The Museum of Civilization, Gatineau

Okay, so this is an odd review.  It’s not really a book review, but as I spent so much time reading while visiting the Museum of Civilization this weekend, it only seemed appropriate to write up some notes on the exhibits I went to see.  Living in the same city as the Museum means that I’m already familiar with the permenant exhibits (I am a history nerd, after all), so I rarely get over to Gatineau unless there is an interesting special/travelling exhibit.  That was the case this weekend when my Dad and I went to check out three of the four special exhibits: Dieu(x)/God(s), A Queen and Her Country, and Designed for a Queen.

 Dieu(x)/God(s) is a comparative exhibit about the world’s major religions.  This is a travelling exhibit with stops planned for Belgium and Quebec City.  With special attention paid to deities (including modern ‘gods’ such as Mao and Elvis), the life cycle, places of worship, the afterlife, and communication with the divine, the exhibit presents an even-handed overview of the world of faith.  The atmosphere is exactly how you would expect it to be – the lights are dim, and there is a constant refrain of religious sounds playing in the background (which is calming at first, but irritating after about 20 minutes).  

I did have some problems with the entire affair.  The first was presented up-front, just as you come through the door.  The creators of the exhibit clearly and plainly state that they are leaving all historical context out of their displays.  Okay, I get it – religion is a hot-topic issue and a museum display could go horribly wrong very quickly.  However, without a historical context, I feel robbed.  There is something to be said for stressing the historical links between the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths; there is a need to acknowledge that all religions borrow from that which came before; and not mentioning (at least) the historical impact of regional on societies around the world (be it violent or peaceful) is a cop-out. 

This lack of history is also seen in the artifacts that are put on display.  Few of them are older than 100 years, and most have been created within the last 50.  I suppose this plays into the creators’ intention to leave the history out of it, but given that the Museums could pull some amazing pieces from its own collection, I’m at a loss to understand why so little effort was made to get some older examples of artifacts.  

Finally, I have a problem that I’ve had with the Museum before – the exhibit was poorly laid out.  You walk into the main exhibit right into a circular display on deities.  Off that display are multiple rooms, but there is no clear indication of the path you should follow.  The result is that you backtrack on yourself past empty hallways between the rooms with nothing to keep your attention.  Wow, that reads like a comment on faith and religion itself – was that what the exhibit was going for?  If so, they should know that atheists/agnostics aren’t gonna like it.  PS. I didn’t like it.

Luckily, the final portion of the exhibit speaks to the commonalities between all religions – they have it set up so you exit through the gift shop.  That right there is a perfect commentary on religion.

While Dieu(x)/God(s) has been the major special exhibit at the Museum this summer, the other big draw (for me, at least), was the special attention being paid to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  British history nerd that I am, I was thrilled.  The special exhibit A Queen and Her Country is a charming little collection of items that celebrate the links between Canada and the Queen – specifically her coronation, her royal tours, and her role as head of state.  The pieces on display are the common souvenir kitsch that is produced for royal fans (plates, mugs, match boxes), with some additional pieces of more weight (like a dress she wore at Rideau Hall, and gifts made to her by her Canadian subjects).  

The centerpiece of the entire display, however, is a 12 minute film showing clips of her visits to Canada.  Earlier shots are black and white and without sound, but quickly they turn into a young Elizabeth extolling the virtues of being on Canadian soil in French, her commenting on her pride in being ‘Canadian,’ and her participation in major pieces of Canadian history (such as the Montreal Olympics, the Meech Lake talks, and the signing of the Constitution).  For a fan of the monarchy, it’s a lovely exhibit, and my only complaint is that it was too small!

Finally, the last exhibit I wanted to see was Designed for a Queen, at the Canadian Postal Museum.  The CPM is conveniently located in the Museum of Civilization, because I don’t think it could support itself.  As a kid, this was my least favorite portion of the Museum of Civ, mainly because I that I had to get through it; and once that I was done, I would be into nirvana – the Children’s Museum, which is nothing but brightly coloured interactive fun… I digress – back to stamps!  

The Designed for a Queen exhibit was even more disappointing that the God(s) exhibit.  On-line, Designed for a Queen was pimped as a philiatial celebration of the Queen from the nations of the Commonwealth.  What it was was five panels of stamps that were spaced rather far apart.  For a queen that used to represent an Empire that spread across the globe, I think the Museum could have done more to gather a larger collection.  It was fun seeing stamps issued by the Falklands, the British Indian Ocean Territories, and the British Antarctic Region, but there were few stamps from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa – these are nations with long histories with the Queen, and I refuse to believe they have never issued celebratory stamps.  Be it from a lack of space, or just a miss-conceived display, Designed for a Queen left much to be desired.

Well, that was my day at the Museum!  History nerd that I am, I always feel recharged after something like that, and I fully enjoyed it.  It’s been so long since I was over there, that it has me thinking I should go back and brows through the permanent exhibits to.  It’s a lesson to all of us not to ignore the opportunities we have in our own back yard just because we aren’t tourists.  Take advantage of what you have in your own home towns and explore!