Events & Exhibits > Curator's Choice

From the collection, the Curator shares here a few of the current favourites among the many interesting finds at the Museum. Visit to discover more!

The Watkins Trunk
Artifacts donated by descendants of escaped slaves sometimes have stories attached to them. Indeed, oral history was the most common method used by people of African origin to pass along their history. One example is this camelback trunk which travelled to Canada on the Underground Railroad. The family story is that a child was hidden in it for the journey.

The Matthew Elliot Lashing Ring
Many people are unaware that Africans were used as slave labour in Canada. This artifact dates from the time of slaves in Amherstburg. Matthew Elliot, a United Empire Loyalist and the area's chief slave holder, brought 60 slaves with him from the United States after the American Revolution to Malden where he cleared and farmed land which is now the southern area of Amherstburg. Embedded in wood cut from a tree in Elliot’s yard, this rusty iron ring is believed to be where slaves were tied by the wrists before being whipped.

The Snelgrave Book
The oldest item in the Museum collection is a book written by William Snelgrave entitled A New Account of Some Parts of Guinea, and the Slave Trade, published in London in 1734. Join us to see its informative content!