Holiday display a window into Charlottetown's past
'That's what we want, we want people talking about it'
Ever wonder what Christmas was like in Charlottetown 100 years ago?
The city's Planning and Heritage Department has you covered, with its new holiday window display.
"Because it is accessible all the time, for people who don't think that they like history — it's a nice way to engage with them," said Natalie Munn, heritage researcher and collections co-ordinator for Charlottetown. "And also for people who aren't online."
The holiday window display is part of an ongoing series called Picturing a City, an initiative Munn began last year to inform Islanders about the history, planning and architecture of Charlottetown. She has also put together historic displays on summertime, the bicycle, the railroad, back to school, recreation and more.
The Planning and Heritage Department, in the old Taweel's Grocery store at 233 Queen St., has half a dozen large street-level windows that are perfect for displaying artifacts and photos from the city's growing collection.
'We want people talking about it'
"People have told me that it's become quite a topic of conversation in their coffee times and chats, and that's what we want, we want people talking about it," Munn said.
The photos are mostly from the city's own archive, which Munn said they've been building for just two years. The city is urging people to submit their old photos or to allow Munn to scan them.
"It lets us know more about the city — we are the planning department, so it helps us learn," she said, noting the displays are a perfect way to share what the city has collected.
'How things were in the past'
Munn also borrowed some antique toys from the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. City staff also offered their vintage treasures, from tin cars to Munn's own Raggedy Ann doll.
That display has especially captivated a group of pre-schoolers who walk by the office every day, Munn said.
"It's nice when those stores aren't there anymore, to get a vision of how things were in the past," Munn said, pointing to a photo she believes to be from the 1940s of the 2 Macs Drug Store. "You see what the stores provided back then in relation to what they would provide now, which is interesting."
You can help
Munn hopes the displays spark "a love for history, and a sense of interest in their history ... learn to love their town," she said.
Islanders can also help identify some of the people snapped in those historic photos whose identities are unknown. People can come into the department during working hours, or email nmunn@charlottetown.ca.
That has happened in the past, Munn said.
"We had a picture of Spring Park School and we didn't know all the people and a lady came in with a list and told us."
Other passers-by have seen their relatives in the photos, and come in to the department seeking copies.
Peek at long-gone architecture
Some of Munn's favourite items are replicas of 1912 vintage postcards which were found in the walls of an old home on Highland Avenue.
"Also, it's nice to see pictures of little kids on the streets of Charlottetown," she said. One 1940s winter photo of an adorable little girl shows West Street in the background, including the home of Margaret (Pope) Bearisto, whose father William Henry Pope was a father of Confederation.
"It's interesting for us because that house is no longer there ... I find that one very interesting," Munn said, noting personal photos are often of historic significance not because of their subjects, but rather because of what's in the background.
Kudos to Munn
The credit for the displays all goes to Munn, said Charlottetown's planning and heritage committee chair Greg Rivard.
"To see locals and visitors stop to view the displays only speaks volumes of the interest in our history and the great collection that Natalie has been able to collect on behalf of the city," Rivard said.
While this exhibit will come down mid-January, it will be available online at Charlottetownstories.wordpress.com. Munn's next display will be about energy use in the city.
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