Ce n'est pas un lampe!

When I first saw this artifact, I thought it was a lamp. Actually, I thought it was a lamp from the time I started working at the Brant Museum and Archives until about three months ago. I was researching serving pieces for a cooking exhibit I put together at the Brantford Public Library, and I saw an item that looked almost exactly like this piece as part of a Victorian serving set. I thought it was an oil lamp because of its resemblance to the “Butterfly Lamp” from Resident Evil IV (and I play way too many video games), but it is actually called a Pickle Castor.

The pickle castor is made up of four different pieces: the metal frame, lid, and tongs, and the glass canister. It was a serving piece which would have been used by a very discriminating Victorian host or hostess, who would have been absolutely mortified at the prospect of plunking down a jar of pickles on their exceptionally appointed dinner table. The castor allows the user to take the pickles out of their jar, and place them inside the glass canister. The handle allows the piece to be passed around the table, so that each guest might take which pickles they like, and the tongs mean that no lady or gentleman would need to dirty their fingers, nor would they need to be so rude as to actually reach inside the vessel for a pickle. Basically, a pickle castor is the classiest way to serve pickles without flying them down on silk scarves like cirque du soleil.

This particular castor is made of silver, and was crafted by the Meriden Britannia company of Hamilton. The blue glass is painted with multi-coloured flora, and is in excellent condition.

The pickle castor, along with an array of other Victorian items, can be seen in the Victorian parlour at the Brant Museum and Archives.

Carlie M, Program Coordinator & Development Coordinator, BHS
Click here to visit the Victorian Parlour

Farewell and Thanks

Change can be both exciting and sad at the same time and it is difficult for me to let everyone know that I am leaving the BHS.  I recently accepted the position of Executive Director with the Museum of Ontario Archaeology and will be leaving the Society on May 25, 2012.  My formal training was in archaeology so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work for an organization which matched both my personal and professional interests.

The Board of Directors has started the search for a new Executive Director, and Erin Dee-Richard has been appointed Acting Director in the interim.  Erin has a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester in England and understands the overall requirements of managing a museum.  She has been working at the BHS since December 2009 and has excelled in her role as Curator.  I am very confident in Erin’s ability to manage the BHS during this transition.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working at the Brant Historical Society and am proud of what we have accomplished over the past six years.  Key for me has been the work we have done with the community.  Piloting the Building Responsive Museums Framework and undertaking the Community Engagement Study gave us an opportunity to find out what our community wants, expects and needs from the Brant Historical Society and its museums.  Exhibits have become more engaging as we work with Laurier Brantford and Community members to create exhibits that speak to the people living here.  Education and Outreach programs have grown each year and the creation of the Oral History Program is enabling us to capture more of our community’s history.  Our new logo and updated website portrays a fresh, warm, and welcoming organization.

The Brant Historical Society serves its community by enabling people to connect to their history and share their stories across generations and cultures.  I have been privileged to be a part of this for the past six years.

Sincerely,

Joan

Welcome to the Brant Historical Society Blog

In an ongoing effort to share knoweldge and information, the Brant Historical Society has decided to start a blog that will explore not only our community's history and heritage, but also the behind the scene's work that goes into managing a community museum - how exhibits are designed, programs created, and the ways we work to make our organization more relevant and meaningful to the community we serve.

The Brant Historical Society collects, preserves and shares the history and heritage of Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations, and New Credit and operates the Brant Museum and Archives and Myrtleville House Museum.  You can find out more by visiting our website at www.brantmuseums.ca.

I have always described museums as icebergs.  What you see when you visit or take part in a program is just a small portion of what actually goes on in the museum.  The collections we care for, the research that goes into an exhibit or education program, the types of programs that are delivered, are all very important in creating a wholistic experience while ensuring that our community's stories are collected, preserved, and shared.

This blog will explore our collections, programs, history, and community role and we welcome your comments, questions and feedback in our efforts to make the Brant Historical Society and the museums we operate more relevant because your history matters.

We look forward to sharing and learning with you.

Joan Kangian
Executive Director

Brant Museum & Archives

Myrtleville House Museum