19 April 2010

Rare Artifacts Donated to Museum

Barrie Sanford presenting Andrew McCulloch's 1888
Business Diploma from Kingston.

Penticton British Columbia - Some rare artifacts are now on display at the Penticton Museum and Archives.
 
The artifacts were donated by historian, author, and President of the Andrew McCulloch Foundation, Barrie Sanford.
 
Museum curator, Peter Ord, says the Andrew McCulloch Foundation was established to preserve the memory of the Kettle Valley Railway's chief engineer, Andrew McCulloch.
 
"Some of the items to be donated by the Foundation include Andrew McCulloch's complete works of Shakespeare. McCulloch was a great lover of the works of William Shakespeare, which culminated in his choice of the station names for the railway through Coquihalla Pass," says Ord.
 
He says McCulloch's diploma from Dominion Business College in Kingston from June 1888 has also be donated to the exhibit.
 
"Also presented was $5,000 from the Foundation to the Museum. The money will be used to help the digitize historical materials related to the KVR into the museum's new database. That way, information and photos of the museum will be accessible by people all over the world."
 
Ord says one of the most interesting items being donated is a rare, small, ceramic creamer bearing the CPR vessel name "Naramata."
 
"While the "Naramata" is usually thought of as a tug, it had accommodation for a small number of passengers and a microscopic dining room. This was a very small potential passenger market for the CPR to commission named dinnerware, so not many were produced."
 
He says there are also a few surprise artifacts being donated.
 
Once all the items are catalogued and checked over, they will be put into the museum's permanent public display.
 
Rachael Kimola.