This week’s artifact is a brown velvet hat owned by Mrs. Olive Davis. The hat was purchased from Wallace’s Department […]
Food, Glorious Food! Part 6: Wartime Cake
In this edition of Food, Glorious Food, we’re back with another sweet treat: Wartime Cake, written and baked by Curator Kathleen Powell.
Artifact of the Week: White Dress
This week’s artifact is a dress worn by Helen Stanley Smith when she was a young girl around 1914. Also […]
Artifact of the Week: Wedding Slippers
This week’s artifact is a pair of wedding slippers worn by Elizabeth Campbell (neé Oille) at her wedding on September […]
Food, Glorious Food! Part 5: Cheese Timbals
In this edition of Food, Glorious Food, Kathleen tries a recipe for Cheese Timbals from the St. George’s ACW Jubilee Cookbook.
History from Here: Former Merritton Town Hall
Before 1961, Merritton was an independent municipality, separate from St. Catharines. Merritton developed around the Welland Canal’s most aggressive escarpment […]
Artifact of the Week: Pink Ostrich Feather Fan
This week’s artifact is a c.1920-1940 pink ostrich feather fan that was owned by Margaret Elizabeth Bate of St. Catharines. […]
Museum Chat Live! E1002 – Hearing History: Film Projectors
This podcast episode is in our Hearing History series, exploring local history through sound. Today’s sound is the film projector, which has […]
Artifact of the Week: Derby Hat
This week’s artifact is a derby hat worn by George Doty, President of the St. Catharines Riding and Driving Club […]
Hiding in Plain Sight Part 4: Hiding Our History
In part four of our annual Black History Month blog series we explore the persistence of myths and their contribution to our national identity.
Food, Glorious Food! Part 4: Pink Velvet
In this edition of Food, Glorious Food, we discover the strange world of Jello in the 1920s with a post written by our curator Kathleen Powell.
Museum Chat Live! E1001 – What’s Coming Up in Season 10?
The 10th season of our Museum Chat Live! podcast is here! My, oh my, how time flies. It’s like one […]
Artifact of the Week: Skating Club Cardigan
This week’s artifact is a cardigan from the Linwell Skating Club, c.1950s. The cardigan was owned by Tom Fraser, President […]
Hiding in Plain Sight Part 3: Living in Plain Sight
In part three of our annual Black History Month blog series, we explore the experiences of life for those Freedom Seekers who publicly settled in St. Catharines.
Artifact of the Week: Axe Label
This week’s artifact is a label from a Kelly brand tool. This American brand was made for the Canadian and […]
Hiding in Plain Sight Part 2: Extradition
In part two of our annual Black History Month blog series, we explore the history of extradition in Upper Canada/Canada West and the legal protections afforded to Freedom Seekers once they “crossed that line.”
Food, Glorious Food! Part 3: Lemon Tartlet
Things are about to become a whole lot sweeter with Part 3: the Lemon Tartlet, written and baked by Public Programmer Abbey Stansfield.
Hiding in Plain Sight Part 1: The Rumour Mill
In part one of our annual Black History Month blog series, we explore the root of the myth that Freedom Seekers remained in hiding even after arriving in St. Catharines on the Underground Railroad.
Food, Glorious Food! Part 2: Baking Powder Biscuits
Welcome to the Food, Glorious Food blog series. This new, limited series is a companion blog series to the Museum’s […]
Food, Glorious Food! Part 1: Almond Macaroons
Welcome to the Food, Glorious Food blog series. This new, limited series is a companion blog series to the Museum’s […]
Artifact of the Week: Regatta Badge
This week’s artifact is a badge promoting the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association Regatta (also know as “School boy”) held […]
Museum Chat Live! E906 – Merritt’s Speech, November 30th, 1824
Today’s episode of Museum Chat Live! brings a reading of an excerpt of Merritt’s speech from 200 years ago to our ears. Edited and read by museum volunteer Des Corran, you can hear the optimism with which Merritt would cling to over some very challenging years of construction ahead.
Artifact of the Week: Plough Plane
This week’s artifact is a wooden wedge-stem plough plane with screw stop used locally in St. Catharines between the years of […]
What Happened to the Old Canals? Part 4: Change Management
In part four of our series about what happened to the old canals, we discover the complexity of managing change against a sense of place.
VMLS via Podcast – Unearthing Niagara’s Industrial History
On today’s episode we’re sharing to provide a lecture presented on December 13, 2022 which provided an update on her work at the Shickluna Shipyard archaeological dig.
Artifact of the Week: Softball Badge
This badge denotes participation in the 1971 East End Girls Softball league in St. Catharines. 2011.20.26 Find more information and […]
What Happened to the Old Canals? Part 3: The Dumping Ground
In part three of our blog series about the old canals, we look at how and why the old canals have been abandoned and slowly erased from the landscape.
VMLS via Podcast – Ponderous Fraus, Mynheers, and Jaded Farm Horses
On today’s episode we’re sharing “Ponderous Fraus, Mynheers, and Jaded Farm Horses, or Early St. Catharines Before the First Welland Canal” with special guest Brian Narhi.
Artifact of the Week: Commemorative Coin
This week’s artifact is a coin commemorating the Third World Rowing Championships held in St.Catharines in 1970. It was issued […]
What Happened to the Old Canals? Part 2: The Modern City
In part two of our blog series about what happened to the old canals, we look at the establishment of the modern city and its impatience for the old canals.
History from Here: Yale & Towne Lock Factory
The early Welland Canals had helped set St. Catharines up as a manufacturing powerhouse in the mid 1800s. But by […]
One Hour in the Past E706 – The Machine Gun
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the scientifically complicated history of the machine gun and its remarkable and terrible impact in 19th and 20th century warfare. Also: it’s the season finale and the mystery theme linking all of this season’s episodes is revealed!
VMLS via Podcast – In the Public Interest
On today’s episode we’re sharing “In the Public Interest: Public Works in St. Catharines” presented by Kathleen Powell.
Artifact of the Week: Porcelain Basket
This vitro-porcelain glass basket was donated by Mr. Murray Sherwin, of St. Catharines in October of 1970. 1970.58.380 Find more […]
What Happened to the Old Canals? Part 1: Apathy and Indifference
In part one of a new series examining the fate of the old canals, we look at the centuries of “apathy and indifference” stuck to the Welland Canal.
One Hour in the Past E705 – Sewing Machines
On this episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the local history of sewing machine manufacturing, a patent war, and the pivotal role of the lock stitch!
VMLS via Podcast – Our Gallant Employees
On today’s episode we’re sharing “Our Gallant Employees: Corporate Commemoration in Port-War Canada,” with special guest Jonathan Vance.
Artifact of the Week: Championship Crest
This crest was given to members of the championship team of the 1963 basketball tournament sponsored by the St. Catharines […]
One Hour in the Past E704 – Plastics
They said they weren’t a science podcast, but Kathleen and Adrian are back with some more fascinating science-based historical research into the history of plastics. Specially on this episode: how not to pronounce “phthalate.”
VMLS via Podcast – Queenston: A Working Neighbourhood
On today’s episode we’re sharing “Queenston: A Working Neighbourhood” presented by special guest Paul Miller, minister of Westminster United Church.