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From the Curator’s Office: Museology according to Natalie

August 28th, 2011 by Natalie
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It was the most hideous thing I had ever seen in my young life.

Its name, printed in black ink on a little white card affixed to the gallery wall was ‘Confedspread’.  And to my eight-year old mind it was downright hideous.

Confedspread left me feeling decidedly unpatriotic

My grandmother, an avid fan of all art but more specifically the often baffling world of modernism, had taken my sister and I to the National Gallery of Canada on one of our cross-country visits to her Ontario home.  Sheltered by island living, I believe she thought we must be in desperate need of a cultural education.  It proved too late for my older now-biochemist sister, who often texts me pictures of mould spores at three in the morning.  But for me it proved to be a rather fundamental point in my life.

Turning to my grandmother I voiced loudly, for the benefit of everyone in the surrounding galleries, that ‘Confedspread‘ was the absolute NOT art – it was simply TOO ugly to be in a museum anywhere.

She told me that the point of museums was not solely to showcase things we find conventionally attractive.

I was fairly certain at that point that she was a few knights short of a crusade.  Fast forward fourteen years – as my education progressed and my family and friends began to gently prod me about what in the world I wanted to do with my arts degree, I started to look at museums and how they function.  In doing so I realized exactly how right my grandmother  was.

Gatekeeping - we take that stuff seriously round these parts

The part of museums open to visitors is like the tip of the iceberg.  The artifacts and displays in the galleries of the Vancouver Police Museum, where I have been interning in the curatorial department,  are only a fraction of our museum’s vast and varied collection.  Though the public is often familiar with the programming face of any museum through its interpretive tours and activities, the curatorial department is often more mysterious leaving people wondering exactly what is it we do.  The curatorial department is, foremost, responsible for maintaining the collection.  We act almost like gatekeepers, monitoring the condition of the artifacts and archives and carefully crafting exhibits that we feel speak to the experiences with policing in our city.  We welcome artifacts to the collection (accessioning!), recording their history and description fully from measurements, colours and materials used,  to donor information and sketches of the objects, (which  in my case are extremely unskilled).  We note their condition, documenting any lose or broken parts, tarnish, rust or corrosion.  This lets us to know, when examining artifacts in the future, which damage has been caused by natural decay or improper handling and what was there before it came to our museum.  When their condition necessitates it we will treat objects, carefully cleaning grimy surfaces and mending broken pieces.

Julie-Ann accessioning her 13th post-it note. Only 2987 more to go there, little buddy!

As promised, we also curate exhibits – which might sound relatively easy but actually involves months of research and hard work.  For our recent “Law and Disorder” exhibit we siphoned through the entire collection, pulling hundreds of batons, holsters and other items.  We chose objects which were the most stable and had the clearest documentation.  It was difficult to reject really interesting artifacts, however with such limited space we had to be merciless in our selection.  After two frustrating days researching flashlights to no avail, our lovely curator and I uncovered an internet gem: an online museum dedicated to handheld torches.  We giddily poured over images of similar Ray-O-Ban designs, triumphantly spotting a model identical to ours, succinctly dating it to the 1950s.  Radiating curatorial victory, I met up with friends after work who nodded politely at my tale of mid-century flashlights and the generous Internet Gods who presented us with such a glorious find.

After we’ve conceptualized the exhibits, there’s still much work to be done.  Physically constructing the exhibits is often our responsibility as well.  For our display cases, we created foam mounts for the artifacts in-house.  With scalpel, handsaw and exacto-knives we hacked away at mounds of black foam until each artifact had its own little niche.

We at the museum pride ourselves in taking ladder safety to a whole 'nother level.

Our department is also responsible for responding to research requests, scouring through the archives for information on topics from the prohibition to personnel files for genealogical research.  Because the Police Museum is a modestly sized institution, we also pinch-hit for our front of house staff, watching the gift shop and ticket sales while they are engaged in public programming. On occasion you can find one of us teetering up a ladder to change lightbulb in the main gallery – not a favourite job among any of our heights-leery staff (see: me).   I have spent much of my time at the museum working on our digitization project.  We, along with our fantastic volunteers, have been moving through the collection, condition-reporting , cleaning and then photographing each of the artifacts.  This project will allow us, in the future, to offer greater access to our amazing collection.

