Your History. Your Museum. Your Online Collection.

Gatineau, Quebec, October 19, 2016 — Immerse yourself in the national collection of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum through a newly refreshed and engaging online collections database. Whether you are a student working on a project about the history of hockey, a researcher wanting to find out more about the War Museum’s collection of Vimy Ridge artifacts or someone with a general interest in the national collection, the online database offers you access to a virtual vault of more than 280,000 objects. These include archaeological specimens, aboriginal artwork and artifacts, folk art, furniture, war art, military objects, textiles, documents and much more.

For almost 20 years, the Museum of History and the War Museum have proudly made their collections accessible to all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, and to people worldwide, by providing online access. Since it was first launched in 1997, the Museums’ collections database has provided access to objects that represent culturally important facts of Canadian history and heritage. With the addition of new search features and enhanced technology, users can easily discover and share the Museums’ vast collection of artifacts from their desktops, smartphones or tablets.

“Our Museums remain committed to disseminating knowledge through innovative outreach activities,” says Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. “With the relaunch of the collections database, we are able to improve access to our collection by bringing it to Canadians even on their smartphones, thereby making it easier to search, discover and share the objects, stories and events that have shaped and reflect Canada’s history.”

New features of the online collections database make it more accessible and easier than ever to navigate the vast collection and to find the information you are looking for. A “More like this” button lets you explore other artifacts similar to the ones that piqued your interest. Advanced search support helps you find the artifact you are interested in and offers fully bilingual search capabilities. A custom list tool gives you the ability to make and share lists of your favourite artifacts. Artifact detail pages featuring extensive hyperlinking offer “point and click” exploration of the artifacts. And a random search button starts a tour to enable you to easily browse the collection.

Discover the vast collection of the national museums of Canada