (TO CAMERA)
It was up to me to keep the spirit of Walt Whitman
and the Whitmanites alive – sometimes in surprising
ways.
REPORTER (VO)
Bolton Evening News, October 1949
Thanks to Wilfred Pickles and his radio programme
‘Have A Go’, one of the finest Walt Whitman
collections in the country has come to light.
On the broadcast from Bee Hive Mills In Lostock,
night-watchman Jim Turner advised young people to
spend loess of their time at the pictures and more
reading great literature, such as Whitman’s poetry.
As a result, Mrs. MINNIE Whiteside of Halliwell
wrote to Mr. Turner telling him of her collection of
Whitman material. He visited her and found a
treasure trove.
(TO CAMERA)
Included in her collection is a stuffed canary which
Whitman sent to his English friends. She also has
letters from Alfred Lord Tennyson... although Mrs.
Whitside was unable to find these in the mass of
papers.

SCENE 16: ARCHIVE FOOTAGE/STILLS – Footage from the most

recent Whitman walk, intercut with MINNIE and the Whitmanites
– eventually only Minnie and ORMROD.
MINNIE (VO)
Every year – on the anniversary of Whitman’s
birthday – we used to walk up to Mr. ORMROD’s house
at Walker Fold. As the Whitmanites became fewer, it
 10

was eventually just Mr. ORMROD and me who made the

trip.
Mr. ORMROD continued Uncle WALLACE’s kindness. It
was he who used to help me up the hills. Slowly and
carefully – we were a couple of creaking gates.
I wonder – do they still remember Whitman’s birthday
that way?
FADE
Soon, it all went sour. The shop failed and I was
living in one room, with only Uncle WALLACE’s papers
for company. His memory was all that I had left.
I wasn’t as clever as them – I always knew that.
But I was one of them. I thought that I had been
adopted by them as well.
Some of them just didn’t understand.
Mr. SIXSMITH certainly didn’t.

SCENE 17: INT. FACTORY – DAY

SIXSMITH signs a paper on a clipboard and hands it back to a
worker.
SIXSMITH (TO CAMERA)
Articles purchased from Mrs. Whiteside were to be
presented as a gift to Bolton Library. I wrote to
Mrs. Whiteside asking when I should collect them,
but received no reply.
When pressed, she made excuses and promises she
never kept. Instead, she called on you and gave you
the impression that she did not intend to part with
them.
I then heard by the merest chance of a report in the
Bolton Evening News of the presentation, falsely
stated to be the gift of Mrs. Whiteside, a
deliberate falsehood to the public of Bolton.
I consider Mrs. Whiteside’s behaviour to be
disgraceful and dishonest.
 11

SCENE 18: INT. CLOSE-UP OF SHOEBOX, into which is placed the

canary.

SCENE 19: EXT. LIBRARY STEPS – DAY

Close-up of shoebox; pull back to show that it is being
carried up the library steps.
MINNIE (VO)
I had held on to Uncle WALLACE’s collection for as
long as I could. To guard it, to keep it safe but
also... because I was attached to it and what
– who – it stood for.
The time came to release it. What do they say? ‘If
you love something, let it go...’

SCENE 20: INT. BOLTON LIBRARY HISTORY CENTRE – NIGHT

Present day academics drinking wine and in animated
conversation, occasionally gesturing towards the canary. They
are oblivious to present-day MMINNIE passing amongst them.
VOICEOVER
Today, Walt Whitman is as revered as any American
poet, perhaps any poet ever. The John Rylands
Library in Manchester holds a large collection of
Whitman papers. The other great UK collection is in
Bolton, after a determined effort by successive
Bolton librarians to gather as much form the old
Whitmanites as possible.
Much of both the Bolton collection and that at John
Rylands Library came via Minnie Whiteside. Although
she gave a lot of books and papers to admirers of
Whitman and WALLACE, MINNIE Whiteside kept together
the bulk of WALLACE’s collection for decades.

SCENE 21: ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPH – Track in on MINNIE leaning out

of the window in the background of the group portrait of the
Whitmanites.
We have this priceless legacy largely because of
MINNIE.
 12

SCENE 22: ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPH OF MINNIE, beside which is

written “MINNIE Whiteside 1880-1966”
VOICEOVER
Did we count great, O soul, to penetrate the themes
of mighty books,
Absorbing deep and full from thoughts, plays,
speculations?
But now from thee to me, caged bird, to feel thy
joyous warble,
Filling the air, the lonesome room, the long
forenoon,
Is it not just as great, O soul?

END