Joseph Brant Museum

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Joseph Brant Museum
EstablishedMay 22, 1942
Location1240 North Shore Blvd. E. Burlington, ON L7S 1C5
TypeHistory Museum
Websitehttps://museumsofburlington.com/joseph-brant

The Joseph Brant Museum, located in Burlington, Ontario was built to commemorate Joseph Brant, a Mohawk war chief and Loyalist. The museum is a replica of the homestead gifted to Joseph Brant by King George III for his accomplishments during the Seven Years War and the American Revolution.[1] Joseph Brant is a prominent name within the Burlington Community, his death at Burlington Bay solidifying his historical significance within this part of Upper Canada. The Joseph Brant Museum hosts events, school programs, badge programs, camps, workshops, lectures, and birthday parties.

General Information

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History

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Joseph Brant, also known as Thayendanegea, was a military and political leader who is known for his achievements in the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. After being educated in English at a school in Connecticut, Joseph Brant taught the Mohawk language to other scholars and became an interpreter with Indian affairs.[2] With encouragement from Sir William Johnson, the Mohawk named Joseph Brant as a war chief. In his later years, Brant lived in his house on Burlington Bay and translated some of the Bible into Mohawk[3]. The Joseph Brant Museum was designed as a replica of this home and stands to commemorate his services to the Crown. The museum's mission is to "to inspire an appreciation of Burlington's past and its relevance to our present and future."[1] The Joseph Brant Museum's values include: respect and inclusiveness, leadership and excellence, scholarship and professionalism, commitment and responsibility, and knowledge and lifelong learning.[1] Personal artifacts owned by Joseph Brant can be found in the museum along with the Eileen Collard Collection of Historic Costume and Textiles

Admission

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Adults can enter the museum for $5.00 while seniors and students qualify for a slightly lower rate of $4.50. Children ages 3-12 are $2.50 and children under the age of 3 may enter for free. A family of four (2 adults and 2 children) can enter the museum for $15.00. [1]

Events

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Canada Day Event

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This event takes place at Spencer Smith Park and includes activities for children and adults that celebrate Canada's heritage.

Joseph Brant Day Festival

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This day-long event includes entertainment, food trucks, Canadian vendors and interactive experiences meant to bring the community together and celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.

Memberships

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An individual annual membership can be purchased for $30, a family annual membership for $55, or a corporate membership for $250.[4] The purchase of an annual membership at Joseph Brant Museum includes the following:

  • Free Admission to the Museums on regular admission days
  • 25% Discount on Fees for Special Programs & Children's Programs (March Break Camps and Summer Camps)
  • 25% Discount in the Museum Shops
  • Use of Research Libraries
  • 20% Discount on Facility Rentals
  • Museums' Newsletter, Joe
  • Copy of our Annual Report [4]

Exhibits

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The Joseph Brant Museum aims to display the historic founding, settlement and development of the Burlington area through artifact exhibition and documentation. [4] These exhibits are supported by interpretive programming and are meant to broaden the notion of heritage within Burlington community members and other visitors. [4]

Artefacts Canada

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The Joseph Brant Museum is a contributor to the online database Artefacts Canada, a site that has approximately 4 million object records and 700,000 images from Canadian museums. [4]

Eileen Collard

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This exhibit houses a costume collection by Eileen Collard, a costume collector, couturier, and self published author of 12 books about Canadian fashion history. Eileen Collard opened her own dressmaking store in 1942 and was challenged with making beautiful clothing with rationed materials under government restrictions during World War II.[5] Collard opened her own dress making academy in Burlington after she re-immigrated to Canada with her husband in 1948.[5] These ten-week courses were difficult on Collard who took a break from teaching and later founded the Fashion Arts Group who met at her house and began to discuss the history of fashion.[5] This exhibit at the Joseph Brant Museum highlights Collard's appreciation and contribution to Canadian fashion through her teaching and writing.

Community Spotlight - Burlington's Teen Tour Band

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The Burlington Teen Tour Band was established on December 15, 1947 and has since become a pillar of Burlington's arts community. As Canada's oldest and largest marching band, these 150 members have performed in countries all over the world such as England, Republic of Ireland, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.[6] The Community Spotlight exhibit highlights the several awards and honours that the Teen Tour Band has received.

Joseph Brant

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The Joseph Brant exhibit houses several of Brant's own personal artefacts and tells the story of his time serving in the Seven Year's War, his rise within the Mohawk community, and his ideas about "civilization" that eventually caused his move to Burlington Bay.[4]

Tom Waumsley

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Thomas Waumsley was a prominent figure in the Burlington community as well as a successful business man and amateur photographer. After being enlisted in the army on February 7th 1916, Waumsley served as a telegraph operator during in 164th Battalion during WWI.[4] Tom Waumsely was the Burlington President of Branch 60 of the Great War Veterans Association from 1920 to 1926 and served as volunteer firefighter. Waumsely took photographs of landmarks and buildings around the city, one of his most notable photos documented the Brant Inn Fire. Some of these photographs can be seen at the Joseph Brant Museum.

  1. ^ a b c d "General Information | Museums of Burlington". museumsofburlington.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  2. ^ "Early Canada Historical Narratives -- THAYENDANEGEA - JOSEPH BRANT". www.uppercanadahistory.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  3. ^ Allen, Robert S. "Joseph Brant". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Museums of Burlington". museumsofburlington.com. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  5. ^ a b c "Canadian Fashion Connection – Eileen Collard | Jonathan Walford's Blog". kickshawproductions.com. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  6. ^ "Burlington Teen Tour Band". Burlington Teen Tour Band. Retrieved 2017-03-17.