Edmonton

(December 15 1994): Folk Life, David Goa, Curator; Western Canadian History, Jane Ross, Curator; Ethnology, Susan Berry, Curator; Government History, Maurice Doll, Curator.

About 540 instruments of various types from Europe, America, Canada, India, Asia, and Africa.

Hours: By appointment; none of the instruments are on display.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver

(August 13, 1991): Ann Stevenson, Collections Manager.

Approximately 660 instruments from around the world. Percussion instruments (405) include drums and drumsticks (95), rattles (222), bells (39), gongs (28) and others (21). Wind (230), mainly whistles (190) and flutes (38). There are 12 stringed instruments and 12 unclassified. The largest collection (mainly rattles and whistles) is from the Northwest Coast (350+), others include various North and South American cultural groups (100), African (75), East and South Asia (70), and the Pacific islands (40).

Hours: For current hours go to the Museum of Anthropology's home page at http://www.moa.ubc.ca Return to List of Locations (Canada)

Vancouver

(Formerly VANCOUVER CENTENNIAL MUSEUM.)

(October 4, 1993): Greg Evans, Director.

Approximately 207 instruments: 185 ethnic: Canadian Indian (35 idiophones, 1 membranophones, 43 aerophones, total 83), Canadian Eskimo (1 idiophone, 1 membranophone, total 2), South American (2 idiophones, 1 membranophone, 2 aerophones, total 5) Asian (22 idiophones, 7 membranophones, 4 aerophones, 10 chordophones, total 43), African (28 idiophones, 7 membranophones, 2 aerophones, 5 chordophones, total 42), and Oceanian (1 idiophone, 6 membranophones, 2 aerophones, total 9). In addition there are a few archeological specimens in the form of bone bird whistles, and other uncataloged specimens. There are a total of 22 Western instruments, primarily European in origin: 2 pianos, 1 reed organ, winds, etc.).

Hours: October 1 - April 30, Tuesday-Sunday 10-5 (closed Monday, closed Christmas Day); May 1 - September 30, Tuesday-Sunday 12-5 (closed Monday).

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Victoria

(formerly known as the British Columbia Provincial Museum), Address: P.O. Box 9815 STN PROV GOVT, V8W 9W2 (675 Belleville St.); (608-356-8197).

(February 1991):

Anthropology, (250-387-2414).

Alan Hoover.

419 instruments pertaining to the history and culture of the first peoples of British Columbia. They include 8 bells, 5 clappers, 49 drums/sticks, 2 flutes, 181 rattles, 3 recorders, 171 whistles.

Historical Collections Section, (250-387-2413).

Jim Wardrop.

Approximately 35 instruments (late 19th century to 1970s) including 4 organs (1 player American Orchestrelle, 3 from Ontario), pipa, 8 flutes (7 Chinese), 4 violins (1 Chinese), 2 Chinese drums, 1 dulcimer?, English dulcimer, 2 concertinas (one ca. 1850), tenor saxophone, cowbell, piano (American, 19th century), mandolin guitar (zither), 2 bugles, harp (Erard, ca. 1835), 2 Jew's harps, accordion, banjo (S. S. Stewart) 2 tuning forks, 3 recorders, organette, flutophone, tournaphone (paper organ), 3 whistles (2 police), harmonica, set of maracas, 2 harmonius, handmade violin by Frank Verdier (1920s).

Hours: By appointment.

MANITOBA

Winnipeg

(September 18, 1991): Richard B. Wedgewood, Director, School of Music.

By 1991 there were 7 instruments: 2 square pianos, (Adam Beyer, 1784; Steinway, 1875), grand piano (Andreas Streicher, 1866, chosen by Brahms for his friend Amalie Eckhardt); 3 violins (Giovanni Cavani di Spilamberto, 1900; Janos Spiegel, ca. 1890; Robert Laumann, 1900), viola, Charles and Samuel Thompson (1780). The stringed instruments are for use by students of the University.

Hours: By appointment.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Saint John

(July 23, 1991):

Canadian and International Art,

Andrea Kirkpatrick, Curator

75 instruments of African, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, European and American origin, including: harps, drums, pianos, melodeons, organs, violins, flutes, guitars and music boxes.

New Brunswick Cultural History and Art

Peter J. Larocque, Curator

10 instruments of New Brunswick manufacture including pianos and guitars.

Musical instruments not necessarily on permanent exhibition. Viewing by appointment.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-9; Sunday 12-5.

NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax

(September 20, 1993): Scott Robson, Curator, History Collection.

This Museum consists of 25 sites each of which has a separate identity and name.

Nine of these sites include musical instruments: Ross Farm Museum, Ross-Thomson House, Shand House, Haliburton House, Uniacke House, Lawrence House, McCulloch House, Fisherman's Life Museum, and Sherbrooke Village. The overall collection is primarily used in the restoration and refurnishing of Victorian-period houses. It consists primarily of keyboard instruments especially of local manufacture: pianos (about 20, including one of the 1790s in storage), and reed organs (about 12). Other instruments are a barrel organ, 2 roller organs, Jew's harp, bugle, banjo, 3 violins, autoharp, tambourine, harp, 3 melodeons, guitar, 2 mouth organs, flute, clarinet, 2 Eastern strings, and 2 African instruments.

