The Adopt an Artifact program allows you to give the gift of historical preservation and create a personal connection with an artifact that resonates with you or your loved ones. Artifact adoptions offer a fun way to support Winnipeg’s unique heritage and make great gifts for the history lovers, antique enthusiasts, and museum aficionados in your life.
While you won’t be able to take the object home as it remains part of Dalnavert Museum's valued collection, you will receive a custom adoption package to proudly display in your home or office.
Each adoption package includes:
Certificate of adoption
High-quality print photo of your artifact
Detailed write-up about the history of the artifact
A pass for a 2-person tour of Dalnavert Museum*
All wrapped in an envelope, perfect for gifting
*for tiers 2 and 3 only
You will also receive a charitable tax receipt for the total amount of your donation minus the value of the tour.
adoptable artifacts
Tier 1 - $50
Ornate vessels just for serving pickled vegetables, pickle castors were the height of luxury on the Victorian dinner table. This one comes with custom tongs shaped like little hands!
While Victorian fashion may have been luxurious, the smells often were not; which is why women carried a tussy-mussy. It holds a small bouquet of flowers for smell, and this one comes with two mirrors, to discreetly keep an eye on other party guests.
When heavily-styled mustaches were in fashion, men struggled with the steam from a hot cup of tea melting their mustache wax! This cup is built with a special shelf to protect the drinker's carefully coiffed facial hair.
Tier 2 - $100
Owning a pair of ceramic Staffordshire dogs was a sign of wealth for the Victorians. They were placed on fire mantels for decoration, or, as some rumours say, on windowsills to communicate to secret lovers!
Music was central in a Victorian household, if someone wasn't playing an instrument, they were listening to the phonogrpagh. Thomas Edison invented the phonograpgh in 1877, and later improvements lead to the gramaphone, and then the record player.
Collecting stamps became widley popular in the 19th century. This stamp album belonged to Jack Macdonald, who lived in Dalnavert with his father. It even has his signature on the first page!
Tier 3 - $250
Piano's were the main source of entertainment during the Victorian period; it was incredibly important for hosting guests, and a skill every lady should know. This piano was made by Kirkman who also made a harpsichord for Thomas Jefferson!
This beautiful game table is made out of papier-mache, but not the kind we think of when building a volcano! The Victorians perfected the art of papier-mache, the techniques used made it thick and durable: perfect for playing a game of chess.
The goddess featured in sculpture on top of the clock is Amphitrite: the Greek goddess of the sea and wife to Poseidon. Many ships that sailed during the Victorian Era were named after her.
Additional Info
Artifacts can be adopted at any time and packages will be available for pick up and shipping as of December 1st, 2022. Please note the packages can take between 3-5 business days to prepare before they will be ready for pick-up or to be shipped out.
You will have the option at checkout to have the adoption package(s) mailed to you, to the person/people of your choice, or or be picked up at Dalnavert Museum.
You will receive a charitable tax receipt in the amount of your donation* sent electronically to the email address you've provided. In the event you make multiple adoptions, you will receive one receipt in the consolidated amount.
*minus $20 for tiers 2 & 3 and processing fees
Artifact adoptions are symbolic and non-exclusive, and artifacts cannot be removed from their places in the collection.