Oakville Museum
Digital Heritage Collections
Oakville Museum is now offering online digital heritage collections that allow visitors to explore and discover historical objects and photographs at any time of day, and from anywhere.
The digital collections include furnishings, fine arts, tools, costumes and textiles, personal artifacts from the Oakville Museum as well as historical photographs of the community from the town’s Oakville-Trafalgar Archive.
A significant portion of the Oakville Museum collection is not on display, which includes the majority of the Costume and Textile Collection. This collection is in a warehouse.
Digital Heritage Collections
One of the unique items in the Museum Collection are parasols
The Oakville Museum's Costume and Textile Collection of over 6000 pieces, preserves a significant group of garments and accessories worn by Canadians from the mid-18th century to the present. It includes dresses, suits, hats, shoes, purses, jewellery, parasols and other objects of personal adornment. Most artifacts have a strong Oakville connection.
The collection captures not only eras of constantly changing fashion trends, but also the evolving culture and social history of Oakville itself. Because clothing has a way of reflecting the world around it, it becomes an expression of our society that we can look at to better understand our past.
Soon, the entirety of this collection will be available to costume designers, fashion designers, local residents, and historians.
Digital Heritage Collections
Most of the museums collection is a warehouse
“Providing innovative digital solutions that meet the needs of our growing and changing community is a priority for Council,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “We’re pleased to offer this new technology that gives residents greater access to the historical collections that help tell the stories of our town.”
The digital heritage collections currently include a few hundred objects and photographs. More digital images will be added in the coming months. The platform also makes it possible for individuals to create an account and select and share their own collection of favourite objects.
You can access the digital heritage collections at Oakville.ca.
