Author: museumskingstonblog
-
History, Technology and Communication at the Military Communications & Electronics Museum
Written by: Dillon Chicoski Communication is something that everyone does every day. In our own lives and in the lives of everyone we know we can see the importance of communicating effectively. It should not be surprising that effective communication is also important in war. A general’s orders must find their way down to the…
-
History By The Water
Written by: Shelley Yu Years ago, when I first came to Kingston and its surrounding areas, I discovered that a lot of popular tourist attractions were by the water, especially near Lake Ontario. What I was most excited about, however, was seeing the world renowned 1000 Islands, a collection of more than 1,800 islands along…
-
Spread History, Not Germs: Visiting the Museum of Health Care at Kingston
Written By: Patricia Roussel Many invaluable lessons have emerged since the beginning of March 2020, when the world stopped at the hands of COVID-19. Whether it was the at-home coffee luxuries of online work or the relief of seeing toilet paper on store shelves, one thing can be sure: healthcare affects all of us and…
-
World Class Art in Kingston: The Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Written by: Michaela Cardo, M.A. Conveniently located on Queen’s main campus is the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. It is home to a diverse collection of art, from Rembrandts to contemporary work by Indigenous and Black artists. With a rotating selection of exhibitions, it is a place you will want to visit more than once. The…
-
The Rosamond Woolen Company and the Mississippi Textile Museum
Written by: Emma Wyse If you are looking for an experience which perfectly marries history and the present, art with technology, and a stunning indoor space with outdoor activities, look no further than the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM). In operation since 1990, the museum is located in Almonte, about 1.45 hours from Kingston, and…
-
Class Act: Frontenac County Schools Museum
Written by: Kate MacEwen When drafting your summer bucket list, visiting a classroom is not likely at the forefront of your mind. However, last month, I did just that after discovering the Frontenac County Schools Museum. This quaint non-profit offers a wealth of history with its thousands of artifacts certainly worth a trip out to…
-
Bellevue House: A Multi-Faceted Experience for Everyone
Written by: Rachel Hamilton How do you solve a problem like Canadian history? Bellevue House has endeavored to provide an answer. History is created by people – complex, complicated people who attain incredible achievements and make horrific mistakes. Sir John A Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, lived at Bellevue House for thirteen months between 1848…
-
Fires and Fortitude: Stories of Historical Kingston Entrepreneurs
Written by: Linnea Uunila Kingston is well-known for its military and penitentiary histories, but there’s another important aspect of Kingston that is often overlooked: its businesses. One man that left his mark on the city was William Johnson. William was a black entrepreneur who moved to Kingston from Ohio around 1826. Despite racism and discrimination,…
-
Investigating Ghosts at Smiths Falls Heritage House
Written by Linnea Uunila I just returned from a trip to Smiths Falls, where I had a unique adventure– ghost hunting. Two ghost hunting organizations, G.H.O.S.T. and Nightwatchmen Investigative Team, teamed up to host a fund-raising event for the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum. Although I was hesitant to go ghost hunting, my friend convinced…
-
Unique Kingston Museums: the Kingston Scouts Museum
As a member of Girl Guides, Scout’s sister organization, I was fascinated to find that Kingston had a museum dedicated to preserving its history. Scouting has a long history, not just in Canada but across the world, and I was particularly interested to see what Kingston’s history with it was. Did you know that Kingston…
-
Learning the History of Military Communications at Kingston
Written By: Helen Cutts Years ago, when my timing belt broke on the highway, the damage to my engine was extensive. Even though I had replaced the belt not long before that, it didn’t last. That stroke of bad luck, however, didn’t change my view about the value of good oversight and maintenance. It’s the…
-
Two Bays, Two Stories
On each side of Fort Henry lies a bay: Deadman’s Bay to the east and Navy Bay to the west. These two bays have stories to tell, about 100 years apart. One is a story of tragedy, the other of ingenuity. Both are about hard work and determination. With the spring weather now here, you…
-
Horses, Hucksters, and Hogs
Written By: Helen Cutts, Kingston Association of Museums Visitor in Residence I love looking at vintage photographs in Kingston and area museums, especially scenes with horse-drawn wagons and carriages. While the scenes look peaceful, anyone who knows horses knows the potential for chaos to be unleashed. In the 1850s when Kingston’s streets were filled with…
-
Molly Brant: An Exceptional Woman
The ability to have influence in two distinct cultures is a rare gift. It is a skill prized by diplomats today, but would it have been appreciated 250 years ago if the person engaged in negotiation and diplomacy was an Indigenous woman? I happily discovered that, in the case of Molly Brant, the answer is…
-
An Art Exhibition Celebrating Everyday Moments
A past exhibition by Viara Mileva looks at the moments of life that often go unnoticed–the everyday moments when we find pure joy. This photographic study of five families in Lennox and Addington County illustrates how the ordinary can become the extraordinary. To view this exhibit, I set off from the west end of Kingston,…
-
Let the Farmerettes Pitch In
As a city slicker, I can’t carry on much of a conversation about farming, but after a recent visit to the South Frontenac Museum, I now know what a farmerette is. I’ve also learned something about educational toys, wartime nurses and Sunday dinners. These seemingly diverse topics all make sense once you know that the…