History through material culture.
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Miner's Teapot Lamp- Nova Scotia, Canada
Miners attached oil lamps in front of their caps to improve visibility.
No. 2 Construction Battalion Badge- Nova Scotia, Canada
This cap badge was an identifying symbol of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, a Canadian Expeditionary Force that served in World War I. It was the only Canadian battalion of black soldiers at the time.
Traditional Chinese Masks- British Columbia, Canada
Chinese Secret Societies were created to offer aid, community, and the preservation of tradition in enclaves like Victoria’s Chinatown.
Louis Riel’s Handcuffs- Saskatchewan, Canada
These handcuffs were used to restrain Louis Riel, Métis resistance fighter, prior to his execution in 1885.
Kuukpak Antler Comb-NWT, Canada
This 500 year old antler comb was made by the ancestors of the Inuvialuit that still live in the region today.
Porcupine Quill Basket- Nova Scotia, Canada
The Mi’kmaq typically used porcupine quills to embellish baskets, clothing and other trade items.
Dorset Bear Figurine- Nunavut, Canada
The Dorset Culture's interest in polar bears may have been a direct response to changes during the Medieval Warm Period.
Snow Goggles- Northwest Territories, Canada
The materiality of these goggles speaks to the significance of whaling in Thule Inuit culture.
Chinese Brown Glazed Spouted Jar- British Columbia, Canada
Chinese merchants may have used provincial stamps to distinguish their products from other brown glazed spouted jars.
Wattle and Daub- Nova Scotia, Canada
These fragments are the charred remnants of 17th century, Acadian wattle and daub structures built by early French settlers and colonized Mi'kmaq.
Copper Arrow- Ontario, Canada
This copper point was found at Fort Ste. Marie II, an island site occupied by the Jesuits and the Huron-Wendat between 1649-1650.
Wash Basin- Quebec, Canada
The wash basin is an example of “a compendiario”- a 17th-century decorative style featured on French, Spanish and Italian tin-glazed wares.
Canadian Pacific Railway Pin Insulator- Ontario, Canada
Glass pin insulators are remnants of electric transmission systems during the mid 19th century.