Artisan Profile: Button Box Originals

Button Box Originals creates unique, hand-made earrings using upcycled buttons and beads.

“I rarely create the same pair twice," says owner Karen Mitchell. "I find it exhilarating to come up with the designs and then have people of all ages not only excited to buy them but to come back and tell me how much they love them.”

If you're looking for a colourful gift or that perfect stocking stuffer, Button Box Originals will have a booth at Goulbourn Museum's Outdoor Artisan Market on November 30th. Save the date!

Button Box Originals: Facebook

Meet Sarah Norton - Community Programmer and Marketing Assistant

Sarah Norton

This is my second summer working at Goulbourn Museum as a summer student. I do a wide variety of jobs including; off site presentations, assisting with Family Craft Days, and various other tasks that make every day new and exciting.

I am currently finishing my General Degree in Cultural Studies and Anthropology at Trent University and this fall I will be entering my first year of the Applied Museum Studies Program at Algonquin College.

By working at the Goulbourn Museum I am able to explore an assortment of jobs and tasks which sustain and maintain local heritage. This position has also allowed me to assist in the development of research and educational programs to keep local history alive.

Meet Mackenzie Bridgenaw - the Museum's Curatorial Assistant for the Summer

Mackenzie Bridgenaw

This is my first summer working with the Goulbourn Museum as one of their Curatorial Assistants. Needless to say, I was thrilled when hired and am enjoying my work with the Museum. In general, I have a broad amount of tasks to fulfill – largely working with the collection, accessioning and caring for it.

I have recently completed my studies at Algonquin College with the Applied Museum Studies program, and will be attending Carleton University’s Canadian Studies program this fall. My previous experience in the museum field was with my internship at the Museum of Canadian History (formerly Civilization) where I assisted in maintaining the ethnographic collection, managing loans and updating current exhibitions.

My experience with the Goulbourn Museum compliments the skills I will require in the future, and I am happy to work with such an exceptional staff.  I look forward to the coming months and all the experiences I will share with my colleagues.

DOORS OPEN: Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Goulbourn Museum's collection

Members of the 100th Regiment will be at Goulbourn Museum
this weekend for Doors Open Ottawa.

Goulbourn Museum cares for over 8,000 artefacts and this weekend only the public can get a rare private tour of the collection.

The Museum is once again participating in Doors Open Ottawa, a two-day event offering free access to over 120 of our National Capital’s most prestigious and architecturally appealing buildings; many of which are not normally open to the public.

Goulbourn Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 7th and Sunday June 8th.  In addition to taking a scheduled tour, visitors can also learn the history of the buildings, enjoy spinning and weaving demonstrations by the Richmond Village Spinners and Weavers Guild, and historical reenactments by the 100th (Prince Regent's County of Dublin) Regiment.

We hope to see you this weekend!

Please note that our Homegrown Heroes exhibit will be under construction during Doors Open. The official opening of this exhibit will be at our Father's Day event on June 15th.

Beechwood Cemetery’s Annual Historical Walking Tour this Sunday, June 8th

Costumed actors bring historical figures to life during the tour.

Save the date! It's Beechwood Cemetery's Annual Historical Walking Tour this Sunday.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of its outbreak, the theme for this year’s tour is the First World War. The tour includes five stops at the gravesites of men and women who fought in the trenches in Europe, cared for the injured or guided the country through the difficult war years. The tour will include war-time Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, nurse Minnie Gallagher and Lt Alexis Helmer, whose death inspired John McRae’s famous poem, ‘In Flanders Fields.’ Costumed actors will bring these historical figures to life.

Don’t miss this stroll through beautiful and historic Beechwood, the National Cemetery of Canada.

Date: Sunday June 8, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Beechwood the National Cemetery of Canada, 280 Beechwood Ave.

For more information contact Nicole at 613-741-9530 ext 121, or email: info@beechwoodcemetery.com

The event is outdoors. Refreshments will be served after the tour. Enter by Beechwood Avenue entrance. Tour and parking are free. Wear good walking shoes.

