Explore 20 Fascinating and Quirky Collections at the Museum of Vancouver

If you’re looking to escape the heat into an air-conditioned, educational space, the Museum of Vancouver’s new exhibit, All Together Now: Vancouver Collectors and Their Worlds, is just the activity for you.

I’ve gone to all of MOV’s recent exhibits and, honestly, this one is my favourite so far. It’s incredibly cool, there are tons of things to see and do, and the history and culture of Vancouver are intertwined throughout the many displays.

All Together Now, running until January 8, 2017, explores the motivations, rewards, and quirks behind the human desire to collect specific items. It features twenty vastly different and unique collections, submitted by various Vancouverites (many of them well-known community figures), and includes everything from Expo ’67 memorabilia to prosthetic limbs to drag queen costumes.

The exhibit is a great date activity since it’s interactive and immediately starts up a conversation about your own collecting habits. At the entrance, there’s space to affix a Post-it note proclaiming what you collect. My boyfriend has amassed many t-shirts, pennants, and posters related to German soccer (he lived in Germany as a child), and he was quick to point out that I collect shoes, books, clothing, and hedgehog-related paraphernalia (I have a pet one as well).

You can stop and watch a few documentaries on collectors before proceeding to the wacky and exhilarating collections themselves.

Each of the exhibits features an image of the collector, as well as written responses to questions exploring why the individual collects what they do, how it relates to their identity, and how it connects them with Vancouver and a sense of community.

You could easily spend hours looking at the collections, many of them extremely impressive in their scope. I particularly liked a large collection from Angus Bungay of action figures and toys (yes, there are He-Man ones) since they invoked nostalgia for my lost/given away childhood toys.

A lovely set of ramp walker toys from Ken Stephens, as well as an anonymous collection of gorgeous pocket watches were visually arresting. They reminded me of the desire to collect things that are rare and beautiful.

Other collections were bizarre and even macabre, such as one of artificial eyes (Marie Allen) and another of taxidermy (Gabrielle Whiteley).

And others were highly related to the collectors’ passion and interest in the city. Major James Matthews amassed items pertaining to Vancouver history, such as artifacts from the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886. Harold Steves’ collection showcases heirloom vegetable seeds that have adapted to this region and grown here for 125 years.

Meanwhile, Lyanne Smith and Angus McIntyre offer a window into the Greater Vancouver and Victoria Transit systems of the past, with old fare boxes and ticket stubs.

Besides being visually provocative, the exhibit also has tons of interactive stations. For example, you can actually play on the pinball machines and arcade games contributed by Kyle Seller. I quickly learned that I’m out of practice when it comes to pinball.

You’re also invited to try on corsets (Melanie Talkington), fashion your own fly fishing lures from feathers and beads, and film your own stop-animation film with toys (Angus Bungay).

Overall, the exhibit is fascinating in so many ways, making it well worth a visit.

MOV is open everyday from 10am-5pm, except for Thursday (10am-8pm) and Friday and Saturday (10am-9pm) when they stay open late. Buy tickets at the museum or on-line.