Vintage Shawnigan

Dialing a rotary phone, turning a crank to start a car, and peeking for “secrets” in C.W. Lonsdale’s original desk – all part of a grade 8 visual history lesson when Mrs. Grass took a dozen+ of her social studies students through the School’s museum, guided by our knowledgeable curator, Ms. Dolman.

 

The wide-ranging museum documents School life from 1916 to the 1980s and comprises about 3,200 individual items – many donated by alumni, others carefully-sourced historical pieces, including a real 1923 Ford Model T, an 1890 Needham pump organ, and a leaden 1920 Rowmor metal rowing machine.

 

Decade-themed “rooms” include 1920s and 1940s classrooms, a 1950s teacher’s study, a 1969 Harvest-Gold kitchen, a 1930s school medical room, an alarming 1960s dental office, and a World War II room with photos and memorabilia of the 44 “old boys” and one staff member who gave their lives in active service.

 

An authentic 1920s boy’s one-piece bathing suit and girls’ white, baggy, bloomer-style underwear attracted guffaws. A bedroom chamber pot drew cries of “Oh my God!” and an old Gestetner duplicating (or ditto) machine elicited amazement, as did a ‘calculating machine’ (“What’s that?”). A rotary phone baffled its young users: “Oh, it takes so long to dial!” cried a student, as the dial click-click-clicked counter-clockwise.

 

The wood-panelled replica of founder C.W. Lonsdale’s office, with his original desk, prompted one student to ask: “What if he had any secrets, like, hidden in the desk?” “You probably wouldn’t want to be in here, as a student,” advised Ms. Doman, “because it often meant you were going to be caned for an infraction… Prefects used to be able to cane students too!”

 

Students loved the 1970s replica of a full-size dorm, based on the Hill Houses, complete with bunk beds, Bob Marley and Elvis (in uniform) posters, Tarzan comics, and Charlie Brown books.

 

Another marvel? A delightful replica of the 1950’s Mason’s Diner, predecessor to nearby Mason’s grocery, complete with Formica lunch counter, vibrant 1950s advertising, a giant jukebox, old Coke bottles, a soda fountain Multimixer, images of the old Mason’s, and a wooden cash register.

 

Burgers and fries once cost 30 cents, according to one advertisement. Mrs. Grass, who has been teaching at the School for 31 years, confirmed the setup was very true to the original, and that Mason’s “made the best burgers,” even up to the late 1980s.

 

The lively history lesson ended with three straggling grade 8 boys having to be pried from behind the wheel of the museum’s magnificent black Ford Model T– possibly the first time in history a student had to be ushered out of a museum!

 

Teacher: “Quite satisfactory. He is slowly putting over his surly manner.”

Headmaster: “A most improved boy, but still very backward.”

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The museum is open to the School and the public every weekday, except Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come by for a visit!