[BCMA] Food display tips needed

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Hi there,

I'm a historical interpreter with the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, and I'm seeking tips on how to compile a convincing historical "food package" for a mountaineering display. The premise is that a mountaineer is going on a weekend hike in the 1930s and needs to pack enough food for two nights. We have a list of items that would likely be taken along, but we've hit a bit of a roadblock on how to suitably emulate the food package.

Many of the items are dry bulk - rice, nuts, etc. - but as we hope to use this package for a few years, using actual foodstuffs seems undesirable. We also wonder the most effective and eye-popping way to present such dry foodstuffs. We have bandied around the idea of using bags made from jute and labelling them; however, this does not seem engaging enough for what we wish to convey. We also have a few items which would be tinned - milk, for instance - and we wondered how others have used tins in their historical display, including how they have labeled them. Finally, some meat products will be emulated using brown paper and wax paper. Some ideas about what to generate in substitution of actual meat would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much for any advice on how to make this display attention-getting and authentic!

Leigha Smith
Theatrical Interpreter - Waterfront Productions
North Vancouver Museum and Archives - Community History Centre
3203 Institute Road
North Vancouver, BC V7K 3E5
Phone: (604) 990-3700 ext. 8008
Email: smithl at dnv.org

Iain Baxter&: Information/Location, North Vancouver
At North Vancouver Museum, 209 West 4th Street
June 17 to December 30, 2012


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