“Wish You Were Here: Greetings from Brandon - A Walk Through Brandon’s History in Postcards”
The Daly House Museum staff has been working hard to bring a new exhibit titled “Wish You Were Here: Greetings from Brandon” to fill the exhibit hall. Curator Eileen Trott, Exhibit Assistant Chloe Diamond, and Local Collector Renè Gareau have created a walk through the history of Brandon, letting visitors see the city develop from a small farming community to the bustling city we know today.
This exhibit takes us through the history of Brandon, starting from the Canadian National Train Station, all the way to one of the first Provincial Exhibitions hosted. Watch as Rosser Avenue transforms from a dirt road for horses, to the paved streets we drive on today. “Greetings From Brandon” brings guests back to a time of simplicity and hope for the endless possibilities.
The Daly House team collaborated with Renè Gareau with this exhibit, as he had an extensive collection of postcards numbering over 150 that date back to the 1880's. Not all of the collection is on display, however there is certainly a wealth of them that have been printed in enlarged format with the actual postcard in a plastic sleeve affixed to the bottom of the page.
All of the postcards chosen for the display contain areas or events of great importance to the Brandon area. Many of the images act as familiar landmarks, both locational and historical.
"One of the postcards that consistently catches my attention is the one of the fire hall, the old Brandon Fire Hall," shares Exhibit Assistant Chloe Diamond. "It's just so beautiful. I believe it was hand drawn. So, that's one of my favorites."
A second postcard that caught Diamond's eye and was also a favorite of Gareau was of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. The postcard was published by a Brandon woman named Grace McEachern who published it under her own name as a company which was quite incredible for that time in the late 1880's and early 1900's.
One of the curiosities in the collection is the postcard of Rosser Avenue postmarked May 22, 1908. Museum curator, Eileen Trott noted how the postcard of Brandon was used to send a message between Dorset and Sherborne, two towns in the United Kingdom. "How did the sender acquire the postcard," Trott asked. "And why? Why would they use a postcard from Brandon to write from the UK to someone in the UK?"
What inspired this remarkable exhibition?
“The idea for this exhibit came from my own desire to share Brandon’s history,” says Renè Gareau, the local collector. “I have this collection of gorgeous postcards, and every time I look through them I want to share them with my fellow city-men.”
Gareau's passion for postcards began with a special gift from his son. Please listen to that and other stories told by Chloe Diamond below!
The “Wish You Were Here: Greetings from Brandon” exhibit will run from July 2 to October 4, in the Museum’s second floor gallery.
The grand opening of the exhibit is set for today, July 10th, weather permitting, and will include refreshments and a meet and greet with Renè Gareau, Chloe Diamond, and Eileen Trott.
The exhibit was made possible through donation from Ben Wiebe Construction, and personal donation from Renè Gareau.
Built in 1882, the Daly House is a small Victorian Mansion nestled in the heart of Brandon. Originally the home of two of Brandon’s prominent families – the Dalys and the Coldwells – it is now the only pre-1900 structure remaining on 18th Street, a municipal heritage site, and a fine example of Italianate architecture.
The Daly House Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm.