Friday, January 13, 2023

Museum Of History

 Today I begin a series from a visit made in December to the Canadian Museum of History, which resides on the shore of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, directly across from Parliament Hill, which can be seen in these two shots. The curatorial wing at left and the exhibition wing at right is the masterpiece design of First Nations architect Douglas Cardinal, who lives in the Ottawa area. He has buildings elsewhere on the continent; my American readers may have visited the National Museum of the American Indian, which is his design. I am a member of this museum and the War Museum.


I went through a couple of special exhibits but took no pictures (I'll have to remedy that on a future visit, as one of the items was a sheet of music written by Beethoven himself). I ended up in the First Peoples Hall, a winding corridor filled with artifacts, both centuries old and contemporary.


This is one of the first things you see, a blending of two images, past and present. A native encampment on the shore of the river, a few metres down slope from this spot, is from a painting in the 19th century. The far shore is how things look today.


Both images are below. The painting features more land to the east, while the photograph features more of the upstream view to the west. What is today Parliament Hill was known as Barrack's Hill at the time of the building of the Rideau Canal; buildings can be seen on its heights, and it occupies the right of the painting, as opposed to being central in the photograph. 


Into the Hall I went.


This coat is one of the Museum's prize artifacts. It belonged to Louis Riel, seen in the photograph to the right. Riel was the Metis leader who led his people in the latter 19th century to oppose the policies of the government. He was executed for treason. Today he's considered a Father of Confederation- the founder of Manitoba.

54 comments:

  1. ...the next time that we visit Ottawa, this will be on our to see list.

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  2. Wonderful museum and exhibits. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend!

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  3. The legacy of Riel and his clearly unjustified and unjust execution reverberates to this day.

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  4. The canoes fascinate me. There was one at part of the national park here a while ago. Incredible workmanship!

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  5. You must have a museum pass! You are a frequent visitor. I know we'll never get there soon. I cannot stand crowds, either. Is there a good time to go when things are fairly quiet?

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    1. Yes, the cost of my annual membership covers both museums. Basically once you've made your third visit the pass covers any additional visits. And there's discounts on parking and retail.

      It was relatively quiet when I visited on a Thursday. I would not recommend a weekend visit.

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  6. I was in Ottawa last year and went to this museum, definitely worth the visit. No snow at the time though!

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  7. I do like Douglas Cardinal's work...it speaks of his heritage so well!

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  8. I hope to visit that museum one day. In the meantime thanks for the tour.

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  9. Canada has a rich history. Thank you for the tours

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  10. This looks like a wonderful exhibit.

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  11. I could spend many hours in this area.

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  12. Buena contribución, para el conocimiento de la historia de ese gran país.

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  13. This is a lovely museum -- and that's a TON of snow!

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  14. You made your visit on a snow covered day.

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    1. We had a good deal at the time. More falling at the moment.

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  15. A beautiful museum to spend lots of time in.

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  16. Wonderful! This museum reminds me of the one in DC, both in architecture and exhibits.

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  17. I like your photographs of the museums in the snow.

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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  18. I could be lost there for hours! It's interesting that in Hawaii too. Contemporary ceremonial alters and objects created by Hawaiians are considered just as valid as the ones in museums. Thanks again William. You're the best!

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  19. Lovely snow photos ~ wonderful art work ~ especially like the indigenous ~

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  20. Love the snow photos. Very beautiful.

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