My experiences at the VPM this summer have led me to come full circle to that life-lesson my grandmother imparted to me standing in front of ‘Confedspread‘ in the National Gallery.  Museums, in my opinion, aren’t intended to show us merely what is beautiful or even what is interesting but, rather, what is important.  Museums, in a lot of ways, mirror the society which created them – one that sometimes  isn’t pretty.  Generally speaking, I think a museum’s goal is to preserve our history through the maintenance of our material culture.  We piece together narratives to help people understand a part of our shared history – in our case the evolution of crime and policing in the city of Vancouver.  Each of our artifacts has a story to tell and in our galleries we create a space for for them to be told.

And that is the true value of a curatorial department, according to me.

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Use It or Lose It!

August 11th, 2011 by Christina
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My relationship with museums, from an educational perspective, has been what I would call a “passionate love affair.”  The reasons I have been working for the Vancouver Police Museum the past three years are significant in my pursuing a career in education.

Pocket protectors not included

Museums are incredible places where the worlds of both history and education collide to form a space in which we can engage with objects, stories, and information in such a way that Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences are all employed in one way or another.

In case you don’t know who Howard Gardner is (and, I’ll be honest, I only recently learned who he was), he wrote a book called Frames of Mind: the Theory of Multiple Intellegences (1983) which outlined his theory that there are 7 different learning styles humans use.  They are: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal (I think perhaps musical intelligence is the exception to the Vancouver Police Museum’s Educational programs – I don’t often break out in song while discussing gun laws, police history, or forensic science; but I might propose that one to our programmer…).  The  fact that a myriad of learning styles are addressed within museum educational programs  tells us that museums have the potential to be very powerful places; ripe for knowledge consumption.

Beyond the undeniable fact that learning is a fundamental part of museum facilities, organized educational programs within museological settings have been around for a very long time – Interesting factoid I discovered reading the Handbook for Museums (2007): the first museum, founded in the 3rd century in Alexandria Egypt, was run like a school with Euclid heading up the mathematics department!  His pal Archimedes, Hipparchus and Eratosthenes were also hanging out in the staff room, algorithming it up at the water cooler.

"Euclid’s all like 'Betcha didn’t know I worked in a museum…oh and fyi… gcd (a,b) = (a•b)/(lcm (a,b))'”.

My aforementioned “love affair” with museums began as a child growing up in Ontario, participating in museum summer programs.  Most prevalent in my memory were the Ontario Science Centre and the Museum London.  Both of these places provided educational programs in completely different disciplines that ended up being very important in shaping my future life path.

The Ontario Science Centre, a place that – no joke – I am obsessed with:  It’s been more than 13 years since I ‘ve been there, but to this day I talk up their super-rad facilities with people when I get a chance.  They provided programs that allowed me to understand and engage with the world scientifically.  The Museum London had (and still has) what I would classify as the best art-education facilities I have ever experienced in a museum.  Through their programs, I was encouraged to participate and explore the world creatively.  Both the Ontario Science Centre and Museum London provided an environment where learning went beyond a classroom in a great way (not to mention that most of the time I was barely aware that I was, in fact, acquiring knowledge…sneaky sneaky!).

Little Jimmy and Jonny thought they were only here to have fun. Little did they know that they…might…learn SOMETHING!!!!!

Now that summer is actually here in Vancouver (despite the weather we’ve been subjected to over the past few months), kids are home and one can only assume, using their free time productively…YEAH RIGHT!  The extra time afforded to our kids has the potential to go beyond just finishing the last level of “Call of Duty: Black Ops“ in advanced mode.

Ultimately, learning does not have to stop when the final school bell rings, and finding ways to keep a child’s brain active is really important.  A child’s brain from the time they are born until the time they are about 12 years old will absorb more information than it will during the remainder of their life (sorry, I don’t have a source for this, you’ll just have to take my word for it).  For this reason, any little bit of inspiration to learn (even if they have no clue it is actually happening) is incredibly important.

My summer experiences in many of Ontario’s finest cultural and scientific institutions changed my life.  Thankfully I was able to fit museums into my busy summer schedule between chasing the new neighbourhood kid around (whom I had a crush on), and listening to Ace of Base (which I am only mildly embarrassed about).

Ace of Base gives Museum education thumbs up!

Now, I am slightly biased (perhaps more than slightly), but I am rather fond of the educational programs we have here at the Vancouver Police Museum.  As a Museum Interpreter, I deliver these programs every single day of the week.  I love that I have had the opportunity to be on the other side of a museum program that (I hope) might change a young person’s life.

