International Women’s Day is Wednesday, March 8, and The County Museums are marking it with the formal launch of their new exhibit, “So Went the Summer,” at Macaulay Heritage Park.
The exhibit delves into the interconnected lives of Flora Morrison and Mary Northway, two women with ties to the historic Miskin-Weller-Corrigan House in Carrying Place. The new display was catalyzed by the discovery of a 1911 wedding dress in the collection of Macaulay Heritage Park during an inventory in 2017.
The dress’s donor, Mary Northway, noted that the dress was worn by the mother of her “closest friend and home companion,” Flora Morrison, but that Flora had never taken it out of its box upon inheriting it in the 1930s. Why Flora never wore the dress, and why the dress, along with dozens of other items from the Miskin-Weller-Corrigan House, came to The County Museums in the 1980s were questions museum staff sought to answer.
“Flora and Mary were incredible women. They were passionate about outdoor education for girls throughout their lives. They both worked with children, and sought to improve children’s lives through scientific study and play. They also had the foresight to leave papers documenting Flora’s connection to The County, her adopted family history, and their professional and personal lives as adults, to the Trent University Archives,” says Jessica Chase, Curator with The County Museums. “What my colleague Liz Fennell and I found in those records was the fascinating and fulsome story of a blended County family, as well as a surprising love story.”
Flora and Mary, whose lives spanned most of the 20th century, came of age at a time when women could often only achieve independence with a lot of privilege and a lot of luck. They had both, which enabled them to pursue educational opportunities and build rewarding careers as a teacher and psychology professor, respectively. Their life together was not without its challenges, but they were able to live it largely how they wanted.
The “So Went the Summer” exhibit is a wonderful way to celebrate these two women, as well as to honour and recognize International Women’s Day. The exhibit will be on display at Macaulay Heritage Park (23 Church Street, Picton) until June 30, 2023. Current operating hours are Thursday to Saturday, 12 pm – 4 pm. Operating hours will be extended after the Victoria Day long weekend. Visit The County’s website for more information, or contact Jessica Chase, Curator, at jchase@pecounty.on.ca or 613-476-2148 ext. 2524.
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For media inquiries, please contact Mark Kerr, Communications and Consultations Supervisor, at 613.476.2148 ext. 1009 or by email at mkerr@pecounty.on.ca.