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The 2006 Exhibition
We could say that this year the Collection's Annual Exhibition was again in the Digby Memorial Hall, on the 26/27th August, but that would be understating the event. With the cooperation of the Digby Memorial Hall Committee and townsfolk, the event was spread over the Memorial Hall and its supper room, the Mechanics Institute, their grounds, and - through the Digby Historic Walk - across the entire town.
The Hall again displayed some 1,000 photographs, as well as hosting the local history contingent. The supper room swarmed with patrons enjoying the slide show, tea, coffee, scones and sandwiches while they discussed and reminisced. The recently renovated Mechanics Institute was fitted out with original shelving and library books, and held a wide-ranging display of local records and memorabilia. In the Hall grounds, the Digby men manned a display of horse drawn vehicles and various tools.
Three times a day, a local identity lead the Digby Historic Walk which toured a selection of the buildings and sights of the town. Photos from the Collection were mounted at each stopping point, to add to the commentary.
We never finish collecting the information that goes with the photos. Sometimes it's names or dates or places that excite agreement or disagreement. Sometimes we get another part of the story behind the photo.
The discussion here will make the Collection an even more valuable contribution to the social history of the Western District.
The jams, adorned with Digby photos, were sold under the "Digby Delights" label, although there was some thought that the ladies themselves were the real delights!
The Supper Room, where the Digby ladies' tea, sandwiches, scones, jam and cream refuelled worn down bodies. Bottled jams were a new and very popular new offering this year.
The Supper Room was once the Talisker School, which is featured as part of our Small Schools of the District pages. Many of the smaller school buildings live on in various guises.
The Mechanics Institute is adjacent to the Memorial Hall. The Digby townsfolk gave great support to the weekend by renovating the Mechanics, and populating it with an extensive display of items of local history. The men of the town brought in several horse drawn carriages or carts, and manned a display of tools and artefacts. Plans are already underway to expand this part of the event.
The Collection's photos and the Mechanics's display combined to present a more complete picture of the social history of Digby, and of the Western District in general.
To see more of the Mechanics Institute display, click here.
The Historic Walk was a new attraction this year. Our charming guide, armed with a well-researched script, here gathers together the very first group to take the hour and a half walk. Highlights included entry to the Anglican and Uniting Churches, as well as the Digby Public Garden and Water Supply (that is, "the spring") which are currently being cleared and restored.
Photos from the Collection were mounted at each stop to augment the commentary. Even the locals were impressed by the depth of history that exists behind the current, placid appearance of a small country town!
To see more of the Historic Walk, click here.
As always, those at the Exhibition could order copies of any image, in sizes from A5, to A4, to A3 and beyond. Three new catalogues were also available for sale. Previously, we printed only single copies of catalogues for browsing during the Exhibition. This year we printed multiple copies of three catalogues in an improved format: the photos are bigger and include captions (including names where we know them), and the covers and binding have been much improved. The three new catalogues cover Digby and Nearby District Volumes 1 and 2, Heywood and Nearby District Volumes 1 and 2, and Sawmills and Associated Activities Volumes 1 and 2. Each volume contains more than 100 photographs.
Sales of the catalogues, and of photographs from the Collection, help support the expansion and conservation of the Collection. This year provided an example of the costs of the Collection when our well-worked A3 printer expired!
Important !!
Don't let your photographic memories slip away. Add names, place and date NOW !!
