On the face of it, community newspapers seem an unlikely vehicle through which to promote our material history - antique objects made by our ancestors in Canada and used on a daily basis or for special purposes in days gone by.
Several months ago, with the guidance of one of the best editors I've ever encountered, Andrea Tompkins, I started to contribute a monthly column to my community newspaper in west end Ottawa, The Kitchisssippi Times.
It's been a fun and interesting assignment which I thoroughly enjoy. Over time, it's become clear to me that writing in community newspapers may well be one of the most effective means of helping people understand and appreciate Canadian antiques and collectables. Given the in-person comments and emails received, I know one thing for sure - people read their community newspaper.
The Kitchissippi Times connects and informs west end Ottawa residents perhaps more effectively than any other communications vehicle. Certainly, no other media outlet can or would cover stories at the granular level like a community newspaper. Writing for the paper enables me to comment on readers' antiques and collectables. I am also writing about trends and influences in Canadian antiques. The material objects themselves may not change but the interest in them, values, new discoveries, exhibits and general happenings about antiques are constantly changing. On top of that, in part because of the research I conduct for my writing, I am learning new things about Canadian antiques, practically on a daily basis. After 35 years of collecting antiques, I know one thing for certain - there's a whole lot I still don't know!
My latest column in the times delves into collecting miniature or small scale furniture. I thought to post a link to the article as part of this blog.
http://kitchissippi.com/2016/03/17/small-scale-furniture-is-the-nexta-hot-collectors-item/
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