Photo: Contributed

The Summerland Museum & Archives Society shared a peek back to 1910 and the apple harvest on Thursday, as this time of year is associated with the tradition of Wassailing.

According to the museum, the ancient custom comes from the cider-producing regions of England, in which the apple trees are "woken up" after their winter sleep.

"The word 'wassail' comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase 'waes hael', which means 'good health' and the wassail was to bless the trees and ensure a good harvest," the museum said in their Facebook post.

"There is no record of a wassail taking place in Summerland, but it would be interesting to know if any of these customs did make their way from the UK to the orchards of Summerland. In any case, Summerland has definitely been blessed with a good harvest year after year."

The photo features the Barclay House which can still be seen on Victoria Road South.

Alf Walker, William Ritchie Sr. (with the beard), and James Ritchie (on the far right), are seen harvesting apples in the Ritchie orchards.

James Ritchie moved to Summerland and into the Barclay House from Manitoba in 1903 and was a prominent figure in Summerland's history.

"It was Ritchie who purchased the 350-acre Indian Reserve #3 which became the site of West Summerland, he was Summerland's Reeve in 1911 and 1914, and he was largely responsible for ensuring that the KVR came through Summerland."

The Summerland Museum & Archives Society shares photos and information from their archives every week for throwback Thursday on their social media, which can be found online here.