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 special 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 2.5 million items! These items include pictures, objects, documents, and artworks. They all help us learn about Canada's past.
The museum is located right across the street from McGill University. This is in the busy downtown area of Montreal.
Contents
History of the Museum
The McCord Stewart Museum first opened its doors on October 13, 1921. Back then, it was known as the McCord National Museum. It moved into a building designed by Percy Erskine Nobbs. This building was made in the Arts and Crafts style.
The museum's first collection came from the McCord family. Since 1878, David Ross McCord had been adding to his family's already large collection. His dream was to create a national history museum in Montreal. At that time, Montreal was a very important city in Canada.
For over sixty years, McGill University managed the building. Today, the McCord Museum gets support from the governments of Canada, Quebec, and Montreal. It also has many members, donors, and sponsors who help it.
Explore the Collections
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 gathered many more amazing things.
Indigenous Cultures
This collection has more than 16,000 objects. These items show the ways of life, arts, and traditions of Indigenous peoples in Quebec. It also includes some objects from communities in Alaska and the northern United States.
You can see over 7,300 historical Indigenous objects here. These include clothing, tools, baskets, and hunting weapons. They date from the early 1800s to 1945. There are also more than 8,500 archaeological objects. These are very old, some dating back about 10,000 years!
Dress, Fashion and Textiles
This collection has 27,000 pieces of clothing and accessories. You can find women's dresses, hats, and shoes. Many of these were made by famous Montreal designers from the 20th century. There are also men's suits, coats, and accessories.
The collection also includes beautiful embroidered items and quilts. One special item is North America's oldest known patchwork quilt, made in 1726.
Photography
This collection holds over 2.15 million images! It includes old Canadian photographs, glass negatives, and early types of photos. You can also see family albums and pictures that show everyday life. The collection has cameras and photo equipment from 1840 to today.
Notman Photographic Archives
This part of the collection has 400,000 photographs. It also includes old camera equipment. It shows a visual history of Montreal and Canada from the 1840s until now.
It has over 400,000 photos from the William Notman & Son Photographic Studio. Many of these are glass negatives 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
This collection has 92,000 pictures. These pictures show important people, places, and events from the history of Montreal, Quebec and Canada. They cover from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
You can see paintings, miniatures, and silhouettes here. There are also old maps, portraits, and funny drawings called caricatures. These caricatures are from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Material Culture
This collection has 18,860 objects. These items show what life was like for people in Montreal, Quebec, and Canada in the past.
It includes furniture, glass items, ceramics, and metal objects. You can also find sculptures, hunting gear, sports equipment, and folk art. There is also a large collection of toys from the 19th century.
Archives
This collection holds many important historical documents. It has 340 meters of shelves filled with papers. There are also 3,500 rare books. These include handwritten letters, personal diaries, and other documents. They tell the story of Canada from the 18th century to today.
The documents come from different families and famous people. They also come from old companies and groups.
The museum's outside area has a sculpture called Totem urbain / histoire en dentelle. It was made by Pierre Granche. This sculpture tells a story about Montreal's history.
Museum Affiliations
The McCord Stewart Museum works with other important groups. These include the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Museo McCord para niños