Also worth mentioning is that even though I technically am an educator, the people with whom I work with (a.k.a. my students) render me a student myself on a regular basis (thus, my personal learning is limitless).  We here at the VPM have had the privilege to entertain and educate thousands of children, teenagers, and adults over the past 25 years through our tours and forensic investigation programs.  These programs allow learners of all ages to participate in crime-solving using current  forensic and policing techniques.  They get to touch and wear artifacts, ultimately breaking down the walls between them and parts of the museum which are normally off limits to visitors.  Most significantly, all students (no matter what their age) learn something they possibly never knew before, and as I mentioned, this learning is often unintentional on their parts.

Inspectors Christina and Julie-Ann play with some artifacts while solving the Tabula Art Gallery’s case…the mustaches help immensely.

The summer is most definitely a time for kids to chill out and recover from almost a year of cramming important and relevant information into their fascinating little brains.  But, this also presents an opportunity to lose much of what they have learnt during their intense studies (hence the title of this blog…I’m so witty!).

As a parent myself, as well as a museum educator (and soon-to-be  schoolteacher), I feel like summer educational opportunities, such as those in museums, are an incredibly valuable resources for parents to gently encourage their children to continue learning during the summer months.  Many museums offer programs that appeal to your child’s budding interests.  If your child (or a child you know) is fascinated with policing and forensic science, we definitely have some programs for you…aaaand I’m feeling like a used car salesperson…eeek!

No lemons here, only quality educational programs.

We host forensic programs for kids throughout the year, and these educational programs have proven to be very popular (they’re super fun!).  I encourage you to check out the details on our website.  Not only are our programs awesome, but they are also AFFORDABLE!!!!!  As a student-parent myself, this is very, very, very important to me.  Kids workshops only cost $10 ($5 for museum members) for a morning filled with exploring things like Ballistics, Entomology & Fingerprints (oh my).  Also, when the workshops end we do forensic investigation drop-ins.  For this, you and your child(ren) can “drop-in” and solve a crime together – the family that solves crimes together…ummm…errrr…stays together?  If you are interested in one of our kids forensic programs, we’d love to hear from you (cough, cough…we also do birthday parties!).  Feel free to give us a shout at (604) 665-3346. Operators are standing by…

P.S. Worry-not parents!  We will have some adult forensic programs coming soon.  Keep checking our website for details.

Work Cited (what?  I said I’m a student!)

Edson, Gary, and David Dean. The Handbook for Museums. London: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic, 1983. Print.

 

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Vancouver – It’s a riot!

July 18th, 2011 by Joanna
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This summer, our student interns are updating our blog with their experiences working at the Police Museum. Julie-Ann is one of our fantastic curatorial students who is going to return to her studies at the University of Alberta this fall and start her own blog because she’ll miss writing ours…

This piece is written by Julie-Ann.

Did you hear about the riot that took place recently in Vancouver?  Of course you did, but you might not be sure which riot I am referring to as it happens that Vancouver has seen its fair share…

Race Riots 1907 - VPM Archives P01177

Race Riots 1907 - VPM Archives P01177

The Stanley Cup riot of 2011 was not the first to mark Vancouver’s streets and grab the media’s attention – There was the Free Speech Riot of 1909, the Grey Cup riot in 1966, the first Stanley Cup riot in 1994, and the ‘Guns and Roses’ riot in 2002 – to name a few.  That’s a lot of broken windows!  After witnessing the 2011 Stanley Cup riot first hand, and knowing that this city had a long history of protests, I began to wonder – why all the rioting Vancouver?

During the early 1900s racial tensions and economic instability were the cause:  In 1907  the Asiatic Exclusion League, an all-white labour union group, protested for the exclusion of all non-Caucasian people from the labour force.  They blamed bankruptcy and unemployment on an influx of recent immigration.  Their protests escalated into a riot when members of the League stormed through Vancouver’s Chinese and Japanese communities, shattering windows and damaging businesses.  Hardly a windowpane was left intact.

