Museum News
Jan 01/08
Cruising the Pacific North West
Why So Many Objects in Storage?

When the Vancouver Maritime Museum opened to the public in June 1959, the collection was small. The principal artifact was RCMP St Roch, prominently displayed outside the building. In the four decades since then, the collection has grown in quantity, quality and dollar value to encompass thousands of items, large and small, as well as national treasures - in all, worth more that $12 million. But the Museum building itself remains unchanged.


More than twenty years ago, the Museum simply ran out of space to display everything. It also ran out of space to even store everything in the building. Two separate warehouses off site house the majority of the collection. Today, more than 95 percent of the collection is in storage. The public never sees many of the items. The buildings that house the collections are also worn out and do not meet modern standards for museum storage. There is no climate control, or fire suppression in the building. The priceless collection is at risk. That is one of the principal reasons why the Vancouver Maritime Museum is seeking a new home.

Click here to view the Hidden Treasure Tours
Collection Policies and FAQ
What's New in Collections?
Request for Information
Why So Many Objects in Storage?
Treasures
Database
Links to Other Databases

Did you know?
That Captain George Vancouver was an experienced, sailor, explorer, navigator and cartographer who mapped the coastline of British Columbia in 1792. In several voyages between 1791 and 1795, Captain Vancouver charted for the first time the rugged coastline of what is today Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. So thorough were his charts, that mariners used them for well over a hundred years. One of the world’s great mariners, George Vancouver was born in King’s Lynn, UK on June 22, 1757. Although the British Navy Captain’s life ended in obscurity when he died in 1798, the city that bears his name will recognize his remarkable achievements.
About the Vancouver Maritime Museum