Exciting News Just In! Dr. Black is Bringing the Cape Enrage Figurine Saturday!

We have just confirmed that Dr. David Black will be bringing the Cape Enrage Figurine to the presentation on Saturday, September 10 at 7:30 pm at the Albert County Museum. This is a must see presentation on an amazing artefact found here in Albert County in 1998.

The Cape Enrage Figurine, is a small image of a stylized human-like head carved into a piece of mammal bone. What was it used for? Who made it? When was it made? Why was it made? How was it made? So many questions are going to be answered your head will spin with excitement. 

 Come join us on Saturday, September 10 at 7:30 PM and discover what we have learned about it, and speculate about its provenance, history and cultural affiliation, all presented by retired UNB Professor Dr. David Black. 

If you have never heard of this amazing artefact then come and find out what makes it so special!

Entrance by free will donation. 

The Cape Enrage Figurine - An Enigmatic Object - A SPECIAL PRESENTATION - Saturday, September 10 @ 7:30PM

In 1998, an unusual archaeological artifact was found at Cape Enrage, in Albert County, N.B.. This artifact, the Cape Enrage Figurine, is a small image of a stylized human-like head carved into a piece of mammal bone. 

 Come join us on Saturday, September 10 at 7:30 PM and discover what we have learned about it, and speculate about its provenance, history and cultural affiliation. With special presentation by retired UNB Professor Dr. David Black. 

If you have never heard of this amazing artefact then come and find out what makes it so special!

Entrance by free will donation. 

Museum Celebrates 40th Annual Quilt Show and Sale - July 12- 16 9:30am-5:30pm

With the summer weather finally here, cozying up in a quilt may be the last thing on your mind, but quilts are a hot commodity at the Albert County Museum right now as one of its major fundraisers gets underway.

 The 40th annual quilt show and sale is taking place this week, beginning on July 12 and lasting until July 16 at the Hopewell Cape Community Hall at the Albert County Museum, 3940 Route 114, Hopewell Cape, NB.

 To celebrate the 40th anniversary the museum will feature a special interactive exhibit called “Stitches Through Time” where visitors will be able to try their hand at quilting.  The week will be interspersed with demonstrations as well as full workshops on Friday.

A hand quilting workshop will be offered from 10am to noon and a rug hooking workshop offered from 1pm to 3 pm.  Pre-registration for the workshops is required.  Call the museum at 734-2003 for details.

 “The quilt show is the single biggest fundraiser for us,” said museum curator Donald Alward. “We greatly appreciate the support from those who attend this event, as well as the time put in by our wonderful volunteers to organize and keep this show running.”

This year there are more than 100 unique quilts for sale by a number of local quilters. In addition to the quilts, there are quilt tops, youth, crib & lap quilts, afghans and other sewn articles available.

The show will also once again include a raffle for one of the quilts. Tickets can be purchased throughout the summer and the quilt, which features the design ‘Road to Abbey’s House’, can be shipped anywhere in North America.

Admission to the quilt show is just three dollars per person and includes access to the “Stitches Through Time” exhibit.  The Quilt Show & Sale is open each day during the museum’s regular hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Museum to Celebrate 75th Anniversary of Viscount Bennett's Elevation at 6th Annual RB Bennett Day - July 2

 The RB Bennett Commemorative Centre at the Albert County Museum is hosting the 6th annual RB Bennett Day on Saturday, July 2 in celebration of the only Canadian Prime Minister from New Brunswick. Located in Hopewell Cape at 3940 Route 114, just before the famous Hopewell Rocks, activities begin in the morning with the weekly Farmers and Crafters Market and continues with activities planned throughout the day. With the feature presentation at 2pm by noted historian and current Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Dr. Christopher McCreery.

75 years ago on July 23, 1941, Richard Bedford Bennett, Canada's 11th Prime Minister was elevated into the British House of Lords as the 1st Viscount Bennett, of Mickleham, in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell, in the Dominion of Canada. In honour of this momentous occasion, Dr. Christopher McCreery, editor of the recently published book “The Authentic Voice of Canada: R.B. Bennett in the House of Lords.” will speak on Bennett.

The Centre will also offer a presentation on Bennett's rise to the peerage, with notable artefacts on hand from Bennett himself, including his gifts to the Garter King at Arms, Sir Gerald W. Wollaston K.C.B., K.C.V.O. a large impressive silver salver and sterling cigarette case. In addition to these the museum will bring to life the elevation ceremony, through a visual media presentation.

Directly following the activities, the annual birthday cake will be served celebrating RB Bennett's 146th Birthday (July 3, 1870).

The Farmer's Market & Breakfast is from 9am-1pm. Family oriented games and activities will be hosted the whole day (9:30am to 4pm). The main presentations will begin at 2pm followed by cake and homemade ice-cream.

The museum will offer free admission during the day to see all the displays and interactive exhibits.

