Why are small museums interesting and important?

Have you experienced museum fatigue? Perhaps you tried to see every exhibit because it was the only opportunity to visit the museum. Large museums require a physical effort, walking between exhibits, long periods of standing to view the exhibits, and the price of admission can be substantial. Museum studies have identified cognitive processing, and the museum environment (the arrangement of displays and exhibit architecture) among the factors believed responsible for museum fatigue. Sometimes the arrangement and number of displays overwhelms the visitor. Museum cafes and stores are not only revenue generators; they exist to alleviate the fatigued visitor.

Small museums offer visitors a different experience, size is an advantage. Some small museums have very specific mandates, usually indicated in the name of the museum, which further focuses their collection. They are ideal for a specialist, or a collector, and are especially good for people who tire easily. Often visitors will see artefacts they would seldom see in a large museum because the exhibits contain local historical objects. The Knight Templar exhibit at the Ailsa Craig Museum is rare. The stories of two local couples intertwine in this exceptional exhibit. The artefacts on display are impressive and deeply rooted in Ailsa Craig history. The photo above is one small part of the exhibit. Everyone should have a chance to see the Knight Templar uniform and learn the history behind the exhibit. Parking is free and the exhibit area is reasonable, chairs are available for visitors.

Small museums exist to collect community history, preserve photograph collections, and their volunteers are passionate about preserving community history. You might find a jumble of artefacts, interesting to look at, and curiosity inspiring. Some visitors look and ask questions or simply wander through the collection and leave with the memory of one or two significant exhibits or artefacts. If the museum contains collections of artefacts with which you are familiar, it is likely to be more interesting. If the artefacts are unfamiliar an interpreter is a big help.

Interpretation in a museum, large or small, introduces visitors to the history in the museum logically. An interpreter presents the history in the exhibit, answers questions and in general reduces visitor fatigue and enhances their experience. A guide will know the stories that make the exhibit meaningful. Some stories are heartbreaking, others are inspiring, some will amuse. Interpretation motivates visitors to engage with exhibits by asking questions, correcting misconceptions, and describing interesting content.

Why are small museums interesting and important? Because they raise public awareness of local heritage. Those who know their local history are well grounded. The Ailsa Craig Museum, open Monday to Friday 10 am to 2 pm and Sundays, 1 to 4 pm, tells the story of North Middlesex’s proud heritage.

Education: memories & mischief

Imagine a one-room school with students ranging in age from five to fourteen. Now imagine that there is only one teacher and she is just eighteen years old. How did she maintain order? How did she teach multiple grades?

The ambition of a solid education and a better life for their children inspired the citizens of North Middlesex to establish an educational system in the1850s. The government of the time established the sectional school system of education, and citizens built one-room log school buildings, once as much a part of rural landscape as rural churches. Later versions constructed of brick are still evident in Ontario, surviving as homes or community centers. The architecture was straightforward utilitarian, and to my eternal amusement featured separate entrances for boys and girls. Often very young teachers were responsible for discipline and education, dealing with the same range of issues that present day teachers face, but alone with only the annual visit of the School Inspector. Hired by the local Board of Trustees, sometimes living in the same home as their students, their work must have been lonely and frightening at times. How did they manage their duties, with the ever present expectation and judgement of the parents and Board members? What did the curriculum look like? Would you want to sit in the school desks used in rural schools? What did they have to learn and what kind of books did they use? Did they have any fun at all?

The school exhibit at the Ailsa Craig Museum attempts to take visitors back in time to the challenges of rural education, to display the evolution of the school system from one-room schools to central schools, and the challenge of providing secondary education. Step back in time and read about the antics of former students, their memories and their mischief.

Spring cleaning.....remember the museum

Have you ever examined a museum exhibit and found that the artefacts transported you to another time and place, stimulating your curiosity or informing you on a subject previously unknown? That level of appreciation is the goal of anyone designing and creating an exhibit. The small details, the unexpected item that contributes so much is often the bane of housekeepers, those outdated items that are taking up space. Perhaps there are items such as the diary of a long deceased relative, or a collection that no longer captures the interest of anyone in the family. Photographs of buildings (existing or former), community events, even photographs of scenery contributes to the museum and archival collection. The Ailsa Craig & District Historical Society collects the artefacts and documents created and owned by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and community groups of North Middlesex.

Featured in the photo above is a brass-finished locket, designed to hold small photographs, circa 1920-1930, costume jewelery of another era. Today it is dated, the finish is dull and the latch is worn. The locket requires cleaning and polishing to be presentable, an unlikely additional step before wearing, so it is an obvious donation to a museum. A bonus for every donation is a connection to the original owner, a photograph or other documentation that illustrates how, when, and why. What did the object mean? The past is full of interesting facts and items. Museum visitors, old and young, better comprehend history through the things that surrounded our ancestors. A visit to a museum invokes critical thinking, the consideration of evidence, forming a judgment about the object through observation, and finally an understanding the object. Museums use objects to recreate a physical environment reminiscent of another time and place.