Exhibitions and Galleries

Special Exhibitions

AFGHANISTAN: A Glimpse of War

February 9, 2007 – April 27, 2008

This powerful exhibition goes beyond the headlines to capture Canada's participation in the international security mission in Afghanistan. Detailing Canada's efforts to help Afghans rebuild a country shattered by years of war, this exhibition uncovers personal stories drawn from the chaos of battle and the struggle for peace.

An exhibition developed by the Canadian War Museum, featuring the images of Stephen Thorne and Garth Pritchard.

War Brides: Portraits of an Era

May 12, 2007 to January 6, 2008

An evocative installation of paintings, photos, objects, and commentaries relay the life-changing experiences of some of the 44,000 women who came to Canada at the end of the Second World War as war brides. The contemporary material speaks of love and war, and adventure and hardship in a time of tremendous upheaval.

An exhibition organized by the Canadian War Museum in collaboration with Bev Tosh.

Stitches in Time

May 12, 2007 to March 30, 2008

Through 15 richly-coloured quilted artworks, textile Artist Johnnene Maddison interprets the Second World War experiences of her mother and other women workers, providing a unique view of the complexity of life on the home front.

An exhibition organized by the Canadian War Museum in collaboration with Johnnene Maddison.

Bomber Nose Art

World War 2 Aircraft Nose Art, Photo: Bill Kent Commissionaires Way
Cartoons and symbols known as nose art often decorated military aircraft during the Second World War. Nose art images ranged from symbols of bombs and swastikas to well-known cartoon characters and pin-up girls. Although a great number of aircraft were decorated in this way, only a few examples survive. These panels would have become scrap metal had it not been for RCAF Flight Lieutenant Harold H. Lindsay. While waiting to be repatriated he decided to explore an aircraft junkyard in England. He saw nose art on many Halifax bombers and suggested that a number of examples be cut and shipped back to Canada. This is the first time that this collection of nose art has been on display.

Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times

Lobby
Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times are portraits of Canadians in wartime, and on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. The display includes paintings from the First World War through to the war in Afghanistan. The museum's portrait collection is part of the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, which holds more than 13,000 paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures.