Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

What kinds of toys did Santa bring to kids 50, 100, or 150 years ago? Take a look! 

Iron horse – 1860s 

Canada was becoming increasingly industrialized in the 19th century, making cast iron a much more accessible material for toys like this horse. It would have originally had wheels. 

Ball and cup games – 1800s in Canada 

Variations of ball and cup games could have originated as early at the 14th century! With this reproduction, the ball is flicked from one cup to the other. 

Perpetual motion toy – 1930s 

Perpetual motion toys use momentum to move “by themselves.” This wooden acrobat flips back and forth between the ramps on either side. 

View-Master – 1940s to present 

The View Master made its debut at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. It was inspired by Victorian era stereoscopes which featured 2-D pictures of buildings and wonders of nature from around the world. This one is the Model-C, which was produced between 1946-1955. 

Board games -1960s-80s 

Here are some board games that were most popular in the 1960s-80s. Have you played any of them? 

“Ring the Stick”  

Many Indigenous nations, including the Cree, Inuit, and Mi’kmaq played “ring the stick.” It was mostly just for fun but it also works to improve hand-eye coordination, something that was important for children who would one day have to hunt and provide for their communities. Traditionally, the game was made with sticks, sinew, scraps of leather, or bones. 

This bone “ring the stick” toy was handcrafted by Elder Anthony, a local carver and artist, to display at the museum. 

Craft Instructions: 

Supplies: 

• Large popsicle stick or any other stick
• Yarn or string 
• Pipe cleaner 
• Tape (optional) 

1. Tie one end of your piece of yarn to the stick. Tape in place. 

2. Twist the pipe cleaner into a circle. A larger circle will make the game easier and a smaller one will be more difficult.  

3. Tie the other end of the yarn to the pipe cleaner circle. 

Game Instructions: 

Swing the pipe cleaner ring into the air and try to catch it on the end of the stick. To compete with two or more players, take 10 swings each; the person who catches the ring the most times wins. 

In 1912, the R.M. of Assiniboia was moving swiftly into the modern age! The information pamphlet below provides details on the educational facilities, transportation, and infrastructure of the Municipality, just one year after the Municipal Hall which now houses the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia was built.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

During WWII, ration coupons were just one element of a national nutrition campaign that encouraged efficient production and consumption of food, creative cooking, and the creation of the first Canadian food guide.  

Canada was a major supplier of food for overseas allies and this required rationing on the home front. By the end of the war, Canada was suppling 57% of the wheat and flour consumed in Britain, as well as 39% of bacon, 15% of eggs, 24% of cheese, and 11% of evaporated milk. Government regulations on Canadian farms ensured that the products that were needed overseas and at home were produced.  

For the most part, Canadians were eager to contribute to the war effort by participating in the many food-related campaigns. Sugar, coffee, butter, and meat were regulated with coupon rationing and a universal price freeze guaranteed stable food prices. Canning and creative recipes were promoted in women’s magazine and newspapers. “Canada War Cake” was made without eggs, milk, or butter. A fat and bones collection campaign repurposed animal waste for munitions production. 

All of these programs were accompanied by propaganda that convinced Canadians of the importance of food production and consumption. Products that couldn’t be sold overseas, such as apples and lobster, were branded as patriotic to increase Canadian consumption. Non-essential purchases, like candy or pop, were described as a purchase for the enemy. Donald Gordon (chairman of the Wartime Price and Trade Board) gave a radio address before implemented the universal price freeze in which he echoed this rhetoric: “You, who are listening to these words, will be going into the fight next Monday…In this fight against inflation you cannot be a neutral. You will either be helping to save yourself, your family and your country from a terrible calamity – or you will be working for the enemy.” 

Despite the many restrictions on food, many Canadians ate more and better than they had during the depression before the war. The first food guide, called Canada’s Official Food Rules, was created after significant numbers of Canadians were rejected by the military for medical reasons. The rules promoted balanced consumption of six food groups: milk, cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat and fish. Food consumption in Canada decreased after the war and didn’t return to its wartime highs until the late 1950s.  

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Take a peek at the collection of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia as our staff highlights artifacts from our collection.

Learn about local St. James business, Rudolph’s Beauty Parlour, and some items that may have been used in Beauty Parlours in the early 1900s including a permanent wave machine and lemon squeezer.

Rudolph’s Beauty Parlour

W. Rudolph Barber Shop and Beauty Salon was established by Austrian/German immigrants William and Meta Rudolph in 1924. Originally located at Ferry Road and Ness, the business relocated in 1927 to the corner of Inglewood ad Ness.

The Rudolph’s daughter, Elsie (Hossack), began helping in the shop in 1931, at the age of 11 years. By 1935 she was a full-time employee.

From 1939 the barber portion of the shop was rented out. Elsie continued to work at the beauty parlour, the first in St. James, until its closing in 1966.