AC Museum to Commemorate New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - June 11

On June 11, 2016, everyone is invited to visit between 10:00am and 4:00pm to share memories and memorabilia from the First World War relating to New Brunswick’s significant contribution. A number of other Museums will be on hand for the day with items from their collections for a great show and tell experience. Besides the Albert County Museum, Resurgo Place (Moncton Museum), Musee Acadien and the New Brunswick Military History Museum will all bring items to help share New Brunswick's stories and answer questions.

The event is not just limited to collections housed in museums either. The public is also invited to bring items and memorabilia from their private collections to show publicly for the day. If you wish to bring along some items, please contact the Albert County Museum in advance at 734-2003 to reserve your space.

The Museum will offer admission with a free-will donation towards the Museum’s Victory Cannon Campaign for the restoration of the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit prominently next to the highway in front of the museum buildings.

If you're wondering if your items are from New Brunswick, here is a list of all the NB raised Battalions and Batteries: 

12th BATTALION C.E.F. (Canadian Expeditionary Force), 8th BATTERY C.F.A. (Canadian Field Artillery), 1st BRIGHTON FIELD. COMPANY CANADIAN ENGINEERS, 26th N. B. BATTALION ("FIGHTING 26th"), 55th N.B. and P.E.I. BATTALION, 2nd DIVISIONAL AMMUNITION COLUMN, R.C.A.S. CORPS, 23rd BATTERY C.F.A., 24th BATTERY C.F.A., 28th BATTERY C.F.A., 64th N.B. and N.S. BATTALION, 104th N.B. BATTALION, 115th N.B. BATTALION, 132nd BATTALION, 140th BATTALION, 145th BATTALION, 165th FRENCH ACADIAN BATTALION, 236th MacLEAN HIGHLANDERS, 58th BATTERY C.F.A., 65th BATTERY C.F.A., 89th BATTERY C.F.A., 4th SIEGE BATTERY CANADIAN ARTILLERY, 6th SIEGE BATTERY CANADIAN ARTILLERY, No. 16 CANADIAN FIELD AMBULANCE, 257 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION BATTALION, and other various drafts of infantry and engineers.

Emeline Steven's 1882 Diary Exploration - The First Opening Windows to Our Past a Resounding Success!

Last night we explored the 1882-1885 Diary of Emeline Stevens (b.Jan 9, 1861, d.April 5, 1935) who grew up in Memel, Albert County, New Brunswick. It was an amazing look at the life of a young lady in rural Albert County in the 1880's. From her longest trip away from home (60km) to her yearly trips to the dentist, it was a fascinating journey into her life. 

In September 1882 she noted seeing the Great September Comet of 1882, an event which no one in the crowd had heard of. A quick trip to the internet informed us of the magnitude of this comet. It was so bright you could see it in the daytime. You can see an actual photo of it to the right. 

Her diary also noted 2 important events in Albert County History, the launching of two of Gaius S. Turner's ships, the 1883 launch of the Vandalia (1432 net tonnage) it sunk in 1901, and the 1884 launch of the Constance (1591 net tonnage) it sunk in 1903. The ship launches were huge public events in the county, which people travelling from miles around to see it. She noted that she was 15 minutes late to see the launch of the Vandalia, but still had a good time. 

Throughout the diary she listed the books she read, and how she spent her days, from spinning, to sewing, quilting and making socks and mittens to sell. It was an amazing walk through time and her life. 

We're really excited about our next scheduled Diary Discovery, Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30 pm Stay tuned to find out whose diary we will be exploring then!

Opening Windows to Our Past - This Thursday 7:30pm - Come Explore the Diaries of the ACM

The Albert County Museum is excited to host our first of five "Opening Windows to Our Past" Diary Explorations, Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 pm. Taking place the last Thursday of every month, the "Opening Windows to Our Past" Series, is going to explore some of the many diaries in the museum's collection. It's going to be a walk through the past as told by the very people who lived it! 

The first diary to be explored belonged to Emeline Stevens and was recently discovered in the museums collection at last year's Mystery Box Talks. Emeline was the third child of James Stevens and Eleanor Steeves who lived in the small farming community of Memel, NB.

The diary begins on August 20, 1882 and is a fascinating look at daily life in rural Albert County. It records many of the daily routines and activities a young lady working on a farm in the 1880's did. One of the highlights of the diary is the recording of one of the major events to happen in September 1882, so come and hear what she has to say!

The Opening Windows to Our Past Series is:

Thursday, May 26 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, July 28 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, August 25 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, September 29 @ 7:30pm

 

 

 

Lest We Forget - Donald MacKenzie Moore - Killed in Action 101 Years Ago Today 05.22.1915

Donald MacKenzie Moore was from Hopewell, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born March 19, 1877. He listed his next of kin as C. Archie Moore of Vancouver, BC. He enlisted with the 30th Battalion in Victoria, BC on November 9, 1914. He was listed as Wounded and Missing in Action during the Battle of Festubert in France on May 22, 1915. He has no known grave and is memorialized on the Vimy Monument. 