HOMEGROWN HEROES - Free Father’s Day Event at Goulbourn Museum June 15

Step back in time this Father’s Day for Homegrown Heroes – a free family event commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the First World War and the 75th Anniversary of the Second World War.

Challenge dad in the military obstacle course, send messages in Morse Code and check out a WWII jeep. Visitors can also add the name of a loved one to the Museum’s Memorial Tree, a new addition to the site that was generously donated by the Fallowfield Tree Farm.

The event will feature military groups, demonstrators and re-enactors, games, silent auction, book sale, and an old-fashioned photo booth with professional photographers from Henry’s. The Glen Scottish Restaurant and Pub will be onsite with their Tartan Kitchen serving up their famous fish & chips.

This WWII jeep is from the personal collection of long time
Stittsville resident Jeff Mosher.

The Museum will also be launching a new exhibit that tells the story of how WWI & WWII impacted the social history of Goulbourn Township. Visitors will learn about the changing role of women, war-time economy, and the evolution of the family dynamic.

All ages are welcome and admission is free.

Young Barrhaven Students Conduct Research on WWI Veterans from Richmond

We recently met Rob More, a teacher at St. Emily's Catholic School in Barrhaven, and learned about some great research his students have been doing on WWI Veterans from Richmond.

The students first searched the regiment number and looked up each veteran’s attestation papers online. They then went onto ancestry.ca and looked at census rolls to find out family information.  Finally, Mr. More went to the cemeteries and gave them the death information.

Following a format that was established by fellow teacher Blake Seward of Smiths Falls High School, students prepared brief bios and recorded them.  Five videos featuring 37 biographies can be found on the Goulbourn Museum’s YouTube site.  One pupil even represented her class at the Regional Heritage Fair and presented her findings on veteran Peter Haggerty.

Mr. More’s love of research also extends beyond the classroom.  He and Brian Tackaberry have just completed a commemorative booklet on the 103 men from Almonte who died in WWI.  The book is being released in August. He is currently compiling research on the Lanark veterans which will also be coming out in booklet format in August. You can see what he has accomplished HERE:

Next year Mr. More is publishing a booklet on the Beckwith WWI veterans and, in two years’ time, has his sights set on a publication about the WWI veterans from Barrhaven/Richmond.

We're Hiring! Application Deadline for Summer Student Position is May 7th

The Goulbourn Museum is looking for a Curatorial Assistant for 37.5 hours per week for 14 weeks at $11.00 per hour. Job duties include: registering artefacts and conducting an inventory of the collection; assisting with public programs and exhibitions; providing museum tours; and creating content for newsletters and social media sites.

The successful candidate will be a post-secondary student enrolled in a history, museum studies, arts or business program. The position requires strong English language skills, both oral and written. Computer competency is required, particularly in Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite. The ability to use a digital camera, experience using a database, French language skills, and First Aid training is desirable. The successful candidate will be required to obtain a police records check. The Goulbourn Museum is an equal opportunity employer.

Job shifts include Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.  There is no public transportation to the Museum site.  Applications will be accepted by email, post, or in-person until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

To be eligible for this position, the candidate must:

•         Be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident or have refugee status

•         Be legally titled to work in Canada

•         Be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment

•         Be a full time post-secondary student who intends to return to school

•         Be registered in the YCW candidate inventory

Goulbourn Museum

2064 Huntley Road, Stittsville ON, K2S 1B8

goulbmus@rogers.com 

613-831-2393

Seeking Nominees for Board of Directors

Combine your love of heritage with your personal skills and play a major role in the success of the Goulbourn Museum.

Goulbourn Museum’s mandate is to disseminate the material and oral history of the Goulbourn community by collecting, preserving, displaying and interpreting local artefacts. The Museum offers a range of education programs to increase the public’s understanding and enjoyment of local history and offers a History Centre for local history and genealogical research.

