Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives
an inclusive gathering place for the local community to engage in the history, heritage and culture of Wetaskiwin City, County, and the Maskwacis Cree Four Nations
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Tag: museum
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Understanding the Atlas: A Journey Through Globe History
With school back in session and the world continuing to spin wildly on its axis, we thought an atlas globe was a befitting heritage moment. Named, in part, after the Titan who was forced to carry the heavens and the earth, the Atlas is considered one of the oldest known scientific instruments. They were first…
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The History of Locks: From Ancient Egypt to Modern Security
Unlocking the secrets behind history and protecting the collection is part of museum work. With the second break-in within a month at the Heritage Museum, we were inspired to write about locks. Mechanical locks made their debut in North Africa with the Egyptians and in the Middle East with the Babylonians around 1000 BC. The…
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History of Binoculars: From Invention to Modern Use
Through the collection’s looking glass we find this set of binoculars once owned by Robert Spencer of Millet in the 1930s. Hans Lippershey of Holland is credited with inventing the lens in the 16th century and was even asked to create binoculars which he fashioned out of a box. However, it wasn’t until 1825 that…
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Exploring the History of Surveyors’ Transit
This artefact was most generally used in the early 1900s by surveyors and civil engineers for measuring angles, determining distance and direction, and doing levelling. The chief parts of the transit are two circular plates, a and b, usually of brass or copper and mounted independently upon the same axis so that the upper plate…
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Sickle: The Ancient Tool Still Used Today
A sickle is an ancient tool, consisting of a curved metal blade and short wooden handle, used to harvest wheat, barley, hay, other cereal crops and grass. Due to the short handle, it forces the user to use it in a squatting position, making the harvesting process painfully slow. The inside of the blade curve…
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The Origins of Valentine’s Day: Stories and Symbols
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we wanted to regale in some stories about this holiday. There are two different early versions of St. Valentine. The first St. Valentine is a priest in third-century Rome who would secretly marry young soldiers due to Emperor Claudius II deciding that single men made better soldiers than those…
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Understanding Crazing in Old Paintings: Causes and Solutions
This is an oil painting done by Ida Eggleston depicting a mountain scene. Sadly, there is no exact date to when this was painted and is estimated that the painting was done in 1950s, making it at least 70 years old. Due to its age and the fluctuating temperature and humidity of this province, the…
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The Blueprint Process: From Creation to Preservation Techniques
Blueprint or Cyanotype is largely recognized in architecture and construction industries, due to its aptly name and unique color scheme of blue, providing measurements and design drawings for specific buildings. The blueprint was invented by a British astronomer and photographer Sir John Herschel in 1842. The combination of two chemicals are applied to a cloth…
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History of Coffee Grinders: From Millstones to Modern Use
It takes a strong will to compel someone to get out of bed in this weather, but an even stronger cup of coffee! In order to launch pioneers into the ‘grind’ of the day many resorted to the morning beverage with the initial chore of making ground beans with the coffee grinder. For over 2800…
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The Art of Pleating: A Historical Journey
Bringing us back into the Heritage Moment ‘fold’ this year is a late 19th century Hand Fluter. A tool used to pleat clothing, the hand fluter functioned like a sad iron and often consisted of a ridged base and a corrugated rocker. An item of clothing would be moistened prior to being placed on the…