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 16th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here.  And Here. 

You can learn about the Battle of Festubert Here.

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Museum to Open “Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County” Exhibit and Make Major Steeves Family Announcement - May 21 @11 am

The Albert County Museum is excited to announce the Grand Opening of their Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County exhibit, on Saturday, May 21 at 11am. At the opening, the museum will be announcing a major component of the exhibit which has just been approved by Library and Archives Canada, to be ready in time for the Steeves Family Reunion in July. The day also marks the opening day at the museum (9:30am -5:30pm) and is also the first Weekly Farmers and Crafters Market hosted by Foods of the Fundy Valley (9am-1pm) of the season.  The weekly ‘Breakfast at the Museum’ (9am-noon) starts on the 21st as well.

The “Steeves: 250 years in Albert County” exhibitis planned as a special exhibit at the Albert County Museum which coincides with the 2016 Steeves 250 Family Reunion and is scheduled for exhibit for two years. A full gallery of the museum has be dedicated to this theme and includes displays of ‘all things Steeves’. The exhibit has been carefully selected from over 700 Steeves related artefacts in the museum collection, with each artefact on the display having some special historic significance. The highlight of the exhibit is the original 18th century clock that Heinrich and Regina Stief brought from Germany. [photo enclosed]

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, leading the visitor through the story of the Steeves family and their significance in, not only, Albert County’s history, but Canada’s history. A few of the members of the Steeves family that will be included are: William Henry Steeves, Father of Confederation; Simon Newcomb, Astronomer and Mathematician; Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset; Dr. Esther Clark Wright, Author, Historian and Scholar; Jack Layton, former Leader of the Opposition.

2016 marks the Sestercentennial of the arrival of the Stief (Steeves) family and in celebration of this, the Steeves Family will be holding a reunion on a substantial scale.

The major announcement at the Grand Opening will relate the Steeves 250 Years in Albert County exhibit with the Museum's Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape.

The exhibit was made possible by partial funding from the province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch.

Connecting the past with the future through seeds and stories

Seeds are a connection between the past and the future. When you save seed from one crop, you anticipate planting, growing and harvesting more food in the future. But seed can be more -- it can connect us to our heritage.

The Albert County Museum is embarking on an exciting project to bring the past to life through food, seeds and stories. We will celebrate the history of Atlantic Canada while strengthening cultural bonds for the future.

Culinary traditions are an essential part of cultural heritage. Recipes and seeds have been passed down from generation to generation. We will rejuvenate and celebrate this practice while also honouring our multicultural past and future. We will plant heirloom varieties of traditional food crops at public gardens in Albert County at Riverside Consolidated School, Albert County Museum and perhaps Forest Dale Home. By linking people's stories with the plants, we will bring the heritage alive. Also, we will save the seeds from the plants and share these with gardeners in the following years. In particular, we hope to create a more vibrant garden and seed collection to celebrate Canada's 150th year in 2017.

Do you have seeds or stories to share? If so, let us know.  Contact Janet Wallace by email at janetwallace @ xplornet.com or at  www.JanetWallace.ca 

Learn more about the project by visiting here

 

New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - Come Share Your Memories and Memorabilia - Sat. June 11, 2016 10am-4pm

On June 11, 2016 from 10am until 4pm we are hosting a New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War Event, where we are bringing together collectors, museums and individuals to share Memories and Memorabilia of the First World War. If you have one piece or a whole collection of items from any of the New Brunswick Battalions and Batteries we encourage you to come out. Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Admission is a free-will donation to the Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring two WW1 German cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape, NB. This event will be held in the Community Hall at the Albert County Museum, in Hopewell Cape, NB.

Top Ten Most Interesting Artefacts at the Albert County Museum

A Top Ten List of the 10 Most Interesting Artefacts at the Museum sounds like a easy list to make, until you ask people to submit their ideas. It turns out, when you ask 12 different people to submit their top 10 items at the museum, you're going to get almost 120 different items. Which causes a problem when 10 is what you need. 

So we had a decision, narrow down the items or narrow down the people we ask. For safety sake, we narrowed down the people we asked. So, we asked our Manager/Curator Mr. Donald Alward, who pretty much lives at the museum during the summer months, what he thought were the Top Ten Most Interesting Artifacts at the Museum.

His list is quite surprising, it ranges from the spectacular to the more mundane, some items he picked because of the story behind them, others from their sheer historic significance, and others for their curiosity. Each one has their own unique place in our past and an important story to tell. If you're curious why Donald picked these, and the story behind them, then come to the museum and find out! We're open May long Weekend until Mid-September. 

This is his list: 

We encourage you to write in the comments some of the other artefacts you love from the museum.