Picture This: Photo Albums

Photo albums are an interactive medium and tools for conversation and storytelling. Similar to the art of scrapbooking, the process of compiling an album involves organizational choices that, though they may seem insignificant at the time, collectively shape our memories of certain people, events, or experiences.

St. Catharines Collegiate During the First World War

November 11th marked Remembrance Day, the 101st anniversary of the end of the Great War. When I was told that the St. Catharines Museum Collection had over 250 yearbooks spanning back to 1913, I was immediately curious as to what the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute yearbook would look like in the war years. So, I flipped through the Christmas 1917 edition of the Vox Collegiensis.

At War’s End: Behind-the-Scenes Part 1

Those who served in the Great War, both domestically and overseas, deserve our respect and recognition. I am honoured to be part of the process of creating the St. Catharines Museum’s 2018 Guided Spirit Walks because it means that I get to help share the stories of these heroic individuals. As the programming assistant I am helping to conduct research on our characters, to create the script, and to facilitate rehearsals. Jack Hardy acquired some valuable wisdom from his experiences and emerged from the war grateful for his successes. It is my hope that we will all be able to learn similar insight from the stories of Hardy and a variety of others who were affected by the war that ended one hundred years ago this November.

Museum Chat Live! E105 – Remembering Vimy Ridge

Episode 5 of Museum Chat Live! shares the stories of the St. Catharines soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge from multiple perspectives. We are lucky enough to have letters and diary entries from soldiers including George Hibben, Charles Mercer, Jack House, and Jack Hardy, whose writings bring you right to the battle field.