Friday, November 25, 2016

One War Unto The Next

Carrying on with my series from the War Museum, this painting is of Halifax harbour during the war, with warships painted in the dazzle effect design. It accompanies displays and artifacts about the Halifax Explosion.


Theses are in the section that deals with the impact of the war at home. This clock was made by a clock company, Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company, which was founded in 1904 in Berlin, Ontario. As you can imagine during the war, there was a good deal of resentment about German names, and the town changed its name to what it's known as today, Kitchener, Ontario, now a city west of Toronto. The contents here also include a record player, children's books, and a display panel of newspaper headlines.


This combination of vehicle and war art caught my interest near the end of the World War One area. As you can imagine, it was a busy place that day, so you can't always get shots without people, though I think it's encouraging that the kid was absorbed in what he was seeing.


Moving on into the Second World War exhibit space, the first thing that meets your eye is this armoured Mercedes Benz limo. It was one of several owned by Hitler, and this first portion puts the world into context in the 1930s as to what the Axis powers were engaged in. As a military veteran and museum volunteer mentioned in a conversation in this area, the twenty years between the two wars wasn't really peace- it was just the calm between two storms.


Set in a display case is this device, one of the things that won the war. It's an Enigma device, which allowed the Allies to decode German communications.


Moving on, there's also a section here that also deals with the impact of the war at home, with multiple subjects. This wall of posters always catches my eye, as does the store window display, though I must wonder... how could anyone get by on that little bit of sugar? That's less than what I have in my tea in a given week!

28 comments:

  1. A really fascinating post, William, and I absolutely love all the vintage items in your photos! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  2. Wonderful collections of war photos and items on display. Have a beautiful day!

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  3. i really enjoy how brands did package items in the good ole' days, wonder why we don't have style in our packaging nowadays, like it is too pricey or what??! ... love the antique car, typewriter. so so cool!! ( ;

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  4. Excellent exhibition William, I love stories set in this time period, the spirit of the Brits during the war was pretty amazing!

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  5. Excelente trabalho, gostei.
    Um abraço e bom fim-de-semana.
    Andarilhar

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  6. Enjoyed this series, William, and it reminded me if our own visit to a Canadian war musuem a couple of years ago in Dunville. That museum is much smaller and you might enjiy it as well.

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  7. @Linda: you're welcome.

    @Nancy: thank you.

    @Beth: it's quite a difference now.

    @Grace: it was.

    @Francesco: thank you.

    @Beatrice: I no doubt would.

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  8. Interesting collection, William !
    The Enigma device is fascinating.

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  9. The vintage items are priceless. So glad you are sharing them.

    Janis
    GDP

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  10. That's a wonderful and varied collection.

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  11. The war artifacts make up a wonderful collection. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. This must be one of the best museums in Canada to show so many genuine artifacts. Thanks for showing us around the museum.

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  13. @Karl: in many ways, Enigma helped win the war.

    @Janis: I'm glad to show them.

    @Jan: it definitely is.

    @Bill: you're welcome.

    @Red: it's a marvelous museum.

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  14. My dad used to take about the rationing that went on during WW11. In fact, he still had one of his old ration books.

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  15. I really like the old clock. I had one once, but it bonged so loud I gave it away to a relative...who may have not slept since.

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  16. Needless to say, I don't remember WW1, but I lived through WWII...although I was young, I do remember gas and food rationing and air raid wardens and how people I knew went off to war but never came home. Things were relatively tough on the home front although conditions never even approached what the war zones went through.

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  17. Times were tough at home and overseas.

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  18. Excellent post. I think most people agree that one of the direct causes of WW2 was the Treaty of Versailles - though of course it's not that simple.

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  19. I remember rationing during World War II even though I was only a small boy then. We also saved the tin foil from chewing gum wrappers. I have no idea what it was ever used for.

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  20. These war exhibits have been thoughtfully arranged. Thew armoured Mercedes-Benz is simply amazing.

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  21. @Sharon: an interesting thing to hold onto.

    @Pat: this clock really caught my attention.

    @Lowell: it was a lot different out on the front.

    @RedPat: definitely.

    @Mike: a lot of it did spring out of that, but like you say, it's much more complex.

    @Catalyst: I would have no idea either.

    @Gemma: it's quite a stark way to enter the Second World War area, coming face to face with Hitler's car.

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  22. Be a real bummer if my tea was rationed.

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  23. You'd be surprised how little sugar one really needs. Mama even managed to can fruits. We were on a farm so didn't run out of certain things except coffee. Postum became the substitute.

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  24. I've enjoyed reading back about this exhibit and also your coverage of the Remembrance Day ceremonies (which I always like to watch live on the day). We visited a similar war exhibit a while ago at either Trenton or Hamilton airplane museums. I wonder if this is a travelling exhibit? Some of the items seem familiar, like the bible with the bullet hole, and the armoured car/tank. I have a clock made by the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Co.! It was my grandmother's although it no longer works.
    Wendy

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  25. The Canadian casualty list in that newspaper is certainly sobering. I think I'd have trouble seeing something like that regularly published in the newspaper. I've read about U.S. rationing in WW2. Sugar was just one of many pretty vital things that people did without. We all take so much for granted nowadays.

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  26. My hubby is really a reader about war. I think because his father fought in it and he never knew his father. I know more stuff from him. My walking encyclopedia!

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  27. I read about a lot of this when I was researching The Unicorn's Daughter. And Collin is a real military buff.

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  28. @Revrunner: for me it would be the sugar.

    @Mari: I have six spoons of sugar with my tea.

    @Wendy: I'm still working my way through this year's edition.

    @Kay: casualty lists were things that one dreaded, as much as telegrams coming to the door.

    @Jennifer: I'm drawn to it for different reasons.

    @Norma: that I can see.

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