Royal Canadian Military Institute facts for kids
The Royal Canadian Military Institute
as it appeared in 2008 |
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| Abbreviation | RCMI |
|---|---|
| Motto | Fidelis Per Manere (Latin for "To remain faithful") |
| Formation | 1890 |
| Type | Private club |
| Purpose | research, discussion and education in defence studies |
| Location | |
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Region served
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Canada |
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Official language
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English, French |
| Website | www.rcmi.org |
The Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI) is a private members’ organization located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded as the Canadian Military Institute on January 14, 1890. General Sir William Dillon Otter set the founding principles: "to provide in an Institute for the defence forces of Canada a Library, museum and club for the purposes of the promotion of military art, science and literature, to gather and preserve the records of the defence forces, and develop its specialized field in Canadian history." The motto of the RCMI is Fidelis Per Manere (Latin for "To remain faithful").
The RCMI's original headquarters at 426 University Avenue was built in 1907. Designed by William Craven Vaux Chadwick, the library was built in 1908. The building was expanded in 1912 and 1935, and renovated during the 1960s. In 2007, the facade of 426 University Avenue was reconstructed by E R A Kubaneck Architects according to archeological records. Governor General David Johnston laid the cornerstone on June 9, 2012, for a 42-story, 315 suite condominium residence, lofts, and mixed-use project.
The Colonel in Chief of the RCMI is Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. The RCMI is supported by fees, donations, and the volunteer services of private members.
Royal Canadian Military Institute Museum
The RCMI Museum programming involves the conservation and preservation of its collections. The Institute's museum collection includes primitive and modern weaponry such as guns, swords, spears, other weapons from around the world. Artifacts and other military memorabilia, many donated by members, include flags, badges, uniforms, and medals. Captain Roy Brown, who was officially credited with shooting down Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron", in 1918, donated the seat of the Red Baron's Fokker triplane.
The art collection, with an emphases on Canadian and British Military History, includes: miniatures, photographs, Sketches, watercolours, prints, photographs, and oil paintings. The RCMI also has a collection of British, American, and French soldier figurines.
Royal Canadian Military Institute Library
The Militia Institute, which was organized in 1878, presented 200 military volumes on the founding of the Institute. Dating back to the eighteenth century, the library has military manuals, service journals, periodicals, and rare books. William Craven Vaux Chadwick, architect, designed the new CMI Library on University Avenue Canadian in 1908 By 1958, the RCMI accumulated over 12,000 military and quasi-military books. The library includes a collection of Canadian regimental histories, squadron, and ship histories, books published in the Napoleonic era, army lists dating back to 1746 and British and Canadian officer lists for the army, navy and air force. The library has one of 4 collections of 134 volumes of correspondence exchanged in the United States Civil War in 134 volumes. Two of the other copies are in the Congress Library at Washington and the Smithsonian Institution in Baltimore. Col. George A Drew, who wrote "Canada's Fighting Airmen” in the Institute Library, described the Library as "a unique treasury of British and Canadian military literature and journalism.” The Library has a collection of Canadian Official War Photographs of World War One. There is a RMCI collection of Canadian Expeditionary Force Casualty and Nominal Rolls as well as Orders of Battle for World War One and World War Two.
Images for kids
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The Canadian Military Institute's premises in 1896
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LCol William Dillon Otter in 1900
