Although
we all enjoy a visit to the major museums, there’s also an allure in small
personal collections - acting as repositories of artifacts from the past,
collectors of memories, chroniclers of life.
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Masset, BC |
I’ve
seen a tiny space in northern British Columbia, formerly a hospital, with the
beds (4) instruments and equipment used in medical treatment, preserved in
place as they looked over 100 years ago. And a few miles away, relics from a long
ago general store, from hardware and groceries in their original packages to a
few items of clothing, rubber boots and a smattering of things that defy
identification.
As
we get older and life gets more complicated, there’s an increasing interest in
how life was lived in simpler times. We may only want to visit rather than go
back - especially to the medical treatments - so these small brushes with
nostalgia are precious reminders of how we got to where we are.
Binnacle from the Ariadne |

The
collection has the advantage of being a collaborative affair (obsession some
might say) and probably no one in the family escaped an involvement of some
sort. If you’re thinking of doing a
project like this, it helps to have an expert in lighting on your team. The Maritime Museum bears the skilled stamp of Jenni, Jussi’s niece, who works lighting the
exhibitions at several Helsinki galleries and has contributed a touch of
coherence and style as well as
effectively illuminating the area….makes all the difference.
Since
the opening party (held on Mardi Gras) Jussi has welcomed several smaller
groups to see his show and plans to continue sharing his enthusiasm and stories from his remarkable life.
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