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photo of an old rocking horse

Collections

Daily Life and Leisure

Content

Our collection tells stories of daily life, leisure, and community. This includes objects that represent fashion, grooming, wellness, recreation, cooking, furnishing, and personal faith and spirituality. We also collect objects that reflect communal experiences, values, heritage, and forms of expression, such as the arts, festivals, community activities, and organizations.


Highlights include:

  • Clothing and textiles, including spinning and weaving equipment, textiles from cultural groups around the province, and GWG denim
  • Religious expression and faith, including a Buddhist shrine from Picture Butte, and choir uniforms from the oldest Black church in Edmonton.
  • Family life, including cookware, household technology, toys, and sports equipment
  • Consumer technology including radios, cameras, phonographs, and telephones

We are always looking to add to our collection. We seek objects that tell stories about technology, activities, artistic expression, faith, and textile and crafts production and use. We are especially interested in acquiring contemporary material, objects that reflect diverse community histories, and objects relating to gender and sexual expression. Have an object you think we might be interested in? Contact Lucie Heins, Assistant Curator, Daily Life and Leisure.