Careful Where You Sit

Careful Where You Sit

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Friday May 9, 2025

If these furnishings look weird, it’s because they are. They were oddities even when they were made in the late 19th century, and now you can see some examples on exhibit at the Manitoba Museum.

An ornate armchair with the back, legs, and arms made of interconnected bison horns.

Chairs made with antlers and horns were a fad in the late 1800s, and available to anyone with cash to spend. Some of the earliest pieces date from the 1860s, but it was at the Chicago Industrial Exposition of 1876 that horn furniture was displayed for the first time. Ten years later they featured in the Canadian section of the Colonial Exhibition and were described as having “a very striking and pleasing effect.”

Bison horn furnishings were made for a growing middle class, who had a late Victorian taste for elaborate decorations and overstuffed parlours. After the First World War, horn furniture was seen as distasteful, and much of it disappeared. Some of these pieces later came to museums with stories that they were made by First Nations artists, but real evidence is lacking.

 

Image: This cozy bison horn chair, made in the 1880s, was owned by Archbishop Samuel P. Matheson (1852-1942) of Winnipeg. It will be on display in The Museum Collection Illuminated exhibition. H8-7-6, ©Manitoba Museum

We do know that in Winnipeg, William F. White, proprietor of a taxidermy and curiosities shop, was described as a “horn manufacturer.” He advertised “a wonderful display of fancy horn work in all kinds of useful articles” in a Dec. 12, 1892 Free Press issue, just in time for Christmas. The making and sale of bison horn furnishings was happening right here in Winnipeg.

A short and squat footstool with four legs made of polished bison horns.

A bison horn footstool, now on display in the Darbey Taxidermy shop. H9-36-126, ©Manitoba Museum

An inkwell set in a rough squared base, with a bison horn extending off the left side.

An inkwell swathed in velvet and accentuated by a huge bison horn. Dating to the 1880s, it belonged to Mr. Edward Dickson of Oak Lake, MB. H9-7-445, ©Manitoba Museum

A wall-hanging coat rack made of five pairs of bison horns extending off the base at different angles and intervals.

This bison horn hat rack was likely made in the 1880s. The velvet upholstery, common in Victorian homes, is identical to that found on the chair and inkwell. H9-39-854, ©Manitoba Museum

There was a dark legacy to the crafting of bison horn furniture. The near extinction of the North American bison in the 1880s was caused by many actors, some of whom wanted to weaken First Nations. American hunters killed bison indiscriminately to sell the hides, and dried bones were later sold for fertilizer. It was a huge loss of animal life, and a traumatic change for many First Nations who had relied on bison herds for thousands of years.

You can see – but not sit on – some of these artifacts in our newest exhibition, The Museum Collection Illuminated, opening May 13 in our Discovery Room, or on permanent display in the Darbey Taxidermy Shop in the Winnipeg 1920s Gallery.

Plan your visit today

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Curator of History

Roland Sawatzky joined The Manitoba Museum in 2011. He received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg, M.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and Ph.D. in Archaeology…
Meet Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Museum Stories: DYK Discovery

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The Planetarium: A Window to the Stars

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Wednesday May 7, 2025

It’s the 100th anniversary of the world’s first planetarium show! Join Scott Young, our Manitoba Museum Planetarium Astronomer, in the theatre to learn a bit more about how our Planetarium works to show audiences the Universe.

Was the “Charlie Chaplin Theatre” a real place?

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Tuesday May 6, 2025

Have you ever stopped to watch a short film at the Allen Theatre in the Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape? Affectionately referred to as “The Charlie Chaplin Theatre” in “The Old Town”, like many businesses in the Cityscape, the theatre actually represents a real place in 1920 Winnipeg!

Join Erin in this video to learn more about the Allen Theatre.

Embracing Gratitude and Growth in Leadership

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Saturday May 3, 2025

Wow, it’s been four years. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. Stepping into the CEO role at the Manitoba Museum was and continues to be one of the most incredible privileges of my life. As I reflect on my journey, I am filled with gratitude—not only for the opportunity to lead but also for the lessons, challenges, and joys that come with it. Leading in the museum field is especially meaningful, as it demands a deep engagement with history, community, and the future.