The management of the Goulbourn Museum is overseen by an elected Board of Directors and that Board currently has two vacancies. The Museum is seeking nominations to fill those positions; elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Museum on April 26, 2014.

If you are interested in becoming a Board Member or would like to nominate someone else for candidacy, please submit a statement to the Museum by March 31, 2014 describing the skills, knowledge and experience you can offer. All submissions must be marked to the attention of the Nominating Committee and can be emailed to: info@goulbournmuseum.ca or delivered to the Museum at 2064 Huntley Road, Stittsville, ON K2S1B8.

Board meetings are currently held during the morning of the second Friday of each month. A list of the current Board Members can be found on the Goulbourn Museum’s website. Click here to download the Nomination Form and By-laws.

A Star Among Us!

Barbara Rielly is a heritage researcher and volunteer at Goulbourn Museum. While recording the materials and makers of our artefacts she has discovered a host of hidden treasures in our collection. This is her account of one such find.

By Barbara Rielly

It isn’t often that we museum types get to meet genuine, bona fide stars. But those of us lucky enough to have spent much time with this fine lady know that we have indeed had our brush with fame. Star of stage and screen, the inspiration and subject of more than 40 books our fair lady has thrilled generations. At its height, her fame and power was such that companies went into legal battle over her, she was the spokesperson for activists and provided the pattern which many a mother followed. Her beauty is such that she needs no further introduction, ladies and gentleman I present to you RAGGEDY ANN! 

Raggedy Ann has been the beloved friend to little girls since her creation in 1915.  A series of books featuring Ann and her brother Raggedy Andy soon followed and continued to be produced right up until 1977. With over 40 titles in print, these books are still available today. Raggedy Ann dolls are still in production though the manufacturers have changed over the years. There were a number of patterns out there that mothers and their daughters could use to make Ann themselves and it is one of these dolls that we have here at Goulbourn Museum.  Our Raggedy Ann has outrageously long carrot coloured hair and her matching orange outfit has a floral decorative band that is hand drawn as are her features.   It is likely that our Ann was made in the 1970s or 1980s when Raggedy Ann had her triumphant comeback tour complete with her own comic book, a Broadway musical, and two television specials. Raggedy Ann had her own museum for many years and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2002. Click HERE to learn more about Raggedy Ann and her exploits.

I have to admit it has been fun checking out the doll collection at Goulbourn Museum in no small part because it brings back memories. Play is one of the great things about being a kid and dolls were something with which most children would have played. It’s only in recent years that kids have multiple dolls to play with so we can be sure that Ann would for most of her life have been the beloved ‘only doll’ in a child’s life. It is not hard to picture our Ann propped in a chair waiting for her little girl to get home from school.

I remember Raggedy Ann’s massive popularity in the 1970s and had several friends with Anns similar to she who waits at Goulbourn Museum. Given Raggedy Ann has been around for almost a century now, and that there is a new line of plush Raggedy Ann and Andys coming out, we can expect to see her around for a while yet.

Lest We Forget - Wartime Exhibit at Stittsville Public Library

Throughout the month of November, the Goulbourn Museum will have wartime artefacts on display at the Stittsville branch of the Ottawa Public Library. The exhibit contains items from both the First and Second World Wars such as military hats and a civilian gas mask. Visitors will also be able to read a collection of wartime correspondence written by Pte. Sefton Stewart. Although the young soldier’s letters made it home to his family in Richmond, he did not.

The exhibit will be on display at the Stittsville Library until November 30th.

From the Depth of our Collection

Stephanie Miles has spent the past two months working as a Collections Assistant at Goulbourn Museum. Today marks her last day with us.  During her time here she has spent hours meticulously going through our collection cataloging and photographing artefacts. This is one of her favourite finds:


By Stephanie Miles

While going through a few artefacts I was surprised to uncover a book on the legendary ocean liner the R.M.S Titanic. The book, The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters: Thrilling Stories of Survivors, was donated to the Goulbourn Museum in 2011 by Donna Foster.