 

Unemployment strike of 1935 - VPM Archives P06315

Unemployment strike of 1935 - VPM Archives P06315

Riots during the 1930s were triggered by high unemployment rates and a rising number of people unable to provide basic needs for themselves and their families.  The federal government had tried to improve dire economic conditions during the Great Depression by creating relief camps which provided work for a wage of 20 cents a day.  Despite the government’s intentions, the wage rate and working conditions led to unhappy workers .  In 1935, the workforce went on strike, picketing the streets of Vancouver demanding better conditions.  Their protest escalated into a riot when demonstrators started damaging stores and tossing looted merchandise at police officers.  Civil unrest sparked again in the ’30s during a riot known as ‘Bloody Sunday.’   The Workers Unity League organized a sit-in protest in 1938 at the main post office in Vancouver to take a stand against the government’s economic decisions. When police were called in to remove the protesters, the sit-in escalated into a full-on riot resulting in 39 injured.

Stickin' it to the police! flickr: scazon (creative commons)

Stickin' it to the police! flickr: scazon (creative commons)

Unstable economic conditions have triggered more than one Vancouver’s riot, but protests have also resulted from the citizens’ sense of disappointment over events close to their hearts – like the riot that took place only a few weeks ago.    I live in Vancouver’s West End and saw our Vancouver Police in action near Granville Street.  On my way to grab supper after a disappointing  Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, I unexpectedly came across officers in gas masks with batons in hand!   I panicked when I realized the officers were walking towards a sea of people only blocks away (rioters aren’t exactly the type of people I like to spend quality time with), and it didn’t take me long to make tracks and head for home. I could smell the pepper spray drifting along behind me as I retreated to the safety of my apartment.  Going out for dinner and coming home with pepper was an experience I hope I don’t encounter again.  However, something that stands out from this experience is the  impressive cleanup effort after the fact.  I was truly amazed to witness the city come together to clean-up, and support damaged businesses following the hockey riot.  The smashed glass for blocks and blocks along Granville Street was shocking to be sure, but what surprised me even more were the notes of encouragement and support written all over the plywood that covered broken windowpanes.  Heartfelt messages also appeared on a VPD patrol car downtown -

post-its - flickr: wlculter (creative commons)

post-its - flickr: wlculter (creative commons)

While two police officers assisted with the clean-up, people passing their parked car left post-it notes on the vehicle expressing their gratitude and support.  The officers returned to find their patrol car covered in messages!  Recognizing the importance of the gesture, they towed the car back to the station in order to preserve the notes.

While it’s hard to rationalize some of the reasoning behind riots, one thing is for sure – Vancouver has remained a vocal city with an ambition to have its opinions heard.   Messages from that VPD patrol vehicle have recently found a home in our museum.  We sure had a riot (ha!) counting the 2,986 sticky notes and 90 letters left to the VPD with love on that car.   We hope to soon have them up in the museum and we’ll be sure to let you know when they’re ready for viewing!

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National Aboriginal History Month – Oh, it’s on!

June 6th, 2011 by Joanna
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This summer, our student interns are regularly updating this blog with their experiences working at the Police Museum. Julie-Ann is one of our fantastic curatorial students who is working hard at becoming ‘Vancouver-edgy’ before returning to her studies at the University of Alberta this fall.   Natalie, another of our awesome curatorial students, we’re sure, will be wearing a Canucks jersey back to Ontario by summers’ end!     Julie-Ann and Natalie co-wrote this entry.

A new temporary exhibit, “A Path to Understanding,” has been installed in our museum gallery! The Vancouver Police Department’s Diversity and Aboriginal Policing Section (DAPS) has loaned us thirteen panels dealing with the history of Vancouver’s local Aboriginal communities. It will be in our museum throughout the month of June in honour of National Aboriginal History Month.

National Aboriginal Day in Vancouver 2006

fancy dress *and* food? I'm so in!

While we were putting up the panels, we realized there were some interesting things we didn’t know about Aboriginal history.  Do you know the story behind National Aboriginal History Month?  It all started in 2006 when the Governor General of Canada declared June 21st  National Aboriginal Day. And what’s so special about June 21st? Aboriginal communities have long celebrated on this day as it is the summer solstice- the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. Festivities include oral histories, music, dance, and art. Since the declaration, every summer solstice is now a collective celebration throughout Canada of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit history and culture. In 2009, June was formally declared a time for celebration and remembrance as National Aboriginal History Month, which includes, along with National Aboriginal Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, and Multicultural Day!