The Power of Continued Learning

Anyone who has changed roles or employers mid-career appreciates the importance of being a lifelong learner. While experience provides a foundation, leadership is never static, and new spaces demand we get comfortable with not having all the answers. Every decision, every challenge, and every collaboration offers a chance to grow. I have come to appreciate and enjoy that learning is not a phase or chapter but a lifelong commitment; it’s part of the entire story. Here, I’ve been given the chance to expand my understanding of museum best practices, how museums can be allies in Truth and Reconciliation, how places of history can and must be places of justice. The Manitoba Museum has refined my ability to navigate change, has called on my courage time and again, and has forced me out of ideas and knowledge I felt comfortable in. I can’t fully express how grateful I am for the ways this role has changed me. Since day one, and often still today, I don’t have many of the answers but I’ve learned to ask thoughtful, curious, open-ended questions, inviting new perspectives, and being willing to evolve.

The Joy of Thoughtful and Dedicated Colleagues

Leadership is never a solo endeavour. I am profoundly fortunate to be surrounded by passionate, talented colleagues who share a commitment to the Manitoba Museum’s mission. Their dedication to preserving and sharing history, engaging with visitors from near and far, and ensuring our institution’s future is inspiring. In a world that feels ever more chaotic and fragmented, working alongside individuals who care deeply about their work is both grounding and invigorating. The collaborative spirit, the exchange of ideas, and the shared excitement for new projects make every day meaningful.

Loving Where You Work While Working to Change It

One of the more complex aspects of leadership is balancing a deep love for an institution with a recognition that change is necessary. Museums are places of tradition, yet they must also be places of transformation. As much as I respect the history and legacy of our museum, I also see areas where we must evolve—to be more inclusive, more accessible, more reflective of the diverse stories that make up our shared past. Loving a place means wanting the best for it, even when that means advocating for difficult but necessary shifts. Growth and progress are acts of care, and it is through change that institutions remain relevant and vital.

Museums as Vital Spaces in Our Lives

The longer I work in this field, the more I appreciate how essential museums are to our collective well-being. Museums are not just repositories of objects; they are spaces where communities gather, where histories are honoured, and where learning happens in profound and unexpected ways. They challenge us to think critically, to feel deeply, and to connect with perspectives beyond our own. At their best, museums are catalysts for conversation, empathy, and action. In an era where misinformation and polarization can cloud understanding, museums offer a space for nuanced exploration of the past and its implications for the present and future.

A Brave and Deliberate Relationship with the Past

A selfie of Manitoba Museum CEO Dorota Blumczyńska wearing a soft red shirt that reads, "Museums are not neutral" in a large bold font.

Working in a museum has reinforced for me the importance of engaging with history not just as a record of what was, but as a guide for what could be. History teaches us what must never be allowed to happen again. In our relationship with the past, the Manitoba Museum is not neutral, meaning, we are not mere observers. We work to acknowledge our shared failings, sit in the discomfort of contemporary injustice, and seek to have a nuanced dialogue with the all too-familiar present we find ourselves in. The past is full of complexities, triumphs, and wrongs. To truly honour history, we must be willing to look at it unflinchingly, to confront uncomfortable truths, and to amplify voices that have too often been silenced. This is not always an easy task, but it is a necessary one. When we engage with history bravely and deliberately, we uncover lessons that help us navigate today’s challenges with greater wisdom, resilience, and compassion.

Moving Forward with Gratitude

As I continue on this leadership journey, I carry with me a deep appreciation for the experiences that have shaped me, the people who inspire me, and the mission that guides me. Leadership is not just about directing change—it is about nurturing a culture where curiosity, courage, and collaboration thrive. It is about ensuring that museums continue to be places where history illuminates the present and inspires a better future.

I am grateful for the chance to do this work, for the colleagues who walk this path with me, and for the ever-evolving lessons that come with leading in a space so vital to our collective story. The challenges are many, but the rewards—the opportunity to shape a meaningful, inclusive, and forward-thinking institution—are immeasurable. For that, I am truly thankful.

The name

Dorota Blumczyńska
Manitoba Museum CEO

Honour Every Story

The Sky for May 2025

Posted on by Scott Young
Posted on: Thursday May 1, 2025

May brings us later sunsets and shorter nights, making stargazing a late-night affair. With some bright planets, a meteor shower, and lots of interesting events, it’s well worth staying up for.

The Solar System for May 2025

Mercury is too low to the horizon to be visible from Canadian latitudes this month.

Venus is low in the eastern sky just before dawn, only visible because it is so bright that you can spot it even when all the other stars have been devoured by the dawn. It stays in essentially the same spot relative to the horizon each morning, its orbital motion around the Sun offset by our own planet’s motion.

