McCord Stewart Museum facts for kids
The McCord Stewart Museum
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| Established | October 13, 1921 |
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| Location | 690 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal, Quebec H3A 1E9 |
| Type | History museum |
| Collection size | 2,5 million objects, images and manuscripts |
| Visitors | 150 000 indoors (2022) |
| Public transit access |   at McGill |
The McCord Stewart Museum is a super interesting place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It used to be called the McCord Museum of Canadian History. This museum is like a giant treasure chest filled with history! It has amazing collections of old photos, cool objects, important documents, and beautiful art. In total, there are about 2.5 million items!
The museum is a public place where people can learn and do research. It's located right across the street from McGill University in downtown Montreal.
Contents
- Discovering the Museum's History
- Amazing Collections to Explore
- Museum Connections
- See also
Discovering the Museum's History
The McCord Stewart Museum first opened its doors on October 13, 1921. Back then, it was called the McCord National Museum. It moved into a building designed by Percy Erskine Nobbs. This building was made in a special style called Arts and Crafts.
The museum's first collection came from the McCord family. Since 1878, a man named David Ross McCord had been adding to his family's already large collection. He dreamed of starting a national history museum in Montreal, which was a very important city in Canada at the time.
For over 60 years, the building was managed by McGill University. It was even where the student government met! Today, the museum gets help from the governments of Canada, Quebec, and Montreal. Many people, donors, and sponsors also support the museum.
Amazing Collections to Explore
The museum was started in 1921 by David Ross McCord. He used his own family's collection of objects to begin. Since then, the museum has grown a lot and now has many more items.
Indigenous Cultures: A Look at First Peoples
This collection has over 16,000 objects! It shows us many things about the lives, art, and traditions of Indigenous Peoples in Quebec. It also includes some items from communities in Alaska and the northern United States.
You can see more than 7,300 historical Indigenous objects here. These include clothing, tools, baskets, and hunting gear from the early 1800s to 1945. There are also over 8,500 archaeological objects. These are very old, some dating back about 10,000 years!
Dress, Fashion, and Textiles: Style Through Time
Get ready to see some amazing clothes! This collection has 27,000 garments and accessories. You'll find women's dresses, hats, and shoes, many made by famous Montreal designers from the 20th century. There are also men's suits, coats, and accessories.
The collection also includes beautiful embroidered pieces, quilts, and other fabrics. One special item is North America's oldest known patchwork quilt, made in 1726!
Photography: Pictures of the Past
This collection is huge, with over 2.15 million images! It has old Canadian photographs, including prints and glass negatives. You can see early types of photos like daguerreotypes, family albums, and pictures that show daily life. There are also cameras and photo equipment from 1840 to today.
Notman Photographic Archives: A Visual History
This part of the collection has 400,000 photographs and old camera equipment. It gives us a visual story of Montreal and Canada from the 1840s until now.
A big part of this collection comes from the William Notman & Son Photographic Studio. It includes over 400,000 photos, with 200,000 glass negatives, mostly from 1840 to 1935. There are also about 700,000 images taken by other photographers.
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Photography by Wm. Notman & Son: Stormy day, Saint Catherine Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Photography by William Notman: portrait of Peter Redpath, 1871
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Photography by Alexander Henderson: McGill College Avenue, looking south from Sherbrooke Street, Montreal, 1869
Documentary Art: Art That Tells a Story
This collection has 92,000 pieces of art that show important people, places, and events. They tell the history of Montreal, Quebec and Canada from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
You can see paintings (oils, acrylics, and watercolours), tiny miniatures, and silhouettes. There are also prints like maps, plans, and portraits. Plus, you'll find fun caricatures from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries by artists like John Collins, Serge Chapleau, and Terry Mosher (also known as Aislin).
Material Culture: Everyday Objects from History
This collection has 18,860 objects that show how people in Montreal, Quebec, and Canada lived in the past. These are everyday items they used.
You can see furniture, glass items, ceramics, and metal tools. There are also sculptures, hunting gear, sports equipment, and folk art. A special part of this collection is a large group of 19th-century toys!
Archives: Written Records of the Past
This collection holds many important written documents. It includes letters, personal diaries, and other papers that show Canada's history from the 18th century until today. It also has 3,500 rare books.
These documents come from important families like the Dessaulles and McCord families. They also come from famous people like Sir George-Étienne Cartier and Hélène Baillargeon Côté. You can also find records from companies and groups like the Women's Art Society of Montreal.
Outside the museum, you can see a sculpture called Totem urbain / histoire en dentelle. It was made by Pierre Granche and represents the history of Montreal.
Museum Connections
The McCord Stewart Museum is connected with several important groups. These include the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Museo McCord para niños
