Historia Crítica

Hist. Crit. | eISSN 1900-6152 | ISSN 0121-1617

Whose Artifacts? Whose Stories? Public History and Representation of Women at the Canada Science and Technology Museum

No. 68 (2018-04-01)
  • Anna Adamek
    Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
  • Emily Gann
    Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
https://doi.org/10.7440/histcrit68.2018.03

Abstract

Whose Artifacts? Whose Stories? explores uses of public history to tell stories of women’s relationship with science and technology at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, one of Canada’s national museum. The article examines how stories of women, which have been long overlooked by curators who in the past considered technological artifacts through the lenses of type collecting and history of science and technologies methodologies, are now being framed in the context of public history and hence are coming to the forefront of museum collecting and interpretation.

Keywords: Thesaurus: museum collections, exhibitions. Author keyword: gender and museums, women and technology, public history

References

Primary Sources

Printed Primary Documentation

Museums Act, Statutes of Canada (1990, c.3 13-14) (Canada: Minister of Justice, 2014). Available from Canada. Department of Justice Law <http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/M-13.4/>.

Trépanier, Gabrielle. “CSTM Visitors 2007-09. Profiles from the CSTMC Summer Surveys.” Report, 2010, <https://documents.techno-science.ca/documents/CSTMCVisitors2007to2009.pdf>.

Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation. “Collection Development Strategy, Approved by CSTMC Management Comm.: 2006/01/24.” <http://collect-connect.cstmcweb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/collection_development_strategy_2006.pdf>.

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Exhibitions

Autopsy of a Murder. Travelling Exhibition, Montreal Science Centre, Montreal, Canada, 2008.

From Earth to Us. Women who Mine, Rock! Permanent exhibition, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada, 2017.

Love, Leisure and Laundry. Exhibition Fond, 1996, Library and Archives, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada.

Technology in Our Lives. Permanent Exhibition, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada, 2017.

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Doe, Jane. In discussion with the author, October 30, 2012.

Kalin, Margaret. In discussion with the author, January 28, 2012.

Figures

Figure 1. Anna Adamek, photography Connexions (1995), Connextions Exhibition Fond, Library and Archives, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada

Figures 2 & 3. Anna Adamek, photography Examples of Technologies Donated by Men and Women, (2018), National Collection, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada.

Figure 4. The Hydro Lamp, 3, n ° 4 (February 1925). Front Cover, LLL Fond, Library and Archives, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada..

Figure 5. Pierre Martin, photography Toy Shop, Technology in Our Lives (2018), at Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada.

Figure 6. Pierre Martin, photography Whose Dream Kitchen? Technology in Our Lives (2018) at Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa, Canada.

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