Zoology Collection - Common Loon Specimen

    “… on the table stood a stuffed loon …”

    Although the unusual standing posture of the Loon fits the poem perfectly, it appears to have been captured just a little later than the childhood episode that inspired Bishop’s poem.

    Archaeology Collection - Coarse Earthenware Vessel

    A Potful of Questions

    Was it brought to Nova Scotia at the end of the American Revolution? It’s an important pot – the only one of its kind found at this site – but so far, we’ve been unable to link it to any specific craft tradition.

    Marine History Collection - Bill Roué Table

    Where Bluenose was Born

    Homemade and scarred from use, the desk was given to the museum by the Oland Brewery (Oland built Bluenose II in 1963 as a promotional yacht for Schooner Beer). The desk now displays a copy of Bluenose’s sail plan.    

    Ethnology Collection - 19th-Century Doll Diorama – Mi’kmaw Couple

    “The Original Pictou County Homemakers”

    The diorama was made for, and initially displayed by, the Greenhill Museum in Pictou County. In the mid-1960s, the diorama was catalogued with this whimsical label: “The Original Pictou County Homemakers – Micmac”.

    Botany Collection - Moccasin Flower, Cypripedium acaule

    Not All Orchids Are Rare

    Found throughout eastern Canada, the Pink lady’s-slipper is the floral emblem of Prince Edward Island.

    Geology Collection - Fossil Sail-Back Amphibian

    Sail-Back “Superstar”

    Exceptionally well-preserved, this 290-305 million-year-old sail-back “Superstar” from the Carboniferous Period may well turn out to be a new species – the research is still ongoing.

Nova Scotia Made, Nova Scotia Used, Nova Scotia Found

In deciding on a theme for this online exhibit, we wanted one that would enable us to choose objects reflecting the broad diversity of our collections and showcase objects that really matter to Nova Scotians. Nova Scotia found, Nova Scotia made, Nova Scotia used inspired us to choose a wide variety of objects – everything from Jurassic-aged fossils to one-of-a-kind quilts – that best tell the stories of this remarkable place.

100 of Our Favourite Objects

Curators from each of the seven disciplines represented at the museum – Botany, Geology, Zoology, Archaeology, Ethnology, History and Marine History – selected some of their favourite Nova Scotia made/used/found objects and specimens, reflecting the richness and variety of our collections. Our photographers then set to work capturing the complexity and beauty of these objects. Their high quality images provide up-close and detailed views so that the objects can tell their own stories. Enhanced by insights from our curators, we hope these images will inspire you to see and think about these objects in new ways.

Join Our Conversation

As our virtual exhibit evolves, we will be providing more and more opportunities for you to take part in an online dialogue. These fascinating objects belong to all of us. We want to make it easy for you to tell us, and each other, what you think about them. The active participation and engagement of our visitors is central to our mission. By asking questions, challenging conventional thinking and offering insights, you can help bring new meaning to the objects in our collection.