Did you know that you shouldn’t polish your silver?

Silver tarnishing is unsightly to most, with its darkened appearance and iridescent shine. To a Conservator however, we see this grey layer as a protective barrier to the valuable silver-plate below, but why is that? Silver-plated objects in your home tarnish over time when exposed to sulphur gases. Sulphur can be produced in our homes from many different things, including the paint used on the walls, to the varnish on our furniture, but also from the types of food we eat such as eggs and onions. In order to make these objects sparkle again, many people use silver polish to bring back the shine; however, these creams contain very small abrasive particles. As silver is polished over and over again, the silver-plating wears away slowly and reveals a different metal below, usually copper. To minimize this irreversible damage, it is generally best to leave that beloved silver-plated tea pot tarnished until ready to serve a hot cup!

Learn more in this video with Museum Conservator Carolyn!

Learn more about conservation

Too much of a good thing! Nutrients are the building blocks of all life, but in excess they have a destructive side.

This World Water Day, learn why Lake Winnipeg is named internationally as one of the most endangered lakes in the world and what we can do about it with Mike, our Science Gallery & Planetarium Programs Supervisor.

Learn more about the importance of water in our Lake Winnipeg Shared Solutions exhibit in the Manitoba Museum Science Gallery!

Plan your visit today

Did you know that these gutskin pants are completely waterproof? Learn more in this video with Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology & the HBC Museum Collection.

Did you know about mother-daughter duo Edith Rogers and Margaret Konantz? They were two Manitoban political powerhouses.

Learn more in this video with Anya, our Learning & Engagement Supervisor in honour of International Womens Day!

Did you know that the Menelik Lodge was founded by the Winnipeg Union of Sleeping Car Porters to support the Black community? Many of the families that were part of the founding of the organization are still here in Winnipeg today.

Learn more with Roland Sawatzky, Manitoba Museum Curator of History, and Naomi Dennie, a teacher in Seven Oaks School Division and creator of the Amplify Us podcast, as they share more about Winnipeg’s “Elks”. Find more details in their recent blog post Menelik Lodge No. 528 here.

#DYK Manitoba has no truly red wildflowers? Find out why in this video with Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson, our Curator of Botany.

Did you know that this bejeweled ram’s head in the HBC Gallery has wheels on the bottom? It’s a snuff mull from the 1800s.

Learn more about this peculiar artifact with Erin from our Learning and Engagement team!

Did you know that this quilt crossed the Atlantic during war-time only to find its way home over 70 years later? 
   
When the weather turns cold, many of us reach for the warmth and comfort of a handcrafted quilt or afghan. During WWII, local volunteers gathered in Steep Rock, MB to create Red Cross quilts for civilian victims of the war. Across the Atlantic, at Dudley Road Hospital in Birmingham, England, a Matron passed their gift on to Cynthia (Betty) Craddock. Her husband Joe was serving in the army when their only son Anthony was born in 1945.

Anthony’s earliest memories are “of this quilt being on my bed and keeping me warm when times were hard. With no central heating, frost would often appear on the inside of the window.” The young Anthony remembers reading the message on a tag on one corner of the quilt. Betty treasured the gift for many years until finally they decided that it was time for the quilt to be sent home. 
   
You can see the quilt along with photos of Betty and Anthony Craddock in our Parklands Gallery.

Did you know there’s an “Easter egg” in the Ancient Seas exhibit of the Earth History Gallery? The animators told us that they hid a Coke can in the boulder field!

Hidden features in video games and films are often called “Easter eggs.” Museum exhibits can also include secret elements, some of which are not even known by most museum staff! When we built the Parklands Gallery, the team hid some “entertainment” – you have likely seen the black bear hiding in the cave, but do you know about the place where two visitors can reach into narrow passages in the cave wall, until their fingers touch? 
 
What “Easter eggs” have you found in the Museum?