CBC Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1994 1960 (its collection) |
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| Dissolved | 22 December 2017 |
| Location | 250 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Owner | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Public transit access |
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The CBC Museum was a special place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was dedicated to keeping the history of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) alive. The museum collected old items and important documents. It was located inside the Canadian Broadcasting Centre on Front Street West.
The museum's collection started as early as 1960. The main display area opened in 1994. It closed its doors on December 22, 2017. Visitors could enjoy many interactive exhibits. They could watch clips from famous CBC shows. These included children's series, news reports, and exciting sports events.
Contents
A Look Back: History
Early Days of Collecting
The idea for a CBC museum began a long time ago. By 1960, people in the CBC's promotion department started gathering items. In 1961, a newspaper mentioned a collection. It was stored in a CBC building.
This early collection showed how broadcasting changed. It went from simple crystal radios to modern TVs. Many items came from collectors. One amazing piece was a huge 1000-pound Blattnerphone. This was a steel tape audio recorder. Staff believed it was the only complete one in North America.
Some of these artifacts were shown to about 100,000 people. This happened in Aylmer, Ontario, in October 1960.
Later, in the early 1970s, a CBC publicist named Jack Brickenden dreamed of a museum. However, the network's leaders were not very interested. Still, in 1971, an employee named Ivan Harris helped start the modern museum collection. Harris also helped create other museums.
The CBC ran a museum in Toronto for some time. It closed shortly before 1991. This was due to government budget cuts.
A New Home for History
A new, much larger museum opened in 1994. It was part of the big Canadian Broadcasting Centre. Before this, the CBC was spread out in many buildings across Toronto. The new centre brought everything together.
Volunteers helped run the museum at first. Ivan Harris, a retired CBC employee, was its curator. He continued this role for many years. He even met Queen Elizabeth II during her visit in 2002.
The first exhibits were very interesting. One display looked like a 1950s living room. It showed clips from 24 CBC TV shows from that time. Another station let you listen to early CBC Radio clips. There were also photos of famous CBC personalities. You could hear audio from Lorne Greene, Barbara Frum, and Foster Hewitt. Screens showed TV series from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The museum also had real objects. These included old broadcasting equipment. There were also costumes worn by stars like Juliette, Tommy Hunter, and Bob Homme.
In 2002, the CBC celebrated its 50th anniversary. They sent a special train across Canada. It carried artifacts from the CBC Museum for people to see.
Why the Museum Closed
In 22 December 2017, the CBC Museum officially closed. The CBC had plans to update the main floor of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre. They wanted to create new displays. These new displays would still show CBC's rich history. They would feature its programs and the people who worked there.
A newspaper columnist noticed that some displays were "falling apart" for years. Some monitors were broken. The museum was once called one of the "museums you never knew existed." The closure was announced to staff with little warning.
What You Could See: Exhibits
The CBC Museum had many fun and educational exhibits. They showed different parts of CBC's history.
- CBC War Effort This exhibit ran from February to December 1996. It showed how the CBC helped during wartime. It looked at their overseas news unit and homefront programs.
- Show & Tell: Growing Up Canadian This exhibit started in January 1999. It featured items from classic children's shows. These included Chez Hélène, The Friendly Giant, Maggie Muggins, Mr. Dressup, and Razzle Dazzle. There was a "Club House" where kids could try puppetry on camera. The exhibit also had workshops and storytelling.
- A Canadian Document This display ran from July to September 2001. It featured photographs from famous artists. These included Richard Harrington and Yousuf Karsh.
- Ballet From Stage to Screen This exhibit was about showing ballet on TV. It ran in early 2003.
- Growing Up with CBC This exhibit was available from about 2003 until 2017. It had props, puppets, photos, and video clips. It featured shows like Mr. Dressup, Sesame Park, and The Friendly Giant. You could see puppets like Basil and Louis from Sesame Park.
- CBC Radio Sound Effects This exhibit showed how sound effects were made for radio. It displayed many objects and equipment used by the CBC's sound effects team. Ivan Harris, who helped start the museum, began his CBC career as a special effects artist.
The museum also had an interactive video area. Here, visitors could watch clips from old documentaries and news programs. There were also displays of vintage recording equipment, cameras, and microphones.
Beyond the Main Gallery
Some exhibits were found outside the main museum area. Casey and Finnegan's treehouse from Mr. Dressup was located near the entrance. Other displays with memorabilia and photos were in cases around the CBC lobby.
The Ivan Harris Gallery was on a lower level of the building. It had a window where you could see stored artifacts. There were also many display cases with various items. An exhibit about the radio show The Happy Gang started in 2005. It included fan letters and photos. The treehouse from Mr. Dressup was also added to the building lobby.
The Graham Spry Theatre
Next to the museum was the Graham Spry Theatre. This small theatre had 40 seats. It projected videos onto a screen that looked like a giant 1950s TV set. It played a loop of selected CBC television shows.
The shows usually changed every month. When it first opened, it showed clips of ballets and musicals. Later, it featured selections from the 1940s to the 1960s. You could watch episodes from shows like The Tommy Hunter Show and The Kids in the Hall.
Visiting the Museum
The museum was open on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. It was closed on public holidays. The building was also accessible for wheelchairs.
When it first opened in 1994, it was open daily from 10 am to 3 pm. Guided tours were offered. By 2001, the hours changed to weekdays, 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays, noon to 4 pm. The museum was always free to enter.
Museum Connections
The CBC Museum was connected to other important groups. These included the Canadian Museums Association and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Since at least 1996, large equipment from the CBC has been sent to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.
