Montreal In Pictures

On Saturday we decided to go and visit the Stewart Museum on Ile Sainte Hélène.

If you’re not driving to Ile Saint Hélène you will likely be taking the metro to Jean-Drapeau station. Given that the station catered for the large crowds that attended Expo 67 and now the annual F1 race on the nearby Ile Notre Dame, the station has an interesting platform entrance consisting of concrete walls that channel the crowds. It made for a useful support to take a long exposure HDR shot 🙂

Jean Drapeau Metro station
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The Stewart Museum was originally the Montreal Military Museum that was founded in 1955 by David Macdonald Stewart – a businessman and collector with a passion for Canada’s history.

Between 1976-83 the museum was known as the Île Sainte-Hélène Museum and then upon the death of Stewart in 1985, the Museum changed its name to the David. M. Stewart Museum in his honor.

In September 2007, St. Helen’s Island was designated as a heritage site by Montreal City Council and $4.5 million was donated to the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau to restore and showcase the island’s heritage. As a result the museum underwent a major renovation project and reopened to the public in June 29 2011.

This was in fact my first visit to the Stewart Museum, long overdue given that I’ve lived here for 13 years. There is currently two exhibitions running:

– History and Memory (permanent exhibit)

– Craving for Design (ends April 14th)

The building that houses the museum is the old armory that formed part of the military garrison built by the British in the 1800’s and is made from stones that formed the original fortified wall that surrounded Montreal.

Stewart Museum
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Entrance to the Stewart Museum
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The Stewart Museum
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Jacques Cartier Bridge viewed from Stewart Museum
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The Stewart Museum
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Downtown Montreal from the Stewart Museum
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History and Memory exhibit

Spanning more than five centuries, History and Memory features themes that range from navigation and maritime trade to day-to-day life in New France. The almost 500 objects, documents and rare books in the exhibition, some displayed for the first time.

The exhibition takes visitors on a trip back through time, beginning with the first inhabitants of St. Helen’s Island and ending with portrayals of the island from the mid-19th century to the present day.

The focus is also on the history and heritage of St. Helen’s Island, an apt reflection of the Museum’s effort to bring together local, national and world history.

History and Memory exhibit
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An award winning model displaying the ancient fortifications of Montreal provided an interesting interactive view of what life was like in the early day’s of Montreal. Touch screens around the model provide narrated (in both French and English) insight into various aspects of life – fortification, entertainment, religion and much more.

Maquette of ancient Montreal
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Craving for Design Exhibit

The Stewart Museum is presenting the exhibition Craving for Design that explores the origin and evolution of domestic kitchens in North America.

Craving for Design presents objects from two different collections. The Stewart Museum’s Hotterman collection of 18th-century utensils serves as an introduction to 20th-century utensils from the Brill collection of the Liliane and David Stewart program for modern design and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Many of the utensils and equipment on display will bring back much nostalgia for anyone who recalls life in the 50’s-70’s. Even having not lived in North America during this period, quite a few items brought flash-backs of my childhood.

Craving for Design exhibit at the Stewart Museum
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Craving for Design toaster exhibit
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Craving for Design exhibit
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Thermos at the Craving for Design exhibit
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Vintage kitchen utensils
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In addition to the utensils and equipment, there are quite a few examples of early kitchen and cookery related advertsing and cookery books on display.