Telling the Full Story from a Museum Context
August 15th 2024
We often receive offers of donations from members of the community of objects, records, and photographs that belonged to family members who served in the Navy, both regular and reserve, in war and peacetime.
There are many factors that go into the considering an artifact for accession such as whether it fits within the museum collecting mandate; whether it fills a gap in the collection; the museum’s ability to exhibit or store the artifact; its condition, and our ability to preserve or conserve it. Another consideration that is just as important is what the story behind the artifact is - and that is often the most valuable part of the artifact accession process. An object itself tells a story but putting it in context with the experiences of the original owner adds a valuable level of interpretation.
We have at times been offered donations that on the surface seem mundane, or artifacts that we have too many of, or items that do not seem relevant to telling the navy story; but when delving deeper into the object and asking questions about the original owner, where they served, and the circumstances around the object, the history and personal story attached to the object makes the object that much more valuable.
Some of the best experiences when meeting potential donors is that many of the items that they believe are insignificant are often some of the most important objects brought into the collection. One example came from the Donald “Max” Brown Collection acquired by the museum several years ago. Max Brown’s family brought in his personal journal, some uniform parts, his medals, and souvenirs of his time in the Navy. They thought the museum would not be interested in the “non-navy stuff.” In this case this was by no means true.
Max Brown was from Calgary and joined the RCNVR at HMCS Tecumseh, becoming an ADSIC operator. Max served in many ships during the Second World War including HMCS Cape Breton, Moncton, and Haida. Max Brown’s time in the Haida included being present at the action when the Athabaskan was hit by a German torpedo on the night of 29-30 April 1944 and was sunk. Max Brown’s account of that night from his personal journal details the action and how Haida returned to pick up 42 Athabaskan crew members before having to leave.
Not incidentally, objects and records from other sources may also elaborate on the experience of the original donor. At about the same time that Max Brown’s journal was presented to the museum, the NMA received the diary and papers of another sailor, Bill Bint, who was in the Athabaskan during the same action, and which related his experiences of the sinking, his capture, and his time in POW camps until the end of the war. These two diaries supplied first-hand accounts from two different perspectives and corroborated each other’s stories of the action that lost the Athabaskan.
Among the artifacts that accompanied Max Brown’s journal - which related many adventures and personal observations, were artifacts that illustrate his many experiences and places he visited during the war. The NMA holds his ditty bag adorned with the unofficial badge of HMCS Haida, as well as HMCS Nice, Tecumseh, Naden, Comox, Givenchy, and Stadacona. His ditty box bearing an engraving and a pencil sketch of Haida has been loaned by NMA to other museums for exhibits. His ocarina that he traded a Russian sailor his “pussers Dirk” for during a time in Murmansk, as well as a fitch horn song flute that one might expect he played in his downtime both add to Max’s story. Other items include an RCN sweetheart locket bought as a gift, a leather pouch from Casa Blanca, a wooden postcard sent from England to Banff, and a wooden painted cigarette case from an unknown but (apparently) warm location. Included in the collection are, of course, his well-earned medals.
All these items help the museum to not only tell the story of someone’s experience in the Navy during a trying time in our history, but give a glimpse of his overall experiences, feelings, and impressions. The combination of military artifacts, personal writing, and souvenirs gives us a glimpse into the individual who once owned them. It is our responsibility to not only tell the Navy story but to try to relate the experiences of the people who served to the current generation. Putting a personal face to the artifacts gives the visitor a way to relate to the person and the period in which they served. We are about telling the story of people in a way that people can make a connection to the subject.
There are many factors that go into the considering an artifact for accession such as whether it fits within the museum collecting mandate; whether it fills a gap in the collection; the museum’s ability to exhibit or store the artifact; its condition, and our ability to preserve or conserve it. Another consideration that is just as important is what the story behind the artifact is - and that is often the most valuable part of the artifact accession process. An object itself tells a story but putting it in context with the experiences of the original owner adds a valuable level of interpretation.
We have at times been offered donations that on the surface seem mundane, or artifacts that we have too many of, or items that do not seem relevant to telling the navy story; but when delving deeper into the object and asking questions about the original owner, where they served, and the circumstances around the object, the history and personal story attached to the object makes the object that much more valuable.
Some of the best experiences when meeting potential donors is that many of the items that they believe are insignificant are often some of the most important objects brought into the collection. One example came from the Donald “Max” Brown Collection acquired by the museum several years ago. Max Brown’s family brought in his personal journal, some uniform parts, his medals, and souvenirs of his time in the Navy. They thought the museum would not be interested in the “non-navy stuff.” In this case this was by no means true.
Max Brown was from Calgary and joined the RCNVR at HMCS Tecumseh, becoming an ADSIC operator. Max served in many ships during the Second World War including HMCS Cape Breton, Moncton, and Haida. Max Brown’s time in the Haida included being present at the action when the Athabaskan was hit by a German torpedo on the night of 29-30 April 1944 and was sunk. Max Brown’s account of that night from his personal journal details the action and how Haida returned to pick up 42 Athabaskan crew members before having to leave.
Not incidentally, objects and records from other sources may also elaborate on the experience of the original donor. At about the same time that Max Brown’s journal was presented to the museum, the NMA received the diary and papers of another sailor, Bill Bint, who was in the Athabaskan during the same action, and which related his experiences of the sinking, his capture, and his time in POW camps until the end of the war. These two diaries supplied first-hand accounts from two different perspectives and corroborated each other’s stories of the action that lost the Athabaskan.
Among the artifacts that accompanied Max Brown’s journal - which related many adventures and personal observations, were artifacts that illustrate his many experiences and places he visited during the war. The NMA holds his ditty bag adorned with the unofficial badge of HMCS Haida, as well as HMCS Nice, Tecumseh, Naden, Comox, Givenchy, and Stadacona. His ditty box bearing an engraving and a pencil sketch of Haida has been loaned by NMA to other museums for exhibits. His ocarina that he traded a Russian sailor his “pussers Dirk” for during a time in Murmansk, as well as a fitch horn song flute that one might expect he played in his downtime both add to Max’s story. Other items include an RCN sweetheart locket bought as a gift, a leather pouch from Casa Blanca, a wooden postcard sent from England to Banff, and a wooden painted cigarette case from an unknown but (apparently) warm location. Included in the collection are, of course, his well-earned medals.
All these items help the museum to not only tell the story of someone’s experience in the Navy during a trying time in our history, but give a glimpse of his overall experiences, feelings, and impressions. The combination of military artifacts, personal writing, and souvenirs gives us a glimpse into the individual who once owned them. It is our responsibility to not only tell the Navy story but to try to relate the experiences of the people who served to the current generation. Putting a personal face to the artifacts gives the visitor a way to relate to the person and the period in which they served. We are about telling the story of people in a way that people can make a connection to the subject.
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