It’s important to remember amid all the partying, that not only is this a time to appreciate our diverse heritage; it is a period to remember the past decisions and policies of the Canadian government, policies that continue to affect Aboriginal peoples. National Aboriginal History Month encourages us to make stronger relationships with Aboriginal people and unite as a community by taking part in their cultural festivities and learning more about our shared heritage.

DAPS plays a role in developing public awareness of Vancouver’s Aboriginal communities; “A Path to Understanding” is one of their initiatives to do so. One of DAPS’ objectives is to foster a system of trust between the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and Indigenous peoples. Their initiatives in the community help educate, protect, and develop relationships with Aboriginal organizations and individuals.
The Aboriginal Cadet Program is one of DAPS’ community projects. Aboriginal youths are encouraged to protect and serve their community by joining the program. It provides first-hand experience and mentorship from police officers. Whether or not the healthy choices the program encourages lead to a career in the police force, the cadets are supported in their efforts to be positive role models in the community.

Overachiever.

We learned something exciting while researching Aboriginal history here at the Police Museum: according to the Edmonton Police Service, this year marks the 100th anniversary of hiring Canada`s first Indigenous police officer!
Alex Decoteau, of the Cree Nation, began working for the Edmonton City Police force in 1911. Decoteau, much more than a cop, was also a noted athlete, competing as the only Albertan at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. By 1914, Decoteau had been promoted to Sergeant, and had become one of Canada’s first motorcycle police officers. All this before he joined Canadian forces overseas in WWI – this Canadian hero was no homebody. Decoteau enlisted in the 202nd Edmonton Sportsmen’s Battalion in 1916, transferring later to the 49th Battalion of the Edmonton Regiment, ‘The Loyal Eddies.’ He continued his running career while serving with the Canadian military, competing in and winning most service races held overseas. Tragically, Alex Decoteau, only 29 years old, was killed near Passchendale Ridge on October 30, 1917.  During the war, Decoteau was awarded a golden pocket watch, belonging to King George V, after winning a competition in England’s Military Sports Days. He carried it into the thick of battle and it would return to Canada in his stead, sent to his mother after he was killed by a German sniper.
Decoteau has been inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the Saskatchewan Indian First Nations Sports Hall of Fame. There’s been a play about his life performed and an annual run organized in his name, while in Belgium in November 2007, the Alex Decoteau 10km race was inaugurated at Passchendaele close to where he now rests.

That T-bird is streamlined for speeeed!

The First Peoples’ contributions to Canada’s police forces extend far beyond Decoteau.  In 2006, to honour their friendship with the VPD, the Musqueam Band presented the department with a Thunderbird motif by celebrated Coast Salish artist Susan Point.  The Thunderbird is a guardian spirit who symbolizes protection, embodying strength and  courage, a symbol similar to the police officers who protect our city’s diverse citizens. The Thunderbird is proudly displayed on VPD squad cars, and recognizes the department’s respect for the Musqueam People’s ancestral bond to this land.

National Aboriginal Day is about acknowledging the influence and achievements of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. It is a chance to appreciate and recognize First Nations peoples’ roles in our history; without their active participation we would not enjoy the depth of heritage, nor the diversity that makes our city the rich place we call home.

Check out what else is happening around the city to celebrate both National Aboriginal Day and National Aboriginal History Month:

Annual Trout Lake National Aboriginal Day Celebrations

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada – National Aboriginal Day Celebrations

And last but not least – make sure you come by and visit “A Path to Understanding” during its limited engagement at the Vancouver Police Museum!   See you there!

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Contest: What’s the spookiest thing that’s ever happened to you?

January 14th, 2011 by Joanna
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Yeah, this place can be spooky sometimes...

It’s like deja-vu, all over again.

This morning, we received a big package from a big movie studio, asking if we’d be interested in seeing a sneak preview of an upcoming film. Of course, this has happened once before (when we got tickets to “Public Enemies”). We ended up running a fun little contest called “Me and a Tommy” to give away some of those tickets. It was so much fun, we’ve decided to do it again. (In addition to the sneak-preview tickets, we’ve also got some other swag to give away, thanks to the good people at Warner Brothers.)

As you may know, we recently had a paranormal investigation here at the Police Museum and it got a little spooky that night. (Check out this blog post about the investigation itself) Several major EVPs were recorded, as well as other abnormal experiences. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if our building had some serious paranormal goings-on, given that almost 20,000 autopsies were performed here over 50 years.

