Routes: Exploring the British Origins of Newfoundland Outport Furniture Design
Hull, Quebec, May 2, 1996 - The Canadian Museum of Civilization invites you into the homes of Newfoundland fishermen of previous centuries with the exhibition Routes: Exploring the British Origins of Newfoundland Outport Furniture Design, from May 4 to November 24, 1996, in the Canada Hall Mezzanine. This richly furnished exhibition from the Newfoundland Museum traces the origins of outport furniture-making, which was largely inspired by British furniture designs of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
For the first time, an exhibition explores the connections between British and Newfoundland furniture from a critical perspective. In studying traditional furniture from both sides of the Atlantic, it was possible to note the stylistic influences of the old world on the new. The Newfoundlanders, who built most of their furniture themselves, drew their inspiration from their countries of origin, as did the carpenters who gradually settled here. Visitors will be able to see that chairs, cradles, benches, beds and other pieces bear a close resemblance to works created in the west of England and in Scotland and Ireland. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and even into the early twentieth century, Newfoundland furniture-makers faithfully followed the prevailing styles of their faraway homelands, and the lack of an established tradition permitted them to imbue their work with a sense of freedom and creativity.
The exhibition provides an accurate overview of the diversity of pieces that were constructed, as well as the various articles, styles, work methods, tools and woods that were used in their construction. There is a fine attention to detail as well, as the decorations and designs of the times are emphasized, making for interesting comparisons. All in all, Routes is a highly decorative addition to the Canada Hall.
Routes: Exploring the British Origins of Newfoundland Outport Furniture Design was jointly prepared by two curators: Walter Peddle of Newfoundland and Bernard D. Cotton of Great Britain. The exhibition was produced by the Newfoundland Museum in St. John's, with assistance from Canadian Heritage and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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