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Century Sam Meets a Princess: 1958 Remembered 17 May – 17 August 2008 Momentous events unfolded in 1858 when the Fraser River gold rush resulted in the creation of the Crown Colony of British Columbia. A century later, British Columbians commemorated these defining events in our history with great energy and enthusiasm. Now, on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the mainland colony, the Langley Centennial Museum shows how we celebrated 1858 in 1958.
This whimsical presents some of the obvious pride shown by Langley and BC residents in their community’s and province’s history that unfolded at Fort Langley in 1858. The high levels of activity, interest, and involvement in the celebratory events showed that the 1958 centennial was a ‘Big Deal’ for British Columbians of the day. The exhibit begins with the “gold fever” in 1858 that led as many as 30,000 Americans and others to flood into the Fraser River Valley in search of their fortunes. Among the gold rush items on display, a guidebook and map published quickly in 1858 shows how many attempted to “mine the miners” to profit from their gold fever. Also on view are some personal belongings of stalwart defender of British sovereignty, Governor of the new colony James Douglas. These objects connect us to the momentous events of the gold rush and the desperate efforts to preserve British sovereignty. At the time, Americans were loudly voicing “it’s ours boys!” sentiments. The exhibit points to some of the major 1958 centennial events and shows many examples of the vast array of memorabilia including the large “Langley” candle that was part of BC’s six (6) ton one hundredth birthday cake that was ceremonially sliced by royal visitor HRH Princess Margaret. As the exhibition title suggests, BC's centennial mascot, the "pixy prospector" Century Sam, actually did meet Princess Margaret. The 1958 celebrations revolved around these two symbolic figures. The ubiquitous Century Sam character represented the volcanic events of the gold rush that led to the creation of the mainland colony. One hundred years after the gold rush, Princess Margaret was an extremely popular symbol of the preservation of British sovereignty in the face of the real danger of the loss of more British territory to the United States. Also see how one important centenary project—the establishment of the Langley Centennial Museum in 1958—has helped the citizens of Langley preserve and access their heritage over the past fifty years. The Museum is a Township of Langley facility that has a proud history of service to this community and remains committed to connecting and involving citizens with their cultural heritage. |
| OTHER ARTICLES | |
| Article | Date |
| From Across the Oceans: Diversity in Local Art Lower Mainland artists who have chosen to live in Canada but bring the artistic traditions of their homelands to their work. |
9/1/2010 |
| Interwoven: N’laka’pamux Basketry and Basket Makers The Langley Centennial Museum is happy to present its newest exhibit, Interwoven: N’laka’pamux Basketry and Basket Makers |
5/11/2010 |
| Between Words: The Trinity Western University Senior Art Show Between Words is an exploration of human existence expressed through contemporary art-making practices of visual mediums. |
4/7/2010 |
| Plastic Fantastic: Men’s and Women’s Clothing of the 1960’s The Langley Centennial Museum is pleased to again welcome Ivan Sayers and his fabulous collection of clothing |
12/22/2009 |
| 100-Mile Harvest: Juried Art from the Fraser Valley Chapter Juried Art from the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists |
8/30/2009 |
| Lanterns exhibit The Langley Centennial Museum is pleased to announce its first partnership with the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association (ACSEA) |
5/5/2009 |
| Trinity Western University Senior Art Show 2009 The Langley Centennial Museum is pleased to announce its first partnership with Trinity Western University. |
4/7/2009 |
| Nothing Without Effort: A History of Langley |
11/9/2008 |
| Barbara Boldt: The Journey Join us at the Museum for Barbara Boldt: The Journey from January 15 – March 26, 2009. |
10/30/2008 |
| Remembering the 1950s Come and relive the memories of this fun, fantastic and sometimes fearful decade. |
8/21/2008 |
| Century Sam Meets a Princess: 1958 Remembered See how Langley celebrated the 100th anniversary of the momentous year 1858. |
6/16/2008 |
| Foyer Artists 2007-2008 List of Foyer Artists from the year 2006-2007 |
1/1/2008 |
| From Dior to Ducktails: Men's and Women's Clothing from the 1950s The Museum's newest exhibit, "From Dior to Ducktails: Men's and Women's Clothing from the 1950s," kicks off a year in which the 1950s is celebrated. |
1/1/2008 |
| Exploration, Interpretation, Evolution: Artists’ Journey Fort Langley Artists' Group members are exhibiting a variety of media... |
10/30/2007 |
| Foyer Artists for 2006-2007 List of Foyer Artists from the year 2006-2007 |
9/9/2007 |
| The River is Us: The Many Stories of Kwantlen The people of Kwantlen First Nation share their traditions and history in this exciting collaborative project. |
7/2/2007 |
| BLIND CORNER: An Exhibition of Process-Based Artwork This show focuses on the process of creation rather than the final products. Examining the production of works can offer new insight and understanding |
5/17/2007 |
| Robert H. Flaherty's Northern Focus Evocative photographs showing Inuit and First Nations individuals are accented by Inuit sculptures now on display at the Museum. |
2/1/2007 |
| Maps to Explore at the Langley Centennial Museum Maps and their meanings are available for exploring in the newest exhibit at the Langley Centennial Museum & National Exhibition Centre. |
10/20/2006 |
| Transient Realities Transient Realities examines change through the documentary art of Fort Langley artist Rudi Dangelmaier. |
7/19/2006 |
| Portrait of a Valley The wonderful variety of vistas in the Fraser River valley will be explored by ... |
5/28/2006 |
| A Survey of British Columbia Printmaking |
1/18/2006 |
| Brewer’s Gold: A History of the Hop Picking Industry in BC |
10/26/2005 |
| Shashin: Japanese Canadian Studio Photography to 1942 |
7/10/2005 |
| Random Acts of Art |
5/5/2005 |
| High Water: Flooding on the Fraser On exhibit until March 31 |
2/1/2005 |
| Artists in Communities Forums Artists in Communities Forums - November 1, November 15, & December 6 |
10/31/2004 |
| Gardens & Vineyards Works by members of the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists. |
8/11/2004 |
| Self Centred: Explorations of the Self in Portraiture What lies at the heart of the desire to create a portrait of one-self? This exhibition explores the theme of self-portraiture. |
3/14/2004 |
| New Kilpin Catalogue Available The publication is available at the Langley Centennial Museum |
3/13/2004 |
| A New Museum For Langley? Are you interested in helping shape the future of a new museum for Langley? Click below for more information. |
11/2/2003 |
| Visit our new on-line exhibits! Kilpin on-line and Voices from the Grave. |
9/17/2003 |
| Langley's cemeteries on-line! Introducing a new heritage resource: Langley's cemeteries on-line! |
8/17/2003 |
| Stolen Dreams: Portraits of the World’s Working Children Exhibit examines the issue of child labour through photos, artifacts, and works of art. Organized by the Manitoba Museum. |
3/20/2003 |
| CLAY 2003 Juried exhibit of works from the Fraser Valley Potters Guild |
2/23/2003 |
| Legh Mulhall Kilpin View a selection of works by this turn-of-the century Canadian artist. |
10/10/2002 |
| Three for Trees Trees always grow in the out of doors, but in July trees will be sprouting inside the Museum! |
7/15/2002 |
| Coming Home: Objects from Fort Langley's Past Exotic weapons, carefully constructed figurines, Spanish armour, and more! |
2/21/2002 |
| Cemetery Tour: Tales of Murrayville Tombs Join heritage consultant Warren Sommer to hear wonderful Langley stories that are inspired by the graves found in the historic Murrayville Cemetery. |
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