Simply
Montréal: Glimpses of a Unique City
Montreal in the Spotlight at the McCord Museum
Montreal,
Thursday, June 18, 1998 — Today, the McCord Museum is
inaugurating Simply Montréal: Glimpses of a Unique City,
a brand new exhibition designed to plunge visitors of all ages
into the very heart of the rich and varied experience offered by
our city.
Simply Montréal, the most important exhibition mounted by the McCord since the institution's re-opening in 1992, focuses on four main themes: the climate (wintering), the community (meeting), the economy (prospering) and leisure time (enjoying). Some 600 objects and 200 photographs from the McCord's celebrated collection will be on view, including an array of First Nations objects; a selection of photographs by the renowned Canadian photographer William Notman; a variety of sports equipment and charming toys; and a collection of dresses and outfits worn in Montreal on all sorts of occasions. The exhibition has been produced by Carol Pauzé, Project Manager, and Andrea Hauenchild, Guest Curator.
“This exhibition takes an impressionistic look at Montreal life and lifestyles from the 17th century to the present,” explains the Museum's Executive Director Dr. Victoria Dickenson. “Simply Montréal is a rich collage of objects and images from the McCord's unparalleled collections, offering visitors — Montrealers and tourists, adults and children alike — a unique opportunity to explore the roots of what makes Montreal so unique, so utterly and simply itself.”
Wintering:
From Snowshoes to the Metro
Entitled Wintering, the exhibition's first section
explores one of most Montrealers' favourite subjects — the
weather, especially winter weather. We learn how, during the
17th and 18th centuries, Native peoples and Europeans influenced
one another in their efforts to create houses and clothing well
suited to the climate. As visitors move through this section,
they also discover how the geographic location of this northern
city, with its bitterly cold winters and steamy hot, almost
tropical summers, has played a role in shaping the characters of
its inhabitants. Juxtaposing Montreal past and Montreal present,
the section explores the following themes: clothing that is warm
and weatherproof, from the age-old parka to the very latest in
microfibre; methods of transport, from the aboriginal snowshoe
to the metro; the development of the armada of marvellous
machines now used for clearing snow from the city's streets; and
the unique domestic architecture that evolved to counter the
cold.
Meeting:
People from Here, There and Everywhere
The second section, which focuses on the theme of community and
the Meeting between peoples, explains how Montreal,
because of its economic potential, has long been a centre for
immigration. Inhabited first by Aboriginal peoples, the Montreal
region soon became the adopted home of a population with French
and British roots; their ranks were later swelled, in successive
waves of immigration, by citizens from a multitude of other
cultures. This section illustrates how the interests of the
different groups who encountered one another on this shared
territory gave rise to tensions and conflicts, but also to
alliances and understandings. Illustrating Montreal's cultural
diversity, a profusion of mementoes that belong or once belonged
to Montrealers — born-and-bred or adoptive — are on display.
Something to note: a number of well-known personalities whose
origins lie elsewhere, including Kim Yaroshevskaya and Alain
Stanké, responded to the McCord's appeal and graciously agreed
to lend valued personal mementoes. Young visitors will also
enjoy playing with the fruit and vegetables in this section's
market stall, which serves as a reminder that the city's public
markets have always been important points of contact, influence
and intercultural exchange.
Prospering:
City of Promise, Land of Trade
The entrance to the third section, entitled Prospering,
is dominated by a birch bark canoe — once the principal method
of transport in the fur trade, which had such a decisive
influence on Montreal's early economy. This section, which
explores the city's economic development, begins by reminding
visitors of Montreal's strategic geographic location. Situated
on the banks of the St. Lawrence, at the intersection of three
river routes, Montreal was already part of a major trade network
long before the arrival of Europeans. During the French regime,
the city flourished thanks to the fur trade. Following England's
conquest of New France, the activities of such major firms as
the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company ensured the
prosperity of a number of merchants and led to the birth of some
of Montreal's great fortunes. A number of objects on view help
bring this vibrant period in the city's history to life, among
them trade silver, glass beads, a beaver hat and trade guns.
Other subjects explored in the section are the development of
the city as a major commercial and financial centre, the
improvement of its harbour facilities to stimulate commerce, the
construction of the railroad and the Victoria Bridge, the
appearance of major retail outlets along Sainte-Catherine Street
in the late 19th century, and Montreal's recent renaissance as a
centre for new communications technologies.
Enjoying:
Montreal, Capital of Leisure and Entertainment
Montrealers have always been known for their fun-loving approach
to life, and this fourth section, entitled Enjoying,
takes a look at their passion for such diversions as team
sports, skating carnivals and parties of all kinds. We learn,
for example, how the city's more prosperous citizens were once
keen on equestrian and field sports. The most sophisticated
followed the hunt, while the rest flocked to Montreal's select
clubs, there to stylishly wield the cricket bat, the golf club
and the polo mallet. We're also shown how in working-class
neighbourhoods sporting events consisted largely of
demonstrations of strength and endurance, such as the
ever-popular arm-wrestling. There is focus, too, on Montrealers'
love of winter sports, including ice hockey, snowshoeing and
skating. Sumptuous evening gowns, fans, top hats, scarves,
cigarette cases and dance programs conjure up the frequent
parties held during the late 19th century in the magnificent
mansions of the Golden Square Mile. Visitors are given a glimpse
of Montreal, the cultural hub, renowned today for its numerous
outdoor concerts and festivals that bring glitter to the city
year after year.
Tour
Program
To ensure that visitors of all ages get the very most from the
exhibition Simply Montréal: Glimpses of a Unique City,
the McCord's Education Department has prepared a comprehensive
and original tour program, specially designed to satisfy the
broadest tastes. Participants may choose from two thematic tours
and two independent tours coupled with a discovery game.
Children are also invited to take part in a selection of
workshop-tours, which include Manituminaki: The Power of
Glass Beads and Totem, Totem. Reservations are
required for these activities.
Source:
Wanda Palma
(514) 398-7100, extension 229
wanda@mccord.lan.mcgill.ca
Annie Daoust
(514) 398-7100, extension 251
annie@mccord.lan.mcgill.ca
The Museum acknowledges the support of Canadian Heritage's Museums Assistance Program, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Conseil des arts de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal.