Grand Manan Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 23 June 1967 |
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| Location | 1141 Route 776 in Grand Harbour, New Brunswick |
| Type | Local museum |
The Grand Manan Museum (which is Musée de Grand Manan in French) is a cool place to visit. It's located in Grand Harbour on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada.
This museum collects, keeps, and shows off items that tell the story of the island's past. It helps people learn about the community's history, culture, and nature. The museum has more than 18 main exhibits. One of the most famous is the Allan Moses Bird Gallery, which has over 300 stuffed birds! You can also find a gift shop with unique handmade items from the island.
History of the Museum
The idea for the museum started in 1961. A person named L. Keith Ingersoll and other islanders created a group called the Gerrish House Society. Their main goal was to build a museum. They wanted to save local history. They also wanted a permanent home for a special collection of stuffed birds. This bird collection was given to the community by Allan Moses in 1951.
The Gerrish House Society became an official non-profit group in 1962. Their purpose was to "build and operate a museum and science centre." The project was even chosen as a special "Centennial project" for Canada's 100th birthday. This meant it got money from the Canadian government. The province and public donations also helped. The Grand Manan Museum officially opened its doors on June 23, 1967. A few years later, in 1974, the Gerrish House Society changed its name to Grand Manan Museum Inc.
Grand Manan Archives
The Grand Manan Archives is a special project. It works closely with the Museum and the Grand Manan Historical Society. The Archives keep many important old items. These include records, maps, written documents, artwork, and photographs. They help us learn even more about the island's past.
Permanent Collections and Exhibits
Allan Moses Bird Collection
This is the biggest collection at the Museum. It has more than 300 stuffed birds from the Grand Manan area. These birds are shown in 18 display cases. Allan Moses was a naturalist and a great taxidermist. A taxidermist is someone who prepares, stuffs, and mounts animal skins to make them look alive. His father and grandfather were also skilled taxidermists. They moved to Grand Manan in 1872. All three generations helped create this amazing bird collection. The gallery also has information about L.K. Ingersoll, who helped start the museum.
Walter B. McLaughlin Marine Gallery
This gallery is two stories tall! It was built around a huge Fresnel lens. This lens came from the Gannet Rock Lighthouse. The exhibits here teach you about many things. You can learn about how ships were built. You'll also discover the history of lighthouses and their keepers. The gallery covers island ferries and the first people who settled on the island. Displays also explain different types of fishing. These include weir fishing, scallop dragging, and lobster fishing.
The Marine Gallery also has a shipwreck exhibit. It remembers the many ships that crashed near Grand Manan. Some of the shipwrecks you can learn about are the Lord Ashburton (1857) and the Queen (1841). Other famous wrecks include the Turkish Empire (1879), Gypsum King (1906), and Hestia (1909).
On the lower floor of the gallery, you can see a rebuilt fishermen's shed. There's also a display of lobster trap buoys. This includes old wooden buoys that were used long ago.
L. Keith Ingersoll Wing
L. Keith Ingersoll was one of the first directors of the Grand Manan Museum. He was also a historian, a fisherman, and a newspaper writer. This part of the Museum has a research library. It also has a lecture hall and a meeting room. The L.K. Ingersoll Memorial Gallery is mainly used for special exhibits that change over time.
The Dark Harbour Hermits and Dulsing on Grand Manan
The Ingersoll Memorial Gallery has a permanent exhibit about "The Dark Harbour Hermits and Dulsing on Grand Manan." The "hermits" were two brothers, Lucy and Darby Greene. They spent summers in the 1920s and 1930s gathering dulse in Dark Harbour. Dulse is a type of edible seaweed. They were also very good at entertaining visitors. This made them a big tourist attraction on Grand Manan back then.
Geology of Grand Manan
The Museum also has a permanent exhibit called "Geology of Grand Manan." This exhibit is in the Ingersoll Wing. It was updated in 2011 by Greg McHone, a geologist who lives on the island. It teaches you about the rocks and land formations of Grand Manan.
Deep Cove School House
The Deep Cove school was a one-room schoolhouse. It was open from 1869 to 1947. The building was moved to the Grand Manan Museum property in 1963. You can visit it and imagine what school was like long ago!
Other Permanent Exhibits
Willa Cather Exhibit
In the main entrance area, there's an exhibit about Willa Cather. She was an American writer. She won a famous award called the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1923. Willa Cather and her friend Edith Lewis spent many summers on Grand Manan Island.
1929 Island Kitchen
This exhibit shows what a kitchen on Grand Manan looked like in 1929. It has many old items that islanders used in their homes. These were from before the island had electricity.
The Graham Hearse
For three generations, the Graham family provided funeral services on the island. In 2010, their old hearse was given to the Museum. A hearse is a vehicle used to carry a coffin to a funeral.
