[Bcma-l] [Fwd: Media Release Museum Open House and pics]

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

Delta Museum and Archives
4858 Delta Street, Delta BC
Tel. 604.946.9322
Fax: 604.946.5791

For immediate release

Delta, May 4 2007 – Coming events at the Delta Museum and Archives

COMMUNITY PROGRAM


To celebrate International Museums Day, the Delta Museum and Archives 
(DMA) is hosting an Open House on Saturday, May 19 from 1-4 p.m. 
Community members are invited to discover or re-discover the Delta 
Museum and Archives. The open house will include guided tours, behind 
the scenes peeks and loads of hands-on activities that are fun for all 
ages.

The Delta Museum was born in 1969 from the passionate efforts of local 
residents with personal roots in Delta’s history. These first volunteers 
felt that time was erasing memories of the settling of Delta and so they 
worked very hard to ensure Delta’s stories were not lost. The founding 
of the Community Archives followed in 1979, Delta’s centenary year. With 
the opening of the Archives, Delta gained a civic institution for 
storing and preserving records in trust for future generations.

Like many community museums in B.C., the DMA is housed in a beautiful 
heritage building. Within the 1912 Tudor-style building that served as 
Delta’s municipal hall from 1913 to 1969, the Delta Museum and Archives 
has three floors of permanent exhibits. These exhibits include a 19^th 
Century street scene, rooms dressed in Victorian Style, exhibits that 
focus on Delta’s Fishing, Farming, First Nations history, and a locally 
renowned collection of duck decoys. Temporary exhibits in the main 
gallery and Archives foyer examine various aspects of Delta History. 
Currently showing through July 1 are two exhibits on the Japanese 
Canadian Experience in WWII, from Internment to Redress.

Coming in to view the Museum exhibits is a great way to get to know 
Delta’s stories. Spending time in the Archives reference room is another 
way for community members to access the history and cultural heritage of 
Delta. It is a great place to browse through the photograph collection, 
research your home or property, conduct research for a school project or 
book, or just ask a question about Delta’s history. In 2006, the 
Archives answered 1115 requests for information, photograph 
reproductions, and access to records.

DMA Program Coordinator, Shannon King, says that this open house is a 
chance for the public to learn about the work that staff members do 
behind the scenes at the DMA. To ensure that present and future 
generations have access to the records and objects that define their 
community, the DMA collects, identifies, documents, preserves and 
interprets all significant contributions to Delta’s history. King says, 
“Visitors to the Museum exhibits or Archives reference room do not often 
get the chance to see the work that is happening behind the scenes to 
preserve Delta’s history. “

The DMA collection is always growing through the generous donations of 
community members. In 2006, nearly 250 items were added to the Museum 
collection and the Archives received a total of 5m of records including 
1770 photos and 96 maps. Each of these items is carefully processed by 
professional staff with the help of many exceptional volunteers.

During the Open House, DMA Curator, Wendy Nichols, will answer questions 
about the care of Museum Collections and provide a glimpse behind the 
scenes. An aural history station will be set up in the Archives 
reference room so that visitors can hear stories of Delta History in the 
words of those who lived them. Visitors will be encouraged to spend some 
time viewing some of Delta’s earliest newspapers. Published in 1902, the 
Delta News is Delta’s earliest newspaper, and the Archives has 
microfiche versions available to browse or use for research. The 
advertisements in these newspapers are most entertaining!

Shannon King is especially enthusiastic about talking to visitors during 
the Open House to get to know what the community wants from their Museum 
and Archives. “Last year, the program department presented a dozen talks 
to community groups upon request, and we hope this number will grow. We 
are working towards being able to offer a larger range of presentations 
to meet community interests. I hope that the community will see us as 
the resource for historical presentations at their fingertips.”

The Open House will also include fun for the whole family. There will be 
extra hands-on activities and guided tours.

Everyone Welcome. The Delta Museum and Archives is located at 4858 Delta 
Street in Ladner Village. Please note, the DMA is not a wheelchair 
accessible building. By donation.

--30—

Photograph credits: Shannon King
Photo caption in Archives: Dorothy Moore, DMAS Vice President Ted 
Curtis, and Edgar Dunning examining photographs in the Archives 
reference room.


For More Information Contact:

Shannon King, Program Coordinator
Delta Museum and Archives
4858 Delta Street, Delta BC
Tel. 604.946.9322 x.232
Fax: 604.946.5791