Medalta Potteries, Medicine Hat, Alberta

Craft and Archaeology at Medalta

On the way out of Medicine Hat, Alberta a couple weeks ago, I stopped in to Medalta Potteries for a quick look around.  Its a pretty spectacular site where a large scale historic pottery site is interpreted and opened up for visitors and visiting crafts people.  I was expecting a lot of ceramics and craft, but I wasn't anticipating archaeology to be such a big part of the story.  Medicine Hat is built on rich alluvial clay deposits along the South Saskatchewan River and during the decades around the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century a large brick and ceramic industry grew up in the community.

The large industrial site has be re-envisioned into a historic site, museum, gallery and clay studio for workshops and visiting crafts people

The kilns from the outside

The standing kilns, with their beehive shapes and tall smoke stacks are prominent features on the outside of the rebuilt factory museum.  The archaeological footprint of two more kilns, found buried beneath the floor are even more impressive once you enter the building.  It turns out that I've met the archaeologist who worked on exposing these kilns, Talva Jacobson, when she was living in St. John's and working on her MA in archaeology at Memorial University.

The exposed interior of a kiln found buried beneath the factory floor.

A second, smaller kiln was also exposed.  This one would have been a test kiln for trying out new techniques and forms.

The museum's interior was constructed around the exposed archaeological features.   Its a fantastic example of integrating an archaeological feature into a building designed to interpret an historic site. 

I couldn't help but think of The Rooms built over top of Fort Townsend when I was visiting Medalta.  We do have a remarkably intact Fort lying exposed beneath our Museum, Art Gallery, and Archives - you just can't see it yet. 

Fascinating place to work

The sprawling 150 acre Historic Clay District at Medalta is a combination of museum, art gallery, archaeological site, and ceramic workshop - complete with an artist in residence program.  As you tour through the facility you'll see the work of contemporary potters, examples of classic Medalta ceramics and descend beneath the floor to tour the archaeologically exposed features of the factory below the kilns and turning floor.

Medalta Potteries Limited in Medicine Hat, Alberta. MED,ALTA - get it?

Mural at the Entrance, the sign below is the caption.

 

When I was there a new exhibit was being installed in the gallery.  I'm not sure who's work this is.

The working part of the pottery studio.  The artist in residence studios are more private - this is the public floor where you can see potters at work.

There are also many static displays that explain the equipment and techniques used in the factory.

Lots of bright, colourful display cases showcasing some of the products to come out of Medalta over the years.

Cowboy Hat Ashtrays from Medalta.

Custom corporate advertising was available.

Not just prairie scenes...

The abundant local clay made this whole industry possible

Lots of durable, functional stoneware crocks were produced here as well.

Beneath the museum floor, you can tour the underground and see more archaeological  interpretations explaining the foundations and equipment that would have been used beneath the factory.  

Archaeological work has been carried out at the site during different times over the past  several decades.

Visiting the underbelly of the factory floor.  The motors that powered the machines on the turning floor above to create the stoneware crocks were mounted down here.  Other features of the kilns and foundations were also found in the excavations.

The big round kilns are no longer used, but they museum has integrated them into the design and interpretation of the facility.

Inside the kilns, you can see more pottery and learn a bit more about how the kilns were used.

Many of these were printed with the names of schools.

Where the smokestack meets the roof inside one of the big kilns.

Inside the kiln, looking out the loading door.

I couldn't leave without bring home a pot for Lori's Birthday.

Photo Credits:

1-28: Tim Rast

29: Lori White

Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston, Alberta

Covered Wagon

While in Alberta last week, I visited the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston with my dad and step-mom.  I can remember visiting once before when I was younger - I think my dad had some rubber put on a set of carriage wheels and he took me along to pick them up or drop them off.  He used to drive horses a lot and we had a little white carriage that we'd use in weddings to haul the bride and groom around.  I'm not that old - we had cars and trucks - but dad just liked using horses.  I'm not the first person in my family to put an anachronistic spin on their career.

Outside the Remington Carriage Museum

Don Remington, the man whose carriage collection the museum was built around.

"This hobby can drive you buggy!" Horse and buggy - get it?

Most of the carriages are in rough shape when they come into the collection.  This half-and-half buggy shows the starting condition on the left side and the restored condition on the right.

This Park Drag from London, England could carry 10 passengers and 2 grooms.

There are over 250 carriages in the collection, most of them restored and on display.

Hansom Cab - very Sherlock Holmesy

  

Seeing this old farm wagon brought back a lot of memories for my dad.  He seemed especially fond of the cruise control feature.  On the way home you could crawl in the wagon and sleep, while the horses plodded back to the farm. You'd know to wake up when the wagon stopped.  Did I mention "Rast" in German means "to rest"?

Touring the restoration shop was a highlight.  They work to restore carriages in the collection, but most of their work is commercial work for individuals with old buggies and wagons.

Blueprints from inside the Carriage Works recreated inside the museum.

A Piano Box Buggy like this would have shipped to the customer in a wooden crate like the one on the left.

This is the lead Bull Wagon from a wagon train.  This particular one was originally used on the Oregon Trail and ended its career hauling supplies between Fort Benton, Montan and Fort MacLeod, Alberta.  Notice the Borax boxes?  There's an illustration of a wagon train on every box of Borax.

Stage Coach.  Coaches like this were often owned by hotels.  They are the precursor of the airport shuttle van.

Sheep Wagon.  A mobile home for shepherds to stay in while tending the flocks.

Photo Credits: Tim Rast