Beachville District Museum
584367 Beachville Road N0J 1A0

On the second day of Christmas the museum gave to me, 2 ladies gloves Fashionable gloves have long been symbols of elegance and status in the Western world. While practical hand coverings have existed for centuries, in the 1500s it was Queen Elizabeth I who popularized luxurious, embroidered gloves and set the tone for what was to come. This beautiful pair was imported from Austria and features netting and small embroidered details on the cuff, zoom in and take a look! Their white colour signified that the woman who owned them probably lived comfortably and could keep them clean as she went about her day unlike women of the working class, whose gloves were often darker in colour to hide signs of wear and staining. What will the third day of Christmas bring? Be sure to check back tomorrow

On the first day of Christmas the museum gave to me, a grouse (next to a tree) Occasionally mistaken for the ever-popular holiday partridge, the grouse is a medium-sized game bird that can often be found foraging once a blanket of snow covers the ground. This taxidermy specimen is one of a few in our collection and provides an excellent example of the type of game that is native to Oxford County! Join us tomorrow for the second day of Christmas

Are you ready for the 12 days of Christmas: Museum Edition? Starting tomorrow we'll be featuring different artifacts everyday, inspired by this classic Christmas song! Be sure to follow along with the fun

North American Cyanamid was the owner of the limestone quarries at Beachville from 1929 to 1973. The company made products for agricultural use through their Agricultural Chemicals Division. They held demonstrations and test plots to show farmers, and other potential clients (gardeners and "orchardists') the merits of lime as a fertilizer and soil neutralizer. Their product, "AERO Cyanamid Soluble," was developed for pre-harvest drying while "AERO Limestone" was used for liming farmlands. All of the attached images come from a 1953 issue of North American Cyanamid News (Beachville District Museum Collection - 2020.09.08).

Tonight's the night! Join us at 6pm for hot drinks and snacks before we light the lights at 6:30. We can't wait to show you the hard work that our staff and volunteers have been doing to decorate the museum grounds for the holiday season. Physical distancing measures will be in effect and masks/face coverings are strongly encouraged. Thank you for helping to keep us all safe, we'll see you tonight!

It all went down last night. The Beachville District Historical Society's 50/50 draw was a success! Our Secretary pulled the winning ticket. We'd like to thank everyone who participated in this fundraiser. Amidst COVID, it was overwhelming to receive the support that we did.

This Summer, museum staff rehoused over 2,500 photos that were donated by Doug Carr of Ingersoll. This collection chronicles his journey around the world on bicycle from 1937-1939, including stops in South Africa, India, Iran The photos are now housed in a much safer way using transparent, archival sleeves and PH-neutral binders, both of which will not expose the prints to any unsafe chemicals or acid which may harm them over time. This method of storage also allows researchers and visitors to safely view the photos without having to physically handle them, as contact increases the risk of damage. We've put together a short video to share the process of re-housing this wonderful collection with you enjoy!

This class photograph dates back to October of 1945. It belonged to a collection of photographs that was owned by Mr. Burt Finch. Do you recognize any faces? #beachville #oldclassphoto

The cooler weather has us looking ahead to the comfort foods of Thanksgiving. Join the Beachville Legion for a festive feast. Details below.

#Carmeuse has a vision for improvements to the portion of the Beachville Trail that is north-east of the museum. Take a look at the new trailhead, bird boxes and gravel walkways! It's a great spot to enjoy the changing colours this season and close enough to the #museum that you can stop in after an exploratory stroll. #autumnadvice #weekendtodolist #ontariotrails #speciesatrisk Oxford County Trails Council #pollinatorgarden

Cold Springs Farm had such a huge impact on the community of Thamesford. It is important for us to document both the facility and the stories of how the business operated. Share your memories with us! https://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com//history-of-thames

50/50 tickets are going quickly, but good news for you we've still got some available! Come see us at the museum to pick up your tickets for $5 each or 3 for $10. Curbside pickup can be arranged by contacting us at 519-423-6497. The winning ticket will be drawn on October 13th at 4:30pm. All funds raised will support upgrades to the museum's grounds as a publicly-accessible, outdoor space.

Teaching your kids from home? We’d love to help. This home school group was a lot of fun today and we were able to fit in both a tour of the museum and the grounds.

This video shows a flock of birds landing in the trees at Beachville District Museum on September 22nd, 2020. They announced their arrival loudly but didn't stay long on their trip south. These birds are just some of the wildlife that come and go from our site during the year.

Although the #Beachville District Historical Society was not able to host their annual summer BBQ this year, they're working on a COVID-friendly #fundraiser this fall. You can purchase a 50/50 lottery ticket at the #museum or through members of the Society. Or contact us at 519-423-6497 and we can coordinate a curbside drop off. All monies raised will support upgrades to the museum's grounds as a publicly-accessible, outdoor space.

This collection of war memorabilia consists of one medal from the South African War, also known as the Second Boer War (1899-1902), and two from the First World War. This set of medals was graciously donated by the Township of Zorra for our collection. The South African War medal is unique, compared to those of later conflicts, as it displays bars on the ribbon that indicate where the recipient saw action. On the medal in this case, the bars relate to Cape Colony, Transvaal, ...and South Africa 1902. Such bars were not a feature of WWI medals because of the complexity of the battles waged and the grand scale of the geography involved. First World War medals and medals from the Boer War both include the details of the soldier or officer that they were awarded to. The 1914-1915 Star showcases the soldier’s name, number and regiment on the reverse. If the Star was awarded to an officer, it would list just name and rank. On the British War Medal, the information is engraved on the bottom edge, similar to the design of the South African medal. Few later medals, relating to a global conflict, included such names as markers of the soldiers-at-arms they were bestowed upon. Museums, private collectors, and historians alike can agree that these medals now hold a significant amount of historical, sentimental and monetary value, but, this was not always the case. Immediately after the First World War and for decades after, hard economic times and negative attitudes towards the war effort meant many soldiers either traded their medals in for money, or put them into drawers to be forgotten. These circumstances made First World War medals extremely difficult to track down for generations afterwards. Putting a complete set together became even more challenging. It was in the 1970s when more research on WWI fueled greater appreciation for these medals and built concern for their preservation. The names found on the medals only increased their value amongst historians and descendants in search of stories pertaining to specific soldiers or officers.

Happy Friday! This toy stove from the Wolverine Manufacturing Company is one of the many artifacts on display in our Toy Room exhibit. We're re-opening in the near future and can't wait for you to see it in person. Until then, enjoy the video!

The museum is looking to hire an Education and Public Programs Coordinator for the fall and winter. See the full job description and eligibility criteria at https://young-canada-works.canada.ca/Opport/ProjectDetails