The other day I finally found the GUM Gallery, that's 'Gallery of Unsellable Masterpieces;'! It's a store inside a store sort of, but it is accessible and I enjoyed looking around. This is the headquarters of the Tidbits Project, spearheaded by
I have to give enormous credit to these two, who have pulled together an enormous amount of information about Meaford's historic past and found a unique and creative way to share it with the community. I can only say 'Well done!'
My eyes were immediately drawn to four scale models, what a museum would call dioramas I expect. These are actually three dimensional models, painstakingly created by the artists (or are they architects?). This is the hardwood flooring factory run by Stanley Knight, who also published 'Pictorial Meaford', and at one point was the popular mayor of Meaford.
The second factory around that now long gone railway was Mclagan's Furniture Factory, which made a wide range of high quality furniture for outlets such as Eatons. Only a small portion of these buildings remain today.
And the third factory was Meaford Steel Products, which made wheelbarrows and all sorts of other metal scoops such as road grader blades. About half of these buildings remain.
The people leading this project obviously enjoy making scale models! Here is a model showing the former grain elevator, a lake freighter docked beside it, and the former train staion in the background.
Wnndering the downtown and reading the Tidbits website I found two other bits of history. One is a plaque about Andrew Gawley, who lost his hands in a shop accident when he was 17. Undaunted, he created prosthetic hands and went on to a career as a machinist and bicycle shop owner, as well gradually improving the prosthetics themselves.
Finally, the information on the Tidbits site also highlights disasters. in the case of Meaford these were fires and floods. This is the Royal Hotel which stood where the TD Bank is now. It burned down in 1883. Rebuilt, it as later demolished in 1921 to become the bank.
The Bighead River has been reasonably peaceful for the past few years, but has certainly flooded in the past. The worst flood was in 1912, when a number of buildings and a portion of the old wool mill were destroyed.
All in all I have to give a lot of credit tot he Tidbits Project. I've learned a great deal doing this, and I hope you've enjoyed it.
I love those models that they made. What a great project.
ReplyDeleteThose models, what painstaking work with nimble fingers to create them.History like all of this should be kept and available for everyone to read and know about.And with Tidbits it is.
ReplyDeleteThis is really intriguing!
ReplyDeletePeople who make scale models usually absolutely love making models. Usually you can’t stop them. My father used to paint extremely accurate model soldiers in the uniforms of his regiment at various famous scenes from, ooh I don’t know, the Crimean War, WWI, that sort of thing. If he couldn’t find a model with a kilt he would make a kilt himself and dry the glue in the oven.
ReplyDeleteThe models are so cool. People who make those are very talented.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me that people have the talent and the patience to create scale models. Of course I say the same about Bill when he builds a model airplane from scratch.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting indeed. Those involved in the project clearly enjoyed their work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
It’s a fab project. I have suggested something similar for our town, but it does sound like it came from very dedicated individuals, and I don’t low if anyone here would have the same drive.
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