Mars begins the month near the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the constellation of Cancer the Crab. It slowly moves left (east) relative to the stars, but the Sun is moving faster and starts to catch up to it. This means Mars is lower at sunset and sets earlier each day. On May 1st, Mars is about halfway up the sky in the west-southwest as it gets dark. By month’s end, it is only about half as high above the horizon and due west once the sky is dark. It’s also fading fast, no longer outshining all of the stars as it did this past winter.

Jupiter is slipping into the sunset as well, low in the west-northwest as darkness falls. It’s already probably too low for very good telescopic views, but take your last looks this month before it disappears completely behind the Sun.

Saturn is low in the east at sunrise, difficult to spot due to the bright twilight until mid-month. The ringed planet reaches its equinox in May, which means the rings are perfectly aligned with the Sun and cast no shadow on the planet. The rings are largely invisible from Earth as well, being tilted only a few degrees from our line of sight.

Uranus passes behind the Sun as seen from Earth on May 17, and is invisible all month.

Neptune is  near Venus in the bright twilight sky before sunrise, but will be very difficult to spot until later this year (and impossible without a telescope)..

Of the five known dwarf planets, none are visible with typical backyard telescopes this month. However, the asteroid (4) Vesta reaches its brightest point this month, just barely visible to the unaided eye as a faint “star” in a sea of other faint stars. Figuring out which dot is Vesta requires patience and a detailed chart like the one in the RASC Observer’s Handbook or planetarium software like Stellarium.

Sky Calendar for May 2025

All times are given in the local time for Manitoba: Central Daylight Time (UTC-5). However, most of these events are visible across Canada at the same local time without adjusting for time zones.

Thursday, May 1, 2025 (evening): Mars and the Beehive star cluster are in the same field of view of a typical pair of binoculars tonight, and for the next several nights. You can spot Mars’ motion from night to night against the distant background stars.

Friday, May 2, 2025 (all night): The asteroid Vesta is at its brightest, although it will be almost the same brightness for the next two weeks.

Saturday, May 3, 2025 (evening): The nearly-first-quarter Moon joins Mars and the Beehive star cluster (see image above). Today is also International Astronomy Day, and events are planned across the country and around the world to bring astronomy to the public. The Planetarium will join the Winnipeg Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and Assiniboine Park Conservancy for a free telescope session at Assiniboine Park near the duck pond (weather permitting). Event details here.

Sunday, May 4, 2025 (evening): First Quarter Moon.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (morning): Saturn’s rings cast no shadow on the planet (visible only in telescopes). This morning is also the peak of the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which may produce about 10 meteors per hour in the hours between 2am and dawn today.

Monday, May 12, 2025: Full Moon.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025: Last Quarter Moon.

Thursday, May 22, 2025 (morning sky): The Moon is near Saturn in the predawn sky, with brighter Venus farther east.

Friday, May 23, 2025 (morning sky): The Moon has moved to a point midway between brilliant Venus and much fainter Saturn, low in the eastern sky before sunrise.

Monday, May 26, 2025 (evening): New Moon

 

People stare up at the northern lights above them.

Outside of the regular events listed above, there are other things we see in the sky that can’t always be predicted in advance.

Aurora borealis, the northern lights, are becoming a more common sight again as the Sun goes through the maximum of its 11-year cycle of activity. Particles from the Sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and the high upper atmosphere to create glowing curtains of light around the north (and south) magnetic poles of the planet. Manitoba is well-positioned relative to the north magnetic pole to see these displays often, but they still can’t be forecast very far in advance. A site like Space Weather can provide updates on solar activity and aurora forecasts for the next 48 hours. The best way to see the aurora is to spend a lot of time out under the stars, so that you are there when they occur.,

Random meteors (also known as falling or shooting stars) occur every clear night at the rate of about 5-10 per hour. Most people don’t see them because of light pollution from cities, or because they don’t watch the sky uninterrupted for an hour straight. They happen so quickly that a single glance down at your phone or exposure to light can make you miss one.

Satellites are becoming extremely common sights in the hours after sunset and before dawn. Appearing as a moving star that takes a few minutes to cross the sky, they appear seemingly out of nowhere. These range from the International Space Station and Chinese space station Tianhe, which have people living on them full-time, to remote sensing and spy satellites, to burnt-out rocket parts and dead satellites. These can be predicted in advance (or identified after the fact) using a site like Heavens Above by selecting your location.