For this contest, we want to hear your spookiest stories. Have you ever felt a ghostly presence? Ever had something happen to you that could only have a paranormal explanation? Put your story in the comments on this blog or on our Facebook Wall.

All entries must be posted before 5PM on Monday, January 25th.

Afterward, our elite panel of judge(s) will pick the most creative, unique or spooky entries and award the selected contributors each a pair of tickets to the screening. (We also have shirts and other items to give away to participants.) We may award as few as one or as many as five sets of tickets for this contest, depending on how much awesomeness we receive. You can submit multiple stories, but you can only win once.

Good luck to you all!

ps. The first person to post a video of their paranormal experience automatically wins.

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The Police Museum gets a Paranormal Check-up

January 14th, 2011 by Joanna
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On August 13, 2010 (Friday the 13th!) we invited the Canadian Paranormal Society (TCPS) to come do an overnight paranormal investigation at the Police Museum. Although the staff aren’t “sensitive” and haven’t experienced any particular paranormal goings-on around here, it only makes sense that we’d have a ghost or two in the shadows. After all, almost 20,000 autopsies were performed here between 1932 and 1980–in other words, every murder, suicide and accident that happened in Vancouver during that times passed through these doors.

Arriving in the early evening, nine members of the TCPS unloaded a massive amount of equipment–infrared surveillance cameras, audio recording equipment, electromagnetic sensors, hand-held video cameras, voice recorders and hundreds of feet of cabling to connect it all back to their “mission control” for recording and processing. A very sophisticated operation–if there was something to find, they were definitely going to find it.

The investigators broke up into teams and dispersed through the building, announcing their presence to the shadows and asking questions in every room. Every half-hour, the groups would move to new locations until every room in the museum had been visited multiple times.

By the end of the night, they’d gathered an impressive amount of data. Most of the anomalies were explainable, but there were a few without an obvious source. (Most anomalies were attributed to dust, mothes, outside noises, known defects in the equipment, etc.) Some audio anomalies were not heard at the time of recording, though, showing up only on review later. (They’re called EVPs, or Electronic Voice Phenomena.)

The five short audio clips below are excerpts the investigators determined were particular interesting. What do you think?

1) Question, followed by a response:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

2) A sigh:

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3) A faint hoot:

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4) “Don’t”:

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5) An unexplained tapping:

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Their “sensitive”, someone who’s more attuned to feel the presence of spirits, also found numerous spirit personalities in our building. One of the spirits, discovered in the morgue, had a significant affinity for one of our staff members who resembled his wife. Meanwhile, a different (balding) gentleman apparently followed the “sensitive” around our top floor, annoyed that the investigators were there. In one of our non-public spaces, a young-ish woman was identified, hiding in a corner; something happened with her heart, we’re told… the sensitive isn’t sure why she’s still here… something unfinished, relating to her sister perhaps?

Hours later, with the morning quickly approaching, the TCPS crew finally dismantled their equipment and packed themselves up. Our brave staff then staggered home for a few hours of sleep. Several weeks later, a DVD was delivered with the audio above and several other pieces of evidence, which we carefully reviewed at a staff meeting. Several of us are definitely going to have second-thoughts about staying here alone after dark, now.

Fortunately for us, whatever spirits inhabit this space seem to leave us alone as we do our work at the museum; maybe they understand that this is now a place full of life and activity instead of trauma, illness and sadness. Maybe they even appreciate our youthful (over)enthusiasms…

Let’s just hope they never get annoyed with us.

ps. If you’re interested, we’re running a little contest to go see a *spooky* movie. Check out this blog post for more information.

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Support Us by Doing Some Christmas Shopping

December 15th, 2010 by Joanna
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A year ago, we announced some fantastic new products for our little museum gift shop, in the hopes that you would find them more interesting than the brandy snifters and polo shirts we previously sold. Seems we got it right, as we had trouble keeping our newest items in stock last season. (Hurray!)

This season, we’ve bulked up our orders of the most popular items and brought in a bunch of new things we hope you’ll love. From pistol-shaped ice cube trays and “fingerprint” bookmarks to crime-scene-tape shower curtains and waste baskets, there’s a ton of neat stuff now in our gift shop. Also,thanks to our t-shirt design contest, we’ve got some arresting new shirt designs too.

Below, you’ll find a few examples of the many items currently available in our gift shop, just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping.

