Uncover Hidden Histories in the Interpretive Centre’s New Online Exhibition
Tags: March 2022, Vol. 2, Issue 3
The Lakeshore campus has a long history of mental health care on the picturesque grounds and amongst the iconic red-brick cottages. Few objects or records from the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital were preserved after its closure, but glimpses into its past are preserved through artifacts in the collections of the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre.
One such artifact is a postcard depicting cricket players scattered across a manicured landscape in front of the cottages on the south side of campus. Reading “Mimico Sanitorium’’ on the top right-hand corner, the image captured a moment in history - and abruptly mislabeled it. Although the Hospital had many names during its operation from 1890 to 1979s, “Mimico Sanitorium’’ was never one of them.
What other stories do these historic artifacts reveal, and what do they conceal?
The Interpretive Centre welcomes you to explore the hidden histories of the Lakeshore Grounds through the collection of turn-of-the-century postcards in an exhibit called Scene and Unseen. Displayed to the public for the first time, these artifacts capture masked memories of well-known locations in South Etobicoke. Uncover these stories online here.
Meet the cards on campus later this year with the Interpretive Centre, follow @LakeshoreGRNDS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for return to campus announcements.
Special thanks to the curatorial team of Nadine Finlay, Sarah LeFresne and Nadia Tagoe. Thanks to Jennifer Bazar, Tyler Andrews, and Vana Chainani for their research support in the early stages of this project.
