In The Footsteps Of Our Distant Cousins

Neanderthal is the temporary exhibit being held at the Museum of History at the moment. It is still running until late this month, if you happen to be in the area.

In the decades of the 19th century following the discovery of Neanderthal remains, there was a trend of scientific racism deeming these people to be brutes, savages, and less than human. This trend often showed itself in culture as well. But as the exhibit goes into detail, that was not the case. The story of the Neanderthal is a complex one of a species with a social structure, a sense of community, and problem solving intelligence. Human beings as we are today lived around and interacted with them... and in effect, they live on in us.

One of the first things we see are a collection of animals, still around today, that the Neanderthals of Europe would have been familiar with. Others, such as the cave bear, have gone extinct.

The muskoxen, Arctic fox, and ptarmigan, for instance.

Ravens, the golden eagle, and the wolf would be familiar sights for our genetic cousins.

As were the bison and the snowshoe hare.

Visiting The Museum Of History In The Winter

In December I crossed the Alexandra Bridge into Gatineau, to visit the Canadian Museum of History, formerly the Museum of Civilization. The ice on the Ottawa River was taking shape. The two wings of the museum are seen on the shoreline.

Here we see the entrance of the exhibit wing.

While here is the curatorial wing. The current museum was designed by the First Nations architect Douglas Cardinal, who lives in the area. His style with its sweeping curves can be seen in other examples of his architecture, large or small, and this museum is his signature accomplishment.

Between the two wings is a staircase and a view across to Parliament Hill on the Ottawa shore.

Inside, I paused to photograph the Grand Hall with its collection of totem poles.

One last view outside at the curatorial wing. In the distance, beyond the bridge, landmarks like Nepean Point and the National Gallery can be glimpsed. Tomorrow we start looking at the temporary exhibit which was my primary reason for coming over.

The New Dawn Rises Over A Brand New Year

My last formal post of 2019 started with a couple of sunset shots outside the jurisdiction in Guelph, Ontario. So I begin this year with the same, sunrise shots taken a couple of minutes apart in July. These views were taken looking out of the guest bedroom window at my father's apartment.

In early September, I happened to be out around Lansdowne Park at dawn. This first view was from a berm along the east side of the stadium. The reflections you can see come from the Rideau Canal.

I proceeded down to the Canal itself.

Here we have a couple of November views of the first light of day, also taken at Lansdowne.

Passing through the Glebe one morning in early December, I took these views in Central Park looking east.

A few minutes later, down at Lansdowne, here was the dawn view looking at the stadium.

Another day in December, two views from the above locations. First in Central Park.

And then at Lansdowne Park, with the Aberdeen Pavilion in the foreground.

And my final dawn shot is the last photograph I took in 2019. This is Dundonald Park in Centretown, taken between Christmas and New Year's, early in the morning just as the sun was starting to rise. I'm now living near here.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Best Of The Year

I carry on with favourite shots of the year, this time focusing on Gatineau, Quebec, across the Ottawa River. I start with this view taken from the observation deck in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, looking towards our neighbouring city.

Gatineau also takes part in Winterlude in Feburary each year. Jacques Cartier Park, on the shoreline of the river, becomes a giant snow playground with slides and sculptures.

The Tulip Festival makes its presence here as well, with these beds looking colourful in May.

Near Jacques Cartier Park is the Canadian Museum of History, and I visited on occasion through the year. Here we see the entrance of the exhibit wing with tulips in the foreground.

During one of those visits, I looked in on a temporary exhibit about archaeology in Quebec. It included displays about the sinking of the Empress of Ireland, a maritime disaster that proportionately speaking was worse than the Titanic.

I was at the Museum on Canada Day, and each time I visit, I spend time with Morning Star. This glorious abstract mural by the First Nations artist Alex Janvier hangs high over the Museum's grand gallery, and cheers me up especially when I need it. It's my favourite work of art in the National Capital region.

One summer day I went for a walkabout in Gatineau, and wandered through streets I hadn't been in before. They included this scene.

And a short distance away I came along some parkland on the shoreline of the Ottawa River, just upstream from the Chaudiere Falls. This park included a sculpture installation of a beached boat and animals curious about it.

These last two shots are from my Christmas series, and a visit to the Museum of History I made in December. I'll be featuring that visit extensively this month. Here's the main entrance, with a Christmas tree mounted in what is usually a water feature.

Inside, this view looks down to the Grand Hall.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Best Of The Year

Happy New Year! For the first theme day of the year, City Daily Photo members choose favourite shots of the year. You can see how others are choosing their favourites at this link.

The National Capital region is blessed with several national museums. I often go to the National Gallery of Canada. One of the treasures here is the Rideau Chapel, a convent chapel moved here before the building itself was demolished. It is a work of art in its own right.

There are a series of courtyards in the Byward Market that I like going through. One February evening I was passing through. It's the presence of the woman in the shot that made it stand out for me.

February is also the time of Winterlude on both sides of the Ottawa River, and in the Byward Market, ice sculptures were on display. They were particularly vivid at night, with spotlights shifting colours on them.

May brings another festival to the region, the Tulip Festival. Both flowerbeds in these two shots are at Dow's Lake, where the biggest site of tulips is to be found.

Doors Open is held here on the first weekend of June, and this year I happened to pass through the National Arts Centre for a backstage tour. Here on the stage inside the largest of the performance spaces inside, the woman at the conductor's place is what made this shot memorable for me.

This shot was taken on Canada Day from Plaza Bridge looking over the Rideau Canal. 

During the summer I visited the Canada Science And Technology Museum for the first time. At the time it was hosting an exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci, examining his inventions, knowledge, and art from a scientific perspective. Mona Lisa, of course, was part of all that, with several copies of the painting in different exposures as part of the exhibit. As always, her smile kept her secrets.

Elsewhere in that museum, in the permanent collection, are several steam engines, including this one.

There's a pub in the Glebe area that often has funny chalkboard sayings out front. This one is from the fall.

On an October visit to the National Gallery, I photographed Dancer, by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. It's my favourite sculpture in the Gallery.

On this same visit I took this shot of Bernini's bust of Pope Urban VIII. Tomorrow we head over to the Quebec side of the Ottawa River to see some of my favourites from there from the last year.