S.S. Keewatin Gallery
Overview
The S.S. Keewatin finds her new home at the Great Lakes Museum with a supporting permanent exhibit commemorating the Titanic-era passenger and cargo ship’s impact in the Canadian Pacific Railway’s vision to connect Canada.
Details
- Client
- Great Lakes Museum
- Project
- S.S. Keewatin Gallery: Last of the Edwardian Passenger Liners
- Size
- 1,450 sq. ft.
- Scope
- Exhibit Design - Culture
- Location
- Kingston, ON. CA
- Design Completed
- 2024
The
Goal
In the fall of 2023, the S.S. Keewatin moved to her new home at the Great Lakes Museum dry dock. The Keewatin is the last of her kind. Originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), this Edwardian age, Titanic era, passenger and cargo ship worked the Great Lakes from the time of her launch in Scotland in 1907 until her retirement in 1965. To supplement the three-season ship tour experience, the museum wished to open an indoor museum exhibit that would tell the greater story of the CPR ships, emphasizing their role in delivering a significant segment of Canada’s history as it pertains to the Great Lakes and the opening-up of Canada’s west. The exhibit serves as a year-round attraction and provides an inclusive alternative to the ship tour, which is largely inaccessible to visitors with mobility challenges.
The
Design
The S.S. Keewatin Gallery takes its cues from the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company’s advertising campaigns and marketing collateral of the late 1900s, utilizing their signature vintage typography, imagery, colours, and catchy slogans to help visitors step back in time to a period of glamour and opulence that was the hallmark style of these Edwardian-era passenger liners. At its centre is a unique display that recreates the deck of the S.S. Keewatin and its guests from the late 1900s. In its prime, the deck was the place to gather, where the majority of the ship’s action occurred – from promenading to deck games, and even formal parties. In addition, the gallery is full of interactive moments for youth and adults alike: journey across Canada through CPR’s interactive map; test your ship knowledge with the Keewatin Ship Game; talk to your crew with the speaking tube; test your skill as a dock worker by hoisting flour; and try on a CPR original life jacket.
Behind
the Scenes
Our scope also included the development of a 10-year interpretive master plan intended to determine how museum spaces can be transformed to tell the many nautical, historical, and natural stories of the Great Lakes, including the exhibit for the S.S. Keewatin. We worked with the Museum team to explore their collections, the physical layout of the museum spaces, and the context of the Keewatin, all in support of maximizing their space for storytelling. The outcome established a framework that would allow the museum to expand their stories, providing their growing audience with a richer experience.
