Five years ago when Brian Ingham's parents went on a three-week holiday, the 18-year-old took charge of the family's storied Geo. T. Ingham & Son Jewellers store.
When Garth and Joanne returned home they knew instantly Brian took care of business like a seasoned pro.
“I left him in charge and he did a great job,” said Garth, who is the third generation owner of the store.
And Brian's commitment to the family business, which has been operating in Innisfail since his great-grandfather George opened it in 1916, did not end there.
Six months ago he went behind the back of the business to an old shed, moved in by CP Railways in 1954 and used by the family business for storage for more than half a century, and did what no one had done for more than 35 years – entered and picked through stacks and stacks of old weathered boxes.
For the young man, now 23, it was a journey back through time and the uncovering of lost, forgotten and abandoned treasures.
“I just kind of opened the door and realized there could be stuff in here. I found all these treasures,” said Brian, adding the last time anyone stepped into the shed was in 1975. “The door has been open and stuff thrown in and the door was shut and that was it. It was scary. Nobody wanted to handle that.”
For many, many weeks after, Brian searched through most of the old boxes and found scores of old watches, bands, and clocks – many at least a century old and brought to the store in the first few years of the store's humble beginnings but never picked up by their owners.
“People didn't ever come back and pick them up. It was common back then. I remember as a kid the back shop was always full of stuff. It is the life of a goldsmith,” said Brian, adding there was no way he could even attempt to contact the owners of the old relics.
“To be honest with you most of the tags were so destroyed, I couldn't,” he said while handling an old 1919 watch. “You can always tell if they were super old by the style of the band. Some from the 1920s sort of look like pocket watches.”
His study of the collection of old relics also yielded rare and valuable Rolex watches, forgotten pioneer store signs, an old gasoline can, a 1940s camera, electric razors, goldsmithing goggles from the 1920s and an old railway crate used many years ago to deliver items to the store.
To honour these pioneer items from the family profession, Brian created a miniature museum in the store for folks to have a unique peek of the past.
In the meantime, Brian, who designs props and jewelry for the entertainment industry, will use old watch parts from damaged items that are not fit for display.
“If somebody wants a piece that is obscure they will get me to make it,” he said. “My goal is to aim this stuff for musicians.”
Some day Innisfailians watching a music video may see a performer wearing jewelry that originated from locals who discarded it more than a century ago – forgotten then but not now, and rescued by a young man who cares about his family store's history.
“Some of this stuff had been in storage since the early 1900s, since before us,” said Brian. “It's a little bit of heritage for grandpa and great-grandpa.”
