INNISFAIL – For 50 years the Innisfail and District Historical Society has helped bring history to life.
That was true for the seasonal grand opening and 50th anniversary celebration at the Innisfail and District Historical Village on May 25.
The one-day event featured a pancake breakfast, tours of the Sinclair House, rides in a 1927 Model T, and behind-the-scenes tours of museum operations, including a look at how items are archived and accessioned.
“We had quite a few people this morning for our pancake breakfast. Unfortunately the rain cleared a few of them out, but most people said they are coming back this afternoon,” said Kayla Godkin, new manager of the historical village.
“We have tours of the archives, the Sinclair House, and we’re going to have tea and pie this afternoon too.”
Visitors on Saturday (May 25) enjoyed historical village tours and had the opportunity to view special items on display.
“(People are learning about) the process of archiving today,” said Godkin. “A lot of people don’t understand what happens with items once they’re brought into a museum.”
Andrea Ware, a society board member and volunteer with the museum, helps with archiving and accessioning of items.
“We identify it, we measure it, we photograph it and catalogue it,” said Ware. “It’s all entered into a book and then into a database on a computer.
“We try to designate a spot (at the museum) for it,” she added, noting several items from the early 1900s on display Saturday are being prepared for placement in the Sinclair House when it opens to the public next year.
She also noted several pieces at the museum were taken out of storage specifically for the special 50th anniversary celebration.
“A lot of the pieces that you see (today) on display are things that we normally don’t bring out,” said Ware, noting an 1884 wedding jacket. “We did it for the 50th anniversary and so that people can see what actually happens here (with archiving and accessioning items).”
Diana Cooper from Innisfail was at the event with her granddaughter Elizabeth on Saturday.
“We came for a ride in the Model T. It was awesome,” said Cooper, noting they also went for a tour of the Sinclair House. “It’s really nice. It’ll be great when it’s done.”
Godkin noted the curiosity surrounding the ongoing renovations at the Sinclair House.
“People are really excited to get into the Sinclair House. You can tell they’re starting to get excited about our dream and our vision for what it can be,” Godkin concluded.