Scott Young

Scott Young

Planetarium Astronomer

Scott is the Planetarium Astronomer at the Manitoba Museum, developing astronomy and science programs. He has been an informal science educator for more than thirty years, working in the planetarium and science centre field both at The Manitoba Museum and also at the Alice G. Wallace Planetarium in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Scott is an active amateur astronomer and a past-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Manitoba Stories: In the Sky

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Crafting Custom Artifact Storage

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Tuesday April 29, 2025

What do our conservators do when there isn’t a box the right size to fit a particular artifact? They make one of course! These custom boxes are designed to fit each item perfectly, supporting its conservation for years to come. In this video, join Assistant Conservator Estelle in the lab to learn how she makes these precise pieces.

The HBC Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum

Posted on by Amelia Fay
Posted on: Friday April 25, 2025

There’s a lot of buzz in the news right now surrounding the future of the Hudson’s Bay Company and their heritage collection, and it has brought up a lot of questions regarding the beloved HBC Museum Collection here at the Manitoba Museum. While I can’t speak to the artifacts that are currently owned by the HBC, I can offer some reassurances and some history behind the over 27,000 artifacts that are here under our care at the Manitoba Museum.

A black and white photo of a room filled with artifact display cases full of artifacts. On the walls hang picture frames, snowshoes, artifacts, and more. Across the top of the display case against the back wall is a kayak.

The HBC Museum Collection originated in the 1920s as part of the Company’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The collection was pulled together from artifacts collected by former and current employees, with one retired employee being sent on a large-scale collecting mission. The method of acquisition for these artifacts is part of my current research, I have been doing a lot of archival digging trying to track down how they acquired these belongings. Nevertheless, a collection came together and was originally exhibited in the Winnipeg store (first at York and Main, later once the larger department store construction was finished it moved to the location at Portage and Colony), and later in other department stores across the country.

 

Image: The original HBC Museum Collection display in the store at Main and York, before it moved to the larger department store in 1926 (Source: HBCA 1987-363-H-23-64)

The Collection was then loaned to the Province of Manitoba in 1960 and was on display and housed at Lower Fort Garry, under the curation of Barbara Johnstone. Eventually HBC looked to find a more permanent home for the collection where it would be publicly accessible. After many lengthy discussions, and through the support of First Nations leaders like Phil Fontaine, it was decided that the Manitoba Museum was the best place. In 1994, the HBC officially gifted the collection, deemed a collection of National Historic Significance by the Canadian Cultural Properties and Export Review Board, as a gift to the Nation to the Manitoba Museum (then called the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature).

Collections storage, open facing shelves along a sotrage room wall. On the shelves rest a variety of artifacts ranging from models to carvings to woven baskets, and more.

Rolling storage units in collection storage. Inside the nearest unit hang pieces of art.

Inside the HBC Museum Collection storage areas, located above the HBC Gallery.

 

The Manitoba Museum has been the custodian of this significant collection ever since, and through the development of the HBC Gallery established a permanent display for part of the collection. The items that are not on display are still accessible for community members, researchers, students, and artists, and many belongings are loaned to other institutions for public display as well.

A large York boat is nestled amongst larger rocks with artifact cases inside made to look like fur bales but featuring artifacts related to freighting and transportation. The walls of the gallery are a deep burgundy and there is a mural behind the boat depicting scenes from HBC’s prominent trading post at Norway House.

Rest assured, the HBC Museum Collection here is safe for future generations to come and enjoy, and I encourage you to come visit if you have not been to the Manitoba Museum in a while! The Nonsuch and HBC Galleries remain popular with visitors of all ages, but we’ve made some amazing upgrades in some of our other permanent galleries too. Museums play an important role in preserving history for the public and keeping it accessible, and visiting Museums helps support these institutions so they can continue to serve the public for years to come.

Dr. Amelia Fay

Dr. Amelia Fay

Curator of Anthropology & the HBC Museum Collection

Amelia Fay is Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum. She received her BA in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba (2004), an MA in Archaeology…
Meet Dr. Amelia Fay

Museum Stories: HBC Museum Collection

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Tackling Dirty Data One Field at a Time

Posted on by Collections & Conservation
Posted on: Thursday April 24, 2025

One prevailing comment I hear about my job, whether in person or via social media, is “your job sounds so cool!” And you know what? It is. But I’m about to reveal the dark underbelly of my job, the bane of my existence, the thing that frustrates me to my core: dirty data.

Last year, the Museum implemented a new Collections Management System (CMS) after years with an old database that was vintage in all the wrong ways. The worst part of our old database was the inability to control the data being entered into the system, resulting in dirty data in desperate need of attention.

