Bytown Museum's Rideau Street window show marks Ottawa's 200th with archival photos and modern art
Ten historic black-and-white images displayed on the old Hudson's Bay building windows celebrate what Rideau Street meant as a gathering place, with contemporary painters adding vibrant frames.
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What did a day on Rideau Street look like decades ago? That question sparked a collaboration between the Bytown Museum and Ottawa Art Gallery that has transformed the windows of the iconic building once occupied by Hudson's Bay into a portal to the city's past.
The installation, called "Ottawa 200+ Portraits, Places, and People," displays ten large black-and-white archival images selected from the Bytown Museum and City of Ottawa Archives. Chloe Dennis, the Bytown Museum's exhibition and collections manager, spent countless hours reviewing old photographs before landing on the concept. "The windows themselves act as frames into what the city can offer," Dennis said. "I kept seeing recurring themes in the archival photos of Rideau Street as a place where people came to move, shop or gather."
The project brought together contemporary artists Emilie Darlington and Pascale Arpin, who painted the frames around the images and signage on the downtown windows. Darlington, a well-known Ottawa muralist who has painted many vacant storefronts on Bank Street, used vibrant modern colours to bridge time periods. "Using the vibrant modern colours was a nice branch between time periods," she said. "The contrasted colours work together to help the other stand out." The painting took ten days, and Darlington's floral details on the gilded frames reflected her nature-based approach. "I like going to a local nature area and be inspired by it, and have that bleed into my work."
Arpin painted the sign "What's in a Frame?" in three languages — Anishinaabemowin, French, and English — using gold colours and curved lettering that echoed historic Ottawa storefronts.
The window installation complements the Bytown Museum's temporary exhibition, "What's in a Frame: 200+ Years of Community Portraits," which focuses on portraits of people. Together, the two displays pay homage to the commerce, community and change Lowertown has undergone. Some images show streetcar tracks that once crisscrossed the city; another captures Santa Claus arriving in Ottawa in 1986 aboard a streetcar, marking important moments in the capital's history.
The details
What is on display in the Hudson's Bay building windows?
'Ottawa 200+ Portraits, Places, and People' shows ten large black-and-white archival photographs from the Bytown Museum and City of Ottawa Archives, with frames and signage painted by contemporary artists Emilie Darlington and Pascale Arpin.
Who created the window frames and signage?
Emilie Darlington, an Ottawa muralist, and Pascale Arpin painted the frames around the images and the sign 'What's in a Frame?' in Anishinaabemowin, French, and English.
How long did the painting take?
The painting took ten days to complete.
What related exhibition is the Bytown Museum running?
The temporary exhibition 'What's in a Frame: 200+ Years of Community Portraits' at the Bytown Museum focuses on portraits of people and complements the window installation.
