Vintage Bottles at the Peace River Museum!

By Laura Love
“Every empty bottle is filled with stories…” – Anonymous

Vintage bottles from the 19^th and 20^th century have intrigued people due to their shapes, colours, and historical uses, from Corkers to Shear Tops. The museum has acquired nearly 60 antique bottles, along with rather interesting stories associated with them.

This collection of bottles was found in the ground behind the Peace River broadcasting or CKYL building (9807-100 Ave) by a construction crew in the fall of 2015. Judging by the varied bottles found at this location, it must have been an early refuse site. But everyone knows that saying, ‘one man’s garbage…’ Well, we have had a chance to clean them off, and uncover (through many layers of earth) the stories, or at least the former life that some of these bottles may have had while they were in use.

Unfortunately the disposing of glass that way at that time was a precursor to how we dispose of glass today. For many, the recycling of glass is no longer ‘financially viable,’ therefore glass containers are increasingly disposed of in landfills. In the 1950s and 1960s, crushed glass was recycled in the form of stucco cladding on homes. Throughout Peace River you can see this early method of crushed glass-stucco.

Recycling glass can be fun, an old bottle with a sprig of flowers can brighten up a space, a window sill, or beautiful addition to a kitchen table. Therefore, to promote the recycling of glass and glass products, the museum will be selling these vintage bottles as a small fundraiser – you too can own a piece of Peace River history!!

Small bottles are $2.00, and the large bottles are $5.00. 

Aboriginal Jadeite Adze

         As we approach the date of the Annual Aboriginal Gathering and Pow Wow, the recent donation of a jadeite adze found south of Grimshaw area by Bill Veidt comes at an opportune time.

Jadeite Adze (on loan from Bill Veidt)

         Jadeite is a variety of jade, a strong and hardy material characterized by its distinctive green hue. Its strength lends itself well to tool-making, though the material itself is quite rare. This adze was therefore most likely an object of great importance and prestige. The crafting of such an device was a labour-intensive process, with countless hours of sawing, cutting, grinding and polishing. The product of these efforts is a long-lasting and high-quality tool that is a testament to the skill and ingenuity of the First Nations craftsmen. The age of this adze could range from hundreds to thousands of years old. As you can see, it has withstood the test of time remarkably!

Bill Veidt

        While the majority of jadeite artifacts recovered in Alberta were found in the Peace River region, most jadeite tools are associated with the west coast of BC. This is because the First Nations peoples of BC had increased access to quarries and had developed larger-scale stoneworking and woodcutting practices relative to the more mobile people of the plains. The geology of BC is also such that jadeite, a metamorphic rock, forms much more commonly in mountainous regions raised by plate subduction. It is believed that this stone in particular came from the Fraser River Valley of BC. So, this tool was likely traded from afar and had quite a journey before arriving in the Peace Country.

Example of a completed adze

         Even more ancient tools can be found in the Archaeology Case in the Peace River Gallery of the museum, including chert and even black obsidian artifacts.

The Holt Geology Collection

With summer almost upon us, now is the perfect time to turn our eyes to the natural world and appreciate the beauty of the Peace River landscape. The recent donation of the Holt Collection of geological artifacts provides a great opportunity to examine some of nature’s most exciting relics. The Holt collection includes a diverse array of rocks, minerals and fossils that were collected by Don Holt throughout his life.

 On a hot and sunny Friday morning, the Peace River museum was lucky to have the help of Don (a different Don!) and Jim, two local rockhounds, to aid Collections Assistant Rhys in identifying the items in the Holt Collection and determining their origin. While many were from the exotic locales that Don Holt had visited during his travels, such as the African agates and Brazilian opals, many more were found to have originated in the Peace River area. Don described the intricate crystal structure of the geodes, and Jim identified many fossil types that he himself had found in the region.

Geode

              The Peace River museum has its own rock and fossil display, which can be found contained in lighted display cases in the Peace River Gallery.

Ammonite Fossil