Now Open!
Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death. The museum’s newest exhibit is getting rave reviews from visitors! This exhibit explores the way in which mourning was expressed by drawing on museum and private collections of funeral announcements, mourning dress, memorial photography, tombstone motifs, hair jewelry and other mementoes of the funeral ceremony. Now “viewing” until November 27, 2009.

Drive shed Construction starts!
Construction started on the museum’s latest exhibit, the drive shed, located next to Henry House. The drive shed will house a portion of the museum’s carriage and agricultural implement collection. Look for the opening in early fall.

Research Symposium.
The Oshawa Historical Society hosts the first Research Symposium providing a forum for members of historical sites, heritage groups, museums, art galleries, archives and the general public to share research projects related to the general theme of Oshawa history. Proposals accepted until June 5, 2009. Symposium date November 17, 2009.

The Oshawa Community Museum is pleased to partner with The Oshawa Public Libraries and editor Y. A. Bennett to present the book launch for “Kiss the Kids for Dad: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-1918” on November 17. Click on the link to read an article from the Black Country Bugle on Mr. Timmins. Special thanks to Black Country Bugle, Cradley Heath, England for permission to post.

The Oshawa Historical Society in partnership with Oshawa Public Libraries is pleased to announce as part of its Speaker Series, a lecture by Heather Pringle, one of the foremost popular writers on archaeology. Heather will be speaking on her book The Mummy Congress, an intriguing look at the World Congress of Mummy Studies and the work of its experts. See www.heatherpringle.com

Date: May 20, 2009
Location: Auditorium, Oshawa Public Libraries, McLaughlin Branch
Time: 7 pm.

Stayed tuned for our next major exhibit, Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death opening in May 2009. This exhibit will take a comprehensive look at how Victorian’s celebrated death covering themes such as mourning customs, clothing, funerary practices, gravestones and jewelry. Special events planned include a members only preview, a mourning theme tea and graveyard tours.

To commemorate the 50 anniversary year of the Oshawa Historical Society in a tangible and practical way, the society has decided to expand the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives to include a timber frame drive shed that will not only add another element to the museum "village", but also provide housing for 5 major artifacts currently in storage.