Friday, August 11, 2017

Tools Of Their Trade

This view from outside the Bytown Museum looks across the Canal. On Colonel By Day, re-enactors in uniform roamed the area around the locks. Above them, up on the top of the cliff, Colonel By's statue can be glimpsed in the gap, where he looks out from Major's Hill Park.


The Museum itself houses a collection telling the story of Ottawa, its place along the Canal, and its place in the nation. On the first floor, display cases include medical supplies used at the time for workers, whose causes of death might include accidents or illnesses such as malaria. Tools of the time are also displayed, as are models of pulleys used in the early 19th century in the construction of the Canal.


The Vault was used in Colonel By's time as a place to hold money or ammunition securely. The building  has been constructed solidly, with thick walls big enough to withstand cannon fire.


The bulk of the museum's collection is on the second and third floors. One passes by a historical plaque first on the way up. The cannonball that closes out today's post caught my eye too.

31 comments:

  1. Fascinating post, William. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  2. It was certainly built to last! Displays like these of supplies and equipment certainly make it clear how difficult conditions were for people of earlier eras.

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  3. Wonderful how Colonel By is overlooking his soldiers. He has built a decent building that houses a great history.

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  4. ...I often wonder how they got things done back in the day, reminds me of the building of the Erie Canal.

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  5. @Linda: you're welcome.

    @Kay: it was quite a challenge.

    @Marianne: thank you.

    @Jan: it's quite an accomplishment.

    @Janis: they do!

    @Tom: that was the era for canal building.

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  6. Hello, the re-enactment looks like a fun event. The canal photo reminds me of our C&O Canal. Great exhibit and photos. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!

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  7. I had the same thought as Tom, I am often amazed how people were able to build thing in the past, with the tools available.

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  8. Quite a building! You sure get around a lot, William!

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  9. So much to see and learn from these exhibits!

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  10. It's amazing what they did with the technology they had at that time.

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  11. It's always so interesting to see what implements they used in days gone by, I often wonder what the future generations will think when they look back on this period of time! Happy weekend William.

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  12. Great exhibit. Cannonball caught my eyes, too!

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  13. Fascinating! I thoroughly enjoyed this William, thank you.

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  14. @Beth: it was quite a vault for its time!

    @Eileen: odds are the building years were around the same era.

    @Marleen: humanity can show great ingenuity at the best of times.

    @RedPat: not as much as I'd like, but when I get to places, I tend to take a lot of shots!

    @Christine: there really is.

    @Red: they were resourceful.

    @Grace: they don't do things like this anymore.

    @Tamago: yes, I'd wondered if I'd noticed it before. There are certain items in this museum that I always gravitate towards.

    @Denise: you're welcome.

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  15. That cannonball looks very heavy. I imagine it could do a lot of damage!

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  16. Another fine exhibit. The cannonball looks like it could do some serious damage.

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  17. Old tools are fascinating. Some never change.

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  18. @Janey: it could!

    @Francisco: thanks.

    @Revrunner: who'd have thought?

    @Bill: I liked seeing it.

    @Mari: I agree.

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  19. The cannonball looks interesting....

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  20. That's amazing, a volley with the same cannonball. Walls that thick built today would cost a fortune. Still, it would be nice to see them built.

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  21. Interesting post. We have cannonballs in our museum too. And they are still in the walls of the cathedral.

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  22. Fascinating exhibits. I could get lost looking at these for several hours.

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  23. These treasures and information will keep us occupied for a long time inside the museum.

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  24. this would go well with my set from the paddlers!

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  25. So nice to see and read this post William, thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  26. @Norma: it does.

    @Maywyn: it's quite a structure.

    @Klara: that doesn't surprise me.

    @Denise: it's a good museum.

    @Nancy: true.

    @Jennifer: I can see that.

    @Jan: thank you!

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