That is simply one of the best anecdotes I have ever heard!  And yes, that
visit has become lore for the generations.

Ellen Cutler


----- Original Message -----
From: Colin Macgregor Stevens <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 10:53 AM
Subject: Re: Children and static displays - an unintentional costumed
interpreter at the CWM


> > -----Original Message-----
> > ...> Behalf Of Harold Needham
> > Sent: October 24, 2000 04:57
> > ...> Subject: Re: Children and static displays
> >The "shock" effect of discovering a costumed interpreter in a museum
where
> >none are expected can pay big dividends with both adults and children."
>
> I visited the Canadian War Museum, a favourite stop of mine, in Ottawa
while
> on military duty in the early 1970s. I was serving with the Seaforth
> Highlanders of Canada at that time as an officer, and my uniform, a brown
> officer's Service Dress tunic and kilt, was almost identical to those worn
> by our officers in World War I. In fact, the Sam Browne belt that I was
> wearing was worn in WWI by my Grandfather, and was also worn in WWII by my
> father.
>
> In the Canadian War Museum was a small World War I trench 'dugout' display
> room with a Lewis light machine gun bolted onto the trench parapet for
> visitors to see and touch. I was very interested in it and so I stood
behind
> it in the firing position to have a close look at it and to get the feel
of
> it. Just then a family of four came into the 'dugout' through the burlap
> curtain behind me. I simply stayed motionless. I could tell from the
voices
> that there was a father, a mother and two children.
>
> The mother, assuming that I was a mannequin obviously, came over and
started
> to lift up the back of my kilt. I slowly turned around. All I saw was the
> father backing out through the curtain - apologizing. His wife and kids
and
> had already disappeared!
>
> Do you think that family remembers their visit to the Canadian War Museum?
>
> By the way, although I was not employed by that museum, I was an Historic
> Interpreter with Parks Canada's National Historic Sites at the time. I
would
> gladly have chatted with them about our military history - had they chosen
> to stay. :-)
>
> Colin Macgregor Stevens,
> Captain (Canadian Armed Forces - Reserves)
> Curator,
> Burnaby Village Museum,
> Burnaby, British Columbia, CANADA
>
> E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
> Phone:(604) 293-6500
> FAX:  (604) 293-6525
> Museum web site:
> http://www.burnabyparksrec.org/villagemuseum/villagemuseum.html
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).