Hours: June 1 through October 15 9:30-5:30.

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Yarmouth

(September 19, 1991): Eric Ruff, Director/Curator.

About 40 instruments used or made by local residents: including band instruments, string instruments, square piano (1874), various parlour organs, melodian, player organ, piano players ("pinanolos"), accordions, zithers, music box, and roller organ.

Hours: Winter: Tuesday-Saturday 2-5; Summer Monday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 2-5.

ONTARIO

Bowmanville

(October 8, 1991): Charles Taws, Curator.

10 instruments: 5 pianos and 5 organs made by the Dominion Organ and Piano company of Bowmanville. The most unusal instrument is a 1904 "art nouveau" upright piano. The Dominion Organ & Piano Company existed from 1870 to 1936. It was the second largest factory of its kind in Canada.

Hours: January-June/September-December, Tuesday-Saturday 11-4; closed Sundays, January, February, March. July and August, Daily 11-4.

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Kitchener

(July 17, 1991): Thomas A. Reitz, Manager/Curator.

Approximately 40 instruments: 5 pianos, 7 organs, 2 violins, 2 melodeons, spinet, 4 drums, French horn, clarinet, and various other late 19th and early 20th century instruments.

Also a significant collection of Sängerfest memorabilia (e.g. ribbons, posters, etc.) from 1870-1910.

Hours: Summer, May through Labour Day: 10-4:30; Fall, through December 23 weekdays 10-4:30, closed Saturdays and Sundays.

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Minesing

(August 8, 1991): Robert N.E. Prince, Museum Technician.

31 instruments including: oboe (English, ca. 1775), viola (Hopf, ca. 1840), melodeon (ca. 1850), grand piano (rosewood, ca. 1840), square piano (Broadwood and Sons, Regency period), and piano (George Wilkinson, London, ca. 1827).

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-4:30; Sunday 1-4:30.

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Toronto

(June 13, 1995): Department of Western Art and Culture.

Over 300 instruments including stringed, keyboard and wind instruments primarily from the Richard Sugden Williams collection given to the Museum, beginning in 1913. Important examples include: Double bass (Gasparo da Salo, ca. 1600); viola da gamba (Barak Norman, London, 1697); harpsichords (Celestini, 1596, Jacob Kirckman); piano (Pleyel, ser. #2499, 1823-25)

Bibliography:
- Ladislav Cselenyi, Musical Instruments in the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, 1969)
- Corinne Rogers, "Early Instruments at the Royal Ontario Museum", Musick 13, no. 2 (Fall 1991): 21-2.

QUÉBEC

Hauteville

(March 9, 1992)

Approximately 200 instruments collection by Henri Dorion, teacher at Laval University.

Hours: By appointment.

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Hull

(August 8, 1991):

Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies : Dr. Carmelle Bégin, Chief Curator and Curator, Ethnomusicology Programme.

About 650 instruments from approximately 40 different ethno-cultural groups and instruments by contemporary Canadian makers.

About 100 reproductions of Renaissance and Baroque-period instruments, modern instruments such as arch-top guitar, steel drums, etc., 120 instruments from Latin America brought by immigrants, about 150 instruments from South- East Asia, folk instruments from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and West Asia.

Also 150 Canadian-made folk instruments.

Bibliography:
- Roy W. Gibbons, The CCFCS Collection of Musical Instruments: Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies (Ottawa, 1982-1984), 3 vols.
- Carmelle Bégin, Opus: The Making of Musical Instruments in Canada (Hull, 1992).

Ethnology Division : Dr. A. Laforêt, Chief (819-776-8428). 1,312 instruments comprising 1,147 North American Indian and Inuit percussion, string, and winds from Plateau Indians (16), Woodlands (296), Arctic (67), Subarctic (45), Plains (229), Northwest Coast (486), Southwest US and Mexico (8), and 174 Non-North American percussion, strings and winds from Asia (14), Africa (99), South Pacific (39), South America (22).

Bibliography:
- Beverly Cavanagh, Music of the Netsilik Eskimo: A Study of Stability and Change (Hull, 1982), 2 vols. and LP recording.
- Maija M. Lutz, Musical Traditions of the Labrador Coast Inuit (Hull, 1982).
- Robert Witmer, The Musical Life of the Blood Indians (Hull, 1982).

History Division, Daniel Gallacher, Chief, (819-776-8361).

About 115 instruments: 2 or 3 pianos, reed organ, several violins, Western instruments, and several exotic presentation instruments from several countries given to the Canadian government (such as a large gong from Ghana with impressive ivory mounts and beaters).

Hours: January-March: Tuesday-Sunday 9-5 closed Monday; April, May, June: Monday-Sunday 9-5; July, August: Monday-Sunday; September-December Tuesday-Sunday 9-5 closed Monday.

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Montréal

(December 15, 1994): Barbara Lawson, Curator of Ethnology.

Approximately 170 instruments mostly from central Africa (Zaire and Angola). 1 sistrum handle from Ancient Egypt, 6 wind instruments from Oceania, 11 whistles from Argentina and Bolivia, and 10 miscellaneous instruments from Asia.

Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5.

An appointment must be made to see the musical instruments which are in storage.