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Laundry Display
Kitchen Theme
Household appliances and the lack of electricity made most domestic activities more work than they are today. The 'washing machines' we have on display are not really 'machines'. The larger one is metal tub on a stand that you agitate by sloshing the tub back and forth using a small wooden handle. The wringer is also manual, being operated by a hand-crank.
The simpler 'washing machine' looks like a toilet plunger but is an agitator. It was a major development as it allowed women to keep their hands and arms out of the very hot water and harsh soap while doing laundry. This was one of the first 'labour-saving devices' marketed to women. There is also a washboard on display to see how it all started.
Other elements in the domestic display include butter making equipment, kitchen tools, and heaters.
If the domestic displays can be considered "women's work", the other part of the room is devoted to "men's work" in the form of logging and mechanical tools. The old days of hand-logging are recalled by spring-boards, cross-cut saws and double bitted axes. A few early chain saws round out the story. Remarkable photos from the Abernethy & Lougheed logging collection flesh out the story.
Other occupations are represented by an assortment of tools whose purpose is no longer readily apparent. There is also a tool kit from a Model T and plumbing tools from the earliest days of bringing water indoors through pipes.