What is dirty data?

Dirty data is incorrect data, misspellings, outdated or inaccurate information found in various fields in our database.

How does it happen?

One cause of dirty data is information changing over time, like the reclamation of First Nations place names or changes to the nomenclature we use to categorize objects, leading to inaccuracies in our existing data. However, the biggest culprit of dirty data in our system is human error. With hundreds of individuals creating or entering data into dozens of fields over a fifty-year period, mistakes are bound to happen. This ranges from simple spelling errors to lazy cataloguing resulting in variations in what should be one accurate piece of data.

Five variations of a manufacturer listing in the database: Blackwoods, Blackwood's, Blackwood ?, Blackwoods Ltd., and Blackwood's Ltd.

Here we see many variations on the name of a now-defunct Winnipeg-based beverage company: Blackwoods, Blackwood’s, Blackwoods Ltd., Blackwood’s Ltd. Over the years, different cataloguers have entered the manufacturer name in various ways, either due to information available to them, like the name ‘Blackwoods’ embossed on a bottle, or an error in judgement.

In case you’re dying to know, the correct name is Blackwoods Ltd.

Why is dirty data bad?

Dirty data is bad for a handful of reasons. One, the most detrimental to the function of the CMS, is reduced data quality – these errors mean that impacted objects are overlooked in searches of the system.

Screenshot of a database search for Term Type Culture showing results for Canadain, Canadian, Canadian ?, and Canandian.

For instance, if I searched for Culture = Canadian, any records with the erroneous Canadain or Canandian in the Culture field would be missing from my results. Due to a typing error, we could be missing out on key objects that would be super relevant to a curator or researcher.

Another downside of dirty data is damage to our reputation. Errors in our collections data have an impact on how others may perceive us – if this particular data is incorrect, what else is incorrect? We have an obligation, as a museum, to maintain and provide accurate, up-to-date information about our collections.

How are you cleaning up your data?

We are currently in this phase of our new CMS implementation. I’m exporting data, reviewing it, making necessary changes, and then importing the cleansed data back into the database.

An excel sheet with artifact details in columns for "Object ID", "Object Name/Type", "Category", "Class (HH)", "and Subclass".

Here, I’m standardizing the nomenclature for our History collection. Our former database had Category and Class fields and now I’m also adding the tertiary Subclass dataset, which will allow us to get even more detailed in searches without having to exclusively use Object Name. For example, I can now search Drinking Vessels and get all the cups, mugs, tankards, glasses, teacups, tumblers, etc. in the collection instead of having to search individually for all these kinds of objects.

We also have a handy-dandy “search and replace” feature that the database “super users” (where’s my cape?!) can use to easily swap out one dataset for another.

What are we doing to prevent the creation of dirty data moving forward?

Our new collections management system has some key features that helps us prevent the entry of dirty data:

  1. We now have many lexicon-controlled fields, meaning that you need to pull data from a pre-approved list of available terms. No more Object Name=Tunbler because you’ll only be able to enter Object Name=Tumbler, for instance. We can update the lexicon terms available for those fields as needed, which is helpful.
  2. Our long text fields, like description or provenance, now have spellcheck! This is great for cataloguers who struggle with spelling. We’re living in 2025, folks!

Further to this, additional training and support for the creators of data is also a top priority moving forward. Will some dirty data still sneak in now and then? Absolutely. But then I’ll be there to scrub it clean.

Cortney Pachet

Cortney Pachet

Collections Technician – Human History

Cortney Pachet started working at the Manitoba Museum in 2001 as a tour guide while earning her a BA (Honours) from the University of Winnipeg. She quickly realized that she wanted a career in museums…
Meet Cortney Pachet

Museum Stories: Collections & Conservation

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DYK About this Famous Winnipegger?

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Thursday April 24, 2025

Zara Nelsova was known as the Queen of the Cello, but did you know she was from Winnipeg? Learn more about the life of this famous cellist and get a close look at three of her performance gowns in Cortney’s latest video.

How Does Hydroelectricity Work? Earth Day 2025

Posted on by Rebecca Watson
Posted on: Tuesday April 22, 2025

Happy Earth Day! Renewable energy is critical to having a healthy planet. Here in Manitoba we have a lot of rivers and stream, which we harness to create hydroelectricity! But how does it work?

Join Mike in the Science Gallery to watch a demo with our hydroelectric generator.