Faces From History

These items in one of the cabinets at the Bytown Museum caught my eye.

Another display had busts of two Fathers of Confederation, John A. Macdonald and George-Etienne Cartier, the former our first Prime Minister and the latter one of his closest political allies and co-premier before Confederation. I have no idea what Lex Luthor was doing there. Or was that Captain Picard?

The assassination of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, the Irish born statesman and fine orator, another member of Parliament and Father of Confederation, is featured here. McGee was a close friend of Macdonald, and among the relics here is one you might recognize from a previous theme day- a casting of his hand taken after his death. The gunman took him from behind while he was coming home from debate in Parliament late one night. A man was hung for it, but there have always been questions about the case.

There are three cabinets here that show the progress of time. These are models of the city centered around the Canal. The first, in 1832, shows very little in the way of settlement. Parliament Hill back then was Barracks Hill. The second cabinet shows things as they were in the 1850s, with quite a change- particularly on the east flank of the Canal where Lowertown was spreading out. The third gives us a look at the city during the time of the reconstruction of Centre Block on Parliament Hill, around 1918. In each of these cases, you might notice the large pool in the Canal (not so large in the last case). That basin no longer exists, but appears to be roughly where Confederation Park is today.

One of the Gallery rooms featured works by a contemporary artist. This first view is from the terraces over at the Museum of History, giving us a look across the river to the Ottawa skyline as it is at present- complete with construction cranes working on the Hill.

This is a familiar view to me- the artist painted from the perspective of the top of the Canadian War Museum, looking east towards the city core.

And this last painting is close to the Bytown Museum's location, as if the artist is on a boat on the river, looking up at the empty Ottawa Locks of the Canal.