Having been published in the year of the historic event, 1912, it is in surprisingly good condition for its age with the exception of its missing spine and the delicate nature of the pages.

This artefact led to many questions in my mind. Why was the artefact donated here to the Goulbourn Museum? Is it possible that a citizen of the former Goulbourn Township was a survivor or a relative of a passenger on the Titanic? If so then what stories might they be able to share about this ill-fated ship?

The Titanic sank approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Interestingly, 100 years earlier during the War of 1812, many ships carrying Irish soldiers enroute to Canada also sank off the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland when their vessels hit rough seas.

Child's Christmas present from 1925 safely stored in Goulbourn Museum's collection

By Jennifer Adams

This doll was given to a little girl as a Christmas present in 1925. Just over six decades later, in 1991, it was donated to the Goulbourn Museum and has resided in our collection ever since.

Many of you may recognize this doll from our Museum banner at City Hall. It was chosen, along with two other artefacts, to represent our family-friendly site. Even though her paint is peeling and her face is cracked and chipped, this doll’s ability to represent a much loved pastime of many little girls cannot be overlooked.

The mid-1920s in Canada was a time of great prosperity for some, but for others it was a time of poverty. Many families did not have the money to buy their children toys and some children worked so hard in the home and fields that there was not much time for playing. More often than not, if a girl did receive a doll it was on a special occasion like Christmas.  Because a child would usually only receive one doll during her childhood, (if they received one at all), she would take extra special care of it. It not only had to last the rest of her childhood but there was also the hope of passing it down to her future daughter too.

This toy, known as a composition doll, reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s -1940s. The heads, and sometimes the limbs, of composition dolls were molded out of sawdust mixed with glue. Their heads were easier to manufacture and less likely to break when played with compared to porcelain dolls. Naturally, these American-made dolls gained popularity and German porcelain doll making companies lost favour.

The decades have taken their toll on this doll but like many women who can recall having a favourite doll, this one would have been loved and cherished by a little girl beginning on Christmas morning, 1925.

Question: At the height of the composition doll’s popularity, what famous person’s look-a-like doll was the most sought after? 

Answer:  Shirley Temple.

Early to mid-19th century style cloth dolls on display until the end of August

Two of the cloth dolls on display at the Goulbourn Museum.

By Jennifer Adams

Now on display at Goulbourn Museum until the end of August is a wonderful collection of modern made early to mid-19^th century style cloth dolls. These dolls were all handmade by members of the Ottawa-based cloth doll club All Dolled Up.

Each doll takes a lot of work to make, as well as time and patience to get it just right. The fine detailing on the faces requires trial and error until the final product matches the doll maker’s vision for the doll. 

This style of cloth doll is reminiscent of the toys that girls would have had in the early days of Goulbourn Township when the War of 1812 was still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Among the 12 dolls on display at the Museum there is also a horse, two dogs and a duck.  Sitting atop the horse is General Brock wearing his uniform and looking very dignified. Near him are a boy and young man, wearing pioneer clothing accompanied by their dogs and the firewood they have been collecting.  The display case would not be complete without the women that also played a valuable role in our nation’s history. They range from a young girl to older women, some wearing pioneer clothing, others wearing gentry clothing. These dolls are shown knitting, collecting food from the fields and doing laundry.

In addition to the Goulbourn Museum, All Dolled Up has also had their dolls on display at art galleries and local functions.  

Meet Stephanie Miles - Collections Assistant

Stephanie Miles

Goulbourn Museum has been like a second home to me over the past four years.  My initial involvement began as a co-op student during high school and this led to three years of volunteer service.  During those three years I completed the Applied Museum Studies Program at Algonquin College and recently graduated with Honours after completing a four-month internship as Educational Programming Assistant at Goulbourn.

I was extremely pleased to be the successful candidate for the seven-week Collections Assistant position at the Museum which is being offered through the Province of Ontario’s Summer Experience Program.  This position will allow me to put various elements from my last three years of learning into practice while at the same time gaining further experience in the area of Collections Management.

