Maidstone Museum
1093 Puce Road N8M 2X7 Essex, ON, Canada

Civil War wedding dress , circa 1855-1860

Edwardian petersham wedding dress

Belle Epoque pink tourmaline and diamonds brooch, circa 1900

The pelisse, the long coat worn over the ridiculously sheer and lightweight clothing popular during the first two decades of the 1800s, was a garment that exist...ed in every iteration from the most simplified, to the most heavily decorative, based upon, of course, the credit of the person ordering such a garment from a dressmaker, unless, of course one had to make one’s own. This extraordinary example comes to us from the remarkable and worthy Museum of London, tucked away as it is in an unremarkable part of the city. I had the great pleasure of touring the Museum with one of you some years ago, a pleasure I will never forget, (You KNOW who you are). So that you know, the headdress here is not contemporary to the time, It was devised by Philip Treacey as a kind of runway styling for the exhibit. The pelisse itself is just about the most extravagant and deeply decorative version of the style that I have ever seen. Made in a pale blue-gray satin, it is extensively decorated with bias cording of the same material, which was a popular and common method of embellishment at the time. Honestly, this was the only way a person of fashion could stay warm in those otherwise fragile clothes from the day.

During WWII, the Coast Guard Beach Patrol covered more than 3,700 mile of coast and employed about 24,000 men. Patrols on horseback worked in pairs, riding abou...t 100 feet apart, usually covering a 2-mile stretch. They were call "Sand Pounders" and were able to cover difficult terrain quickly and efficiently. c 1945 See more

All over the Netherlands During WW2, The Germans took the large (and small) church bells to melt down and make into bullets. When word got around to Groningen ...the locals would have none of it. They took the bells down, buried them and seeded crops on top of them so the Germans couldn’t find them. One man made a map of where the bells were buried and hid the map in a church basement so they could get them after the war. Canadian troops were billeted all over the area immediately following the end of WW2. It took a lot of time and effort to dig up the bells, clean them, hoist them up into the tower and mount them. The Chime Master was expected to play the Dutch National Anthem the 1st time the bells were to ring out after the many years of silence.... but he had another plan. He approached the officers of the Canadian Soldiers who had liberated Groningen and asked them, what is the song of the Canadians. the officers responded God save the King Ya, Ya... that is the official song of the British Empire... I would like to know the song of Canada! They then replied, O Canada. No one had the sheet music to O Canada, but a Chaplin in the Canadian Armed Forces that was stationed there had a good clear voice and he was summoned and sang O Canada a few times for the Chime Master who wrote down the notes, climbed into the tower and for the 1st song to be played in years, he played O Canada as a tribute to the soldiers who had liberated Groningen NL. See more

Now this would be a train ride

... it seems it's almost time to post ...

Some unique and amazing fireplaces

Happy Thanksgiving Canada! A quote from the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh: When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

This architectural gem in Walkerville was originally built for Harry Low, a rum-runner with ties to Al Capone, who made his fortune during the Prohibition. In t...he 1960s, the house passed hands to another famous Canadian, politician Paul Martin Sr., whose son later became our PM in 2003. Have always been fascinated by this place. See more

Museums for Me is a project engaging Canadians on why museums matter. We would love your input. Fill out the brief survey at www.museumsforme.ca.

Archeologists in Egypt have unearthed 59 well-preserved ancient coffins, some with mummies inside, that date back more than 2,500 years. Read more: http://ctv.news/AU4ikGO

Absolutely incredible

Notice the people walking over the bridge - foot traffic

Victorian style horse drawn carriages.

1886 Benz Motorwagen

This was a fun day at Kayanase

Before and After of the Heck Andrews House The Heck-Andrews House was finished in 1870 and was one of the first houses in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina t...o be constructed after the American Civil War. It is located at 309 North Blount Street. It was created by G.S.H. Appleget for Mrs. Mattie Heck, the wife of Colonel Jonathan McGee Heck. It is on the National Register of Raleigh Historic Property. The house has a dramatic central tower capped with a convex mansard roof with a balustrade. The central part of the 2 1/2-story, Second Empire style frame dwelling is enclosed with a concave mansard roof with patterned slate. Photo by @restoringyourhistorichouse. For more before and after pictures: https://heck-andrews.com/

Now this is different

Recognize the experiences of over 150,000 Indigenous children who suffered great harm at residential schools in Canada by raising awareness on Orange Shirt Day,... today. Residential schools were established with the purpose of assimilating Indigenous peoples into mainstream Canadian society by attempting to erase their cultures and force them into Christianity and speaking English or French. Students were discouraged from speaking their first language or practicing native traditions. If they were caught, they would experience severe punishment. Throughout the years, students lived in substandard conditions and endured physical and emotional abuse. One in twenty-five Indigenous children died while attending residential schools. There have also been convictions of sexual abuse. Students at residential schools rarely had opportunities to see examples of normal family life. Most were in school 10 months a year, away from their parents; some stayed all year round. All correspondence from the children was written in English, which many parents couldn't read. Brothers and sisters at the same school rarely saw each other, as all activities were segregated by gender. Some schools carried out nutritional experiments on malnourished students in the 1940s and '50s with the federal government's knowledge. When children returned to the reserve, they often found they didn't have the skills to help their parents, and became ashamed of their native heritage. The skills taught at the schools were generally substandard; many found it hard to function in an urban setting. The aims of assimilation meant devastation for those who were subjected to years of abuse.

Here is the complete display - the new date for the capote is 1845.

1900 Lohner-Porsche electric

Winston Churchill... Graduating Royal Military Academy. . 1895. Aged 21.

It's all in the details.........