How are Exhibits Created?

          Exhibits are the main point of a Museum – they showcase the collection, tell a story, and educate about the history of the area. In our Museum we focus on the area inside the geographical boundaries of “…McNab Creek to the North, Howe Sound to the East, the Strait of Georgia to the South, and Jervis Inlet to the West”, as well as showcasing pieces that are tied closely to the history of the community that may not necessarily fall within that geographical boundary.

          The main floor features Squamish stone tools, dating back 10,000 years, a Fishing and a Marine Transportation exhibit that includes the Union Steamships. Soon, in our feature exhibit space, we will have a Coast Salish weaving exhibit –  Syets-chet lhen-tumulh txwchelhk̲w-anam/Our Stories Woven through Time – which is co-curated with the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Upstairs boasts exhibits about agriculture and logging, pioneer families (Gibsons, Inglis, Woodsworth, and Finnish immigrants), Beachcombers, and technology exhibits that have special emphasis on happenings within Gibsons.

          But what goes into the making of these exhibits? What sort of artifacts need to be included, how should they be included, and to what extent should they be explained? How do we ensure that the exhibit is going to tell the story that we need it to tell? To answer these questions I am going to use three examples of exhibits that I put together: the Union Steamship exhibit downstairs, and the school and office exhibits upstairs. While the physical assembly process was similar in each exhibit, the stories they are presenting is very different.
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          The Union Steamship exhibit focuses on the ferries of the coast, specifically the Union Steamship company that ran up and down the BC coast between 1889 and 1959. The steamships essentially functioned as ferries: carting people and objects (such as cars) from the mainland to the Coast, but not making as many trips as the BC Ferries does. While BC Ferries make multiple sailings a day, the Union Steamships would make their rounds to the Sunshine Coast every three days or so. More information on this can be found in our Marine Transportation section of the website.
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          To represent this story we have a limited selection of artifacts – a series of Union Steamship plates, mugs and cutlery, a life vest, a round life preserver, and various pictures. These artifacts need to be arranged to complement the text that accompanies them, giving  us a hint as to what life would have been like on these ships. With that in mind, is what we came up with:

Fig. 1: The completed Union Steamship exhibit.

Fig. 2: Union Steamship Bowling Shirt belonging to Miss Virginia Puchalski.

Fig. 3: Union Steamship dishware.

​          The school exhibit lives on the second floor. It simulates a small classroom, with planked flooring, a small desk, and schoolbooks all around. A large school sign and several small toys are also part of this exhibit. While assembling this exhibit it was important to emphasize that these artifacts came from a place of learning, but also that these objects were primarily used by children. For me, it meant the space should be serious but whimsical – if you look closely you will see storybooks interspersed with the textbooks in the bookcase behind the desk, and toys and musical instruments on top of the shelves. Here is the finished product, with a couple close-ups:

Fig. 4: Completed Schoolhouse exhibit.

Fig. 5: A number of items commonly used in schoolhouses (i.e. bell, megaphone). Of special interest are the two floorboards from the first schoolhouse in Gibsons.

Fig. 6: A series of schoolbooks placed behind the desk. Titles include: Elementary Algebra, Canada: New World Power, and Psychology for Students of Education.

​          Finally, the office exhibit. This is modeled after the office of Mr. W. Winn, a prominent businessman of the area. This exhibit features an adding machine, many stamps and embossers, and an impressive amount of receipt books. Mr. Winn was a very busy man – his ledgers are full to the brim with notes about business, and his adding machine tells us that he needed a faster way to do math than longhand addition and subtraction. Mr. Winn’s exhibit features his receipt books alphabetized in cubbies behind his large roll-top desk. The desk itself has more symmetrically placed artifacts, showcasing the items Mr. Winn would have used the most during his business days.

Fig. 8: The completed Mr. Winn office exhibit.

Fig. 9: A sample of receipt books from Mr. Winn. Note the names on each book!

Fig. 10: A number of stamps set up inside the roll-top desk.

          ​What are your opinions on these exhibits? Is there a different way you would have showcased the artifacts, or a different story you would have told? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
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          Be sure to come down and visit us at the Museum to interpret the exhibits for yourself –we are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30am – 4:30pm! We look forward to seeing you soon.