My main objective this summer is to assist with the organization of the Museum's large collection of artefacts.  There are a number of tasks that must be completed in order to meet this objective. These tasks include: recording artefact accession numbers and comparing these to the Museum's collections database, photo documentation of artefacts and recording each artefact’s dimensions and location.

I am excited to be involved with this project and look forward to the upcoming weeks.

Meet Jennifer Adams - Curatorial Assistant

Jennifer Adams

I am very pleased to be working at the Goulbourn Museum for the summer as a Curatorial Assistant.  As a student in the Applied Museums Studies program at Algonquin College, having an opportunity to combine what I am learning in the classroom with hands on working experience before I graduate is very beneficial.

I previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Anthropology from Laurentian University and this has proven to compliment my museum interests well.  During my time at university I was able to take part in a six week archaeological field course put on by one of my professors in collaboration with the anthropology department.  I, along with 11 other students, our professor and two graduates of the program excavated a 15th century Huron-Wendat site in Southern Ontario. We set up our tents in the field next to the dig site and spent long hours excavating, sifting dirt through mesh screens, cleaning and cataloguing artefacts and writing detailed accounts of our day.  We found broken pieces of pottery, animal bones and beads and, of course many rocks.  These findings all came from an area in old settlements called “middens” – 15th century garbage dumps.  Archaeologists like to dig in middens because of the large number of artefacts they can find there.

After less than a month I am already feeling at home at the Goulbourn Museum.  I am eager to see what this summer has to offer and look forward to working with the museum’s staff and volunteers these next few months.

Meet Sarah Norton - Community Programmer & Marketing Assistant

Sarah Norton

This is my first summer working at Goulbourn Museum as a summer student. My job includes a wide variety of tasks and each day I get to challenge myself and learn new skills. 

I am entering my fourth year at Trent University in the Anthropology and Cultural Studies programs; I also play volleyball for the Varsity Women’s Volleyball team. After graduating this year I plan to attend Algonquin College and enter the Applied Museum Studies Program. 

Goulbourn Museum has been an amazing opportunity and has allowed me to explore the many facets of the operation and maintenance of a museum. Some similar experiences I have had in the past include Boyd Archaeology Field School and acting as a summer student at the Arnprior Museum.

From the Collection - Artefact from WWI

This military headdress and cap badge belonged to a member of the 38th Battalion during the First World War. Popularly known as the 38th “Ottawa” or the “Royal Ottawas” this Battalion was organized in 1914 as an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The 38th saw action in numerous battles including the Somme, Vimy, Ypres, and Passchendaele and was awarded an amazing 299 individual decorations for bravery during the war. The 38th returned home to Ottawa in June of 1919 and the unit was demobilized, having nearly 4,000 officers and non-commissioned members passing through its ranks between its arrival in France, August 1916, and the armistice in November 1918.

Following the war the history and honours of the 38th Battalion would be perpetuated by the 43rd Regiment, keeping their heritage alive as they continue on to this day as The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa.

Spread the Word About Women & the War

Kurt Johnson's New Year's wish is to help spread a better appreciation of the contributions of women to our colonial history.  We think he's well on his way with this fabulous article in The Ottawa Citizen.

The Stittsville News Turns 55 Today

Over the years the Museum has received excellent coverage in the Stittsville News including this front page photo from February 1992 taken at the Museum's "Living Off The Land" Exhibit at its Heritage Day Open House.

 

The very first issue of the Stittsville News was published on this day 55 years ago.

The newspaper was founded in 1957 by Howard Maguire and in 1975 John Curry became the owner. John has been dedicated to telling Stittsville’s stories ever since. Although the Stittsville News was sold to Metroland News in 2011, John continues to be an ambassador for his community and can regularly be found around town with pen and paper in hand.  Over the years Goulbourn Museum has benefitted greatly from John’s dedication to spreading the word of our news and events. 

Happy Anniversary to the Stittsville News, and a special thank you to John Curry for truly putting the word “community” in this community newspaper.