Notes from the Collective

Curated by Isabelle Balcaen, MA Student- Department of History, Dalhousie University Our next mystery object is curated by Isabelle Balcaen, an incoming MA student with the Department of History at Dalhousie University. We invite you to treat this post as a conversation rather than a quiz. There are no wrong answers—only observations, questions, and possibilities. Drawing on your own experiences, disciplinary lenses, or material instincts, consider what this object might tell

Curated by Dr. Colin Mitchell, Associate Professor & Department Chair- Department of History, Dalhousie University Wing Commander John A. Duncan enlisted in the RCAF in 1941, and was trained in Edmonton, AB. He was sent to England and was promptly seconded to the RAF to start flying missions as a navigator in mid-range bombers called "Wellingtons". In November, 1941, only months after training, he flew an extremely dangerous mission over northern France to try and destroy th

Curated by Dr. Colin Mitchell, Associate Professor & Department Chair- Department of History, Dalhousie University Brought to us from the personal collection of Dr. Colin Mitchell, our next mystery object is the silk map pictured above. In the comments below, we encourage you to consider the objects’ possible context through an examination of the maps' physical characteristics. We invite you to treat this post as a conversation rather than a quiz. There are no wrong answers—o

Curated by Dr. Grace McNutt, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Cape Breton University, School of Arts and Social Sciences In the very late hours of March 29, 1943, the Royal Airforce Force (RAF) squadrons of Bomber Command were able to launch 329 aircraft to bomb Berlin. Not long after they left the British Isles behind, storms began hampering their progress. Over 120 aircraft were forced to turn around. The rest carried on, including Short Stirling BK716, with a mixed British and C

Curated by Dr. Grace McNutt, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Cape Breton University, School of Arts and Social Sciences Our next mystery object is a remnant of the aircraft, a Short Stirling BK716, and we invite you to examine the object's construction, materials and preservation to begin a conversation on the object's purpose, context and broader historiography in the comments below. We invite you to treat this post as a conversation rather than a quiz. There are no wrong answers

Curated by Amber Laurie, Senior Curator of Marine History, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Sailor's Valentine - Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (M84.91.1) Sailor's valentines were typically made by Barbadian women and men in the post-emancipation Victorian period. Men would often craft the mahogany bases while women created the shell patterns. Sections are divided by coloured cardboard while the shells are glued on top of cotton backing. Newspaper could also be included in th

Curated by Amber Laurie, Senior Curator of Marine History, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Can you help us? We know what this object is, why objects of this type were created, and where they were likely made. However, we do not have an exact date, know the identity of the sailor, or know the specific names of the shells used in its creation. In the comments, you can help us by answering the following questions: When was the Halifax-based photography studio (Moss Photograph C

Our first Mystery Object invites you to look closely, slow down, and speculate. What can this ensemble—its materials, construction, and signs of wear—tell us about labour, place, and everyday life? Share your guesses, and join us as we gather around the object ahead of the January reveal.