Don’t see the perfect gift? Our “Forensics for Adults” workshops start again in January; why not take someone for Christmas? Or, you could give the gift of a museum membership, which entitles the recipient to free museum admission, discounts on our programs and tours and a discount in our gift shop.

As we’ve said before, our little museum is self-funded; we make our money through people paying admission to see our displays, joining our fun tours and buying cool things from our gift shop. We survive (and thrive) only if we provide displays, programs and merchandise you genuinely find interesting. We hope you see something you like…

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Top Ten Reasons why our Museum ROCKS!

September 28th, 2010 by Jessica
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As the summer has officially ended, I have been reflecting on our wee museum in terms of comparison to larger museums found in Canada and throughout the world. There are a variety of factors and reasons that make us the quirky, fun and interesting little museum that we are, but I think I’ve nailed the top ten reasons why, yes – we rock.  Drumroll please…..

Climb on in... just kidding.

10) We’re interactive: This isn’t a stuffy old collection of artifacts behind glass. We try to keep as many things out in the open as possible, and the very nature of our building makes it easy to feel like you’re part of the story being told. From dress up uniforms to autopsy tables, you can get in on the action and even take photos – at our museum, we welcome your cameras as long as the flash is off.

9) Our gift shop has some pretty neat stuff: Sick of giving the same old boring gifts? Pop by the museum’s gift shop to grab such eclectic items as a Fisticup (a coffee cup with brass knuckles for a handle) and Fuzz, the crime scene scarf. We will soon have the fruit of our T-Shirt Design contest for sale, as well as numerous children’s toys, offbeat history books and yummy chocolate guns and badges!

Kristin & Joanna's first try at digitization in situ

8 ) We embrace new technologies: From our huge digitization project (wherein every single item in the museum will be digitally catalogued) to the eager embrace we have given social networking (we are one of the top five most followed museums in Canada on Twitter!), this is a museum determined to keep up with the times and grab every advantage that new technologies can afford us.

7) We love kiddies! Can you think of a cooler way to ring in your tenth birthday than getting dressed up in authentic uniforms, taking behind a jail-cell door and solving some mock crimes with forensic science? Neither can we – so we make sure that the birthday parties we offer are a great time for kids and their adult chaperones! The museum also tries to make learning fun for all ages with the school programs we offer for kids ages 7-18, and with the Spring Break and Summer Vacation drop-in programs.  Kids love it here – and we love having ‘em!


Carnegie Library (now Centre), back in the day

6) Our neighbourhood is fascinating: Smack dab in the middle of the historic Downtown Eastside – one block from Chinatown, 3 blocks from Gastown and on the edge of what was once Japantown -we like to think we are in the ideal location to showcase our unique collection. A number of local historians offer walking tours in this area, and it is easy to see why. Mere blocks from the old Hastings Mill, where Vancouver has its origins, we are surrounded by fascinating buildings, great food and a real sense of community. Vive le Downtown Eastside!

5)We know that adults are just big kids: You’re never too old to be interested in a new subject, and Chris’ “Forensics For Adults” programs tap into the tiny brainiac in all of us. Taking our educational kid’s scenarios a big step farther, these workshops cover some pretty intense topics: ballistics, pathology, blood spatter and forensic entomology, to name a few. Amateur crime writers, avid Dexter/CSI fans and people just plain interested in science have all come out and given these programs a thumbs up – sign up online.

4)We have some  really wonderful staff: What makes our museum really special is the vivacious young team of knowledgeable experts and passionate anthropologists who keep this place running! Executive director Chris, Curator Joanna and Assistant Curator Kristin (along with a motley crew of seasonal students, tour guides and volunteers) all make sure that this is a cool place to visit, an educational experience for students and a darn fun place to work.


Look but don't touch! Prohibited Weapons.

3)Let’s face it, our artifacts ROCK: From a room full of prohibited weapons to men in skirts, from morgue drawersto real gunshot wounds – this stuff is awesome in the literal sense of the word. I have handled opium pipes, coroner’s tools, antique weapons and much, much more. We’re adding to our collection all the time – come and check out what’s on display.

2) This building is amazing: We are lucky enough to be housed in the Coroner’s Court building, Vancouver’s morgue and autopsy suite from 1932 to the early eighties. Also cool is our main floor (not open to the public) where the CSI for the city had their labs until the mid 90′s! As one of a handful of morgues open to the public in North America, this is the ideal way to satisfy your more macabre curiosities. Countless Hollywood films and TV series have been shot in our building, from the X-Files to Fantastic Four, as well as myriad local photo shoots, Fringe fest plays and art projects. Let’s also not forget that the building is an Art Deco delight – if you are an architecture buff you have got to get your keister down here!


Busted! Gin anyone?

1) We’ve got the coolest stories: Think about it – who else in the city has as much access to the history of vice,crime and murder? Along with tales of the VPD, we also have artifacts and anecdotes from the most salacious, tongue-wagging and grisly tales in Vancouver’s past – and we’re willing to share. Come to the museum for a peek around, and then come for a walk with us on our Sins of The City tour, offered seasonally. Keep an eye out for new tours and story telling events in the future!

There you have it – a  list of some of the offbeat ways that we are a little different from the big guys. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!

(PS- Can you think of anything that I missed?)

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From the Curator’s Office: Vest to Impress

August 23rd, 2010 by Jessica
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The Plaque.

I never know what I am going to find when I poke around in the collection, which is one of the reasons that the digitization project (headed by the lovely Kristen) has been so much fun. See, in order for our team to inventory, document and then photograph all 20,000 items in storage, we have to physically unwrap each artifact and examine it – and that is really the best part. Sure, after the twentieth trophy or hundredth badge it gets a little repetitive, but it is the exciting easter eggs that make it a rewarding experience.

I had one of those the other day when I was poking around downstairs and Kristen handed me a big blue box and asked me to re-accession it because it had been done incorrectly some years earlier.  Upon opening the box I found a plaque unlike any I had ever seen: it was an IACP/Du Pont Kevlar Survivor’s Club award. As the name would suggest, this club, formed in 1987, is open to any officer who survives “potentially fatal and/or disabling injuries through the use of body armor.” Each inductee receives the wooden plaque, a lapel pin and a locket or pin for their spouse (this is the one piece missing from our kit, and in a way I think that that’s lovely.)

A Big Deal.

I had no idea that such a club existed! They  recently accepted their 3000th member, and I just think that this is a great way to promote dual recognition of these awful scenarios:  the award honours the bravery and heroism of the officer alongside appreciation for the actual Kevlar material itself.

As I was accessioning the award and painstakingly recording its every detail, I came across a photocopy of the original police report of the incident. Our man was shot with a sawed off shotgun after intercepting a bank robbery (sounds so John Dillinger!) and survived numerous wounds due to his lucky Kevlar friend. My favourite part of the report details the assailant’s physical characteristics – including his “beer belly.”

Despite the incident taking place in 1984, the Survivor’s Club presented our officer with his award retroactively – an amazing way to not only say thank you, but to commemorate the amazing ways that technology and science can save the lives of the people who protect us.

Plus, its in a neat box, and for museum nerds like me, sometimes that’s more than enough…. :)

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An Open Invitation to the Undead…

August 18th, 2010 by Jessica
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It's not the first time we've had zombies here...

This Saturday (Aug 21, 2010), downtown Vancouver will see its streets transformed into a playground for a seething mass of bloody, feral, undead monsters as Vancouver’s annual “Zombie Walk” takes place once again. We here at the museum love a good scare (and are as partial to brains as the next guy) so we have decided to throw open our doors to all of you Zombies – for free!

That’s right, your rotting eyes read that correctly – FREE ADMISSION TO ALL ZOMBIES from 12-4 pm this Saturday. Come on down in your full costume and take what may be the ultimate zombie portrait in our authentic historic morgue and autopsy suite – the perfect way to start your day (of the living dead).

Zombies like brains... we have brains...

But first, a brief list of rules for all you gals and ghouls:

  • Dripping and oozing flesh, while appetizing, is not permitted in the museum. All costume components must be dry.
  • Brains may be tasty and delicious – but they are not to be consumed in the museum. Same goes for all food and drinks.
  • Under the influence of Solanum, T-virus, the Rage virus or Zombie Rabies? No problem. Under the influence of booze or drugs? Sorry, man.
  • No biting our paying patrons; we need survivors to pay our wages.

So come one, come all to the old City Morgue – for free – before heading to the walk (it starts at 4:30PM at the Vancouver Art Gallery.)

See you on Saturday – if your eyes don’t fall out first…

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