The Maple Ridge Museum will take part in Culture Days at the end of the month.
Culture Days is devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture.
Visitors coming to the Maple Ridge Museum on Sept. 27, from 1-4 p.m. will have free admission for a tour of the museum, in addition to an “artifact accessioning lesson,” in which staff will illustrate the process of accessioning, giving access to various touchable artifacts during the demonstration.
One of the biggest parts of accessioning an artifact is the personal narrative to go along with certain objects and photographs. Often this is the determining factor to whether or not an object is taken in.
A shared identity through the object not only helps to unite links to the community as a whole, but specifically to the individual people.
Uncovering the history of the items the museum takes into its collections helps to question its place for both the viewer and object, whether the viewer’s heritage is related to the object or not.
On display will be notable artifacts and photographs from the museum collection, as well as the teaching collection showcasing the range of objects taken in, and the different purpose for items.
On the lower level of the museum, the Dewdney Alouette Railway Society will be hosting an open house with model train building for children and a backstage pass to their world class railway diorama.
The diorama, centred on Port Haney in 1926, is a labour of love that has spanned over 25 years, which club members continue to work on weekly, and is aided with historical photographs from the museum collection.
The members of the club own all materials on the lower level of the museum, including non-diorama interactive displays. There is not only a focus on trains, but buildings, scenery and backdrops.
The diorama displays the CPR along the Fraser River from Hammond to Ruskin and the recent addition of sound brings back memories of the old steam locomotives.
Culture Days is an incredible opportunity to discover more about your community.
– By Allison White, curator of the Maple Ridge Historical Society.