My recent visit to the Delta Museum in Ladner Village had me reflecting on a different era fondly. Commonly referred to as the "good old days" we tend to romanticize the lifestyles and artifacts that have gone before us.
Indeed, there is much to admire about our ancestors who worked hard and struggled while seeming to maintain courtesies and a grace that currently eludes us.
People did not simply turn a dial or flick a switch to make a meal. There was more personal involvement and a fire needed to be stoked to roast a turkey or bake a muffin.
Pioneers exhibited a passion for niceties at home amid the roughness of untamed landscapes. Although the lighting in the museum was dim, it was easy to see that wallpapers were ornate and rich with color.
Women stitched and embroidered for hours on end ...
and many sewed their own dresses.
Women did the family laundry with vigor. Their arms must have been quite toned from using washing boards ... until the luxury of mechanical washers arrived on the scene.
Children could not insert a coin to ride a pony. They actually had to rock their bodies to move their toy horses.
The beds looked extremely cozy covered with handmade quilts and linens but the mattresses were probably less comfortable than the ones we now enjoy.
Pictures of people perfectly posed in their finery were hung like ornaments behind glass (along with brief histories) at the museum.
One could read about local pioneers who were wise and motivated enough to buy acres and acres of land to farm and to perhaps eventually bring future generations wealth because of their foresight.
The museum is housed in a Tudor style heritage home built in 1912. Of course, not all families lived in such elegant houses but the movers and shakers of their day certainly did.
There are also extensive artifacts and tools upstairs in the museum, including these somewhat modern looking tin cans that were ...
used to hold fish processed in the declining Delta canneries of that era.
Labeling those cans must have been a bit of a challenge with this contraption in contrast to the more convenient options technology offers today.
The Delta Museum is a relaxed setting where inquiring minds can explore local history to their hearts content. I must confess, however, it was the sign that said "Do Not Open" that piqued my curiosity in the end.
I adore glimpses of days gone by and do not want to close the door to the past. But if I had a time machine I would also like to go forward to what is yet to be discovered. What marvels await mankind and what problems solved and created and new museums built in our future world?
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