This week’s artifact is a Folk Arts Festival button. This festival has been run in St. Catharines since 1969, making […]
Who Can Play? A History of Sports in St. Catharines’ Black Community
This year’s four-part Black History Month blog series is all about community. In previous blogs we have often focused on […]
Artifact of the Week: Welland House Table Knife
This week’s artifact is a table knife from the Welland House Hotel. The knife was made by the McClashan-Clarke Co. […]
Museum Chat Live! E901 – Finding Home: Tales from the StoryLab 1
In this 3-episode series, host Sean Dineley lets a sampling of long-time St. Catharines residents do most of the talking. […]
VMLS via Podcast – When the World Changed
On today’s episode of VMLS via Podcast we’re sharing the exciting story of the First World War as it looked to the residents in St. Catharines with a lecture given by our curator Kathleen Powell titled ‘When the World Changed.” This lecture was originally recorded on December 1, 2021.
Artifact of the Week: Chamber Pot
This week’s artifact is an ironstone china chamber pot used locally around the turn of the 20th century. With privies […]
Artifact of the Week: Wooden Drafting Table
This week’s artifact is a wooden drafting table that was used at the Riordon Paper Mill in Merritton before 1921. […]
Artifact of the Week: McMahon Farm Grain Bagger
This week’s artifact is a grain bagger from the McMahon family farm in Port Dalhousie. Once a prominent dairy farm […]
Artifact of the Week: Browder Life Saving Machine
This week’s artifact is a life saving net used by the St. Catharines Fire Department from 1930-1960. This device was […]
Artifact of the Week: Christmas Tree Ornament
This week’s artifact is a c. 1950 blown glass Christmas tree ornament. The ornament was donated to the museum by […]
Artifact of the Week: Coffee Grinder
This week’s artifact is a hand-powered coffee grinder that was donated to the museum in 1967, its opening year, by […]
Artifact of the Week: 1969-70 Ontario Driver’s Handbook
This week’s artifact is a 1969-70 Ontario Driver’s Handbook. This was part of a package given to visitors during the […]
Artifact of the Week: Cream Separator
This week’s artifact is an Eskilstuna cream separator. This model was sold by Eatons around 1900. Cream separators use centrifugal […]
Neutral Niagara: Indigenous Pasts and Presents in St. Catharines
Part 3 of 3 Click here for Part 1 or Click here for Part 2 Toward the Present By the […]
Artifact of the Week: Carpet Stretcher and Tacker
This week’s artifact is a carpet stretcher and tacker used locally around the turn of the 20th century. L1967.129.3 Find […]
Neutral Niagara: Indigenous Pasts and Presents in St. Catharines
Part 2 of 3 Click here for Part 1 or Click here for Part 3 The Neutrals and Barbican Heights […]
Artifact of the Week: Avondale Dairy Crate
This week’s artifact is a milk crate from Avondale Dairy Ltd. dating to around 1940. Avondale started in 1931 as […]
Neutral Niagara: Indigenous Pasts and Presents in St. Catharines
Part 1 of 3 Discussing the Indigenous history of St. Catharines and the Niagara Region can be a particularly challenging […]
Artifact of the Week: Stoneware Wine Jug
This week’s artifact is a stoneware wine jug from the Ontario Grape and Wine Manufacturing Company. Later called Barnes Wines, […]
Artifact of the Week: Taylor and Bate Glass Ladle
This week’s artifact is a ladle used by the Taylor and Bate brewmaster to check beer clarity. Taylor and Bate […]
Artifact of the Week: Northumberland Steamship Whistle
This week’s artifact is a whistle from the steamship Northumberland which was built in 1891 and served as a passenger […]
Artifact of the Week: Victory Loan Flag
This week’s artifact is a flag awarded to the County of Lincoln in 1918 for raising over $6,000,000 in Victory […]
History from Here: Montebello Park
In the late 19th century, industrialization, labour movements, and a shift toward urban living meant a lot more free time […]
One Hour in the Past E605 – Self-Published Materials
This episode is perfect for the pamphleteers of the 18th century to the bloggers and YouTubers of today. Kathleen and Adrian explore the fascinating democratization of publishing with an episode about self-published materials.
Another Successful Year for Guided Spirit Walks
We are so thankful to our audiences and our volunteers for another very successful Guided Spirit Walk season at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. The walks bring history to life through theatrical performances based on the histories of the folks who made an important mark in our city. Thank you also to the many folks who reached out with kind comments of enjoyment and enthusiasm! We appreciate it!
Artifact of the Week: “Hess” Pitchfork
This week’s artifact is a pitchfork manufactured by the Welland Vale Manufacturing Company in St. Catharines. It was used by […]
Museum Chat Live! E803 – Hearing History: Accordion Music
This episode is another sonic journey in our Hearing History series, taking full advantage of the podcast format by exploring […]
Artifact of the Week: Welland Vale Axe Head
This week’s artifact is an axe head manufactured by Welland Vale Manufacturing Company in St. Catharines, C. 1930 1986.133.1 Find […]
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Meet Your Guide: Jane
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer performers who will portray them.
Artifact of the Week: Stan Mikita Hockey Stick
This week’s artifact is a commemorative hockey stick signed by Stan Mikita. Mikita grew up in St. Catharines and played […]
One Hour in the Past E603 – Newspapers
Extra, extra! On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss the transitional and ever-changing nature of news media and the conservator’s nightmare: newsprint/paper!
Artifact of the Week: Goffering Iron
This week’s artifact is a goffering iron from the second half of the 19th century. Also called a fluting iron […]
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Dr. Chauncey Beadle
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer performers who will portray them.
Artifact of the Week: White Military Gloves
This week’s artifact is a pair of white gloves which belonged to Gerald Steele and were used with his Royal […]
One Hour in the Past E602 – Superheroes and Comic Books
On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past, Kathleen and Adrian explore the moon-booted-history of Superheroes and Comic Books!
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Alpheus St. John
Our spirit walks often employ a few fictional characters to help advance plot or narrative and to help other characters along. Especially when we get a lot of volunteer interest, we can have a bit more fun with larger scenes, more dialogue, and more interesting characters. We’re so pleased to have some local students join us as the fictional granddaughters of Alpheus St. John. In their scene, they are particularly curious about figuring out the history of the name of St. Catharines!
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – Elias Smith Adams and Susan Merritt
The annual Guided Spirit Walks are back again this September and we’re excited to share the profiles of the historic people included this year, and our wonderful cast of volunteer actors who will portray them.
For our next character/actor profiles, we meet Elias Smith Adams and Susan Merritt portrayed by Des Corran and Brenda Schultz.
Artifact of the Week: Firefighter’s Speaking Trumpet
This week’s artifact is a speaking trumpet from the St. Catharines Fire Department c. 1881. These devices were used to […]
One Hour in the Past E601 – Dictionaries
On today’s episode of One Hour in the Past Kathleen and Adrian discuss the simultaneously boring and cool history of dictionaries.
2023 Guided Spirit Walks – George Rykert
Fictional settlers, (representing real opinions from historical sources) Abigail MacDonald, Jessie Frey, and Sarah Bryan have a bone to pick with Rykert after his town plan is laid out in the most awkward and disadvantageous ways. The scene unfolds quickly into familiar rants about road quality, property development, and the beginnings of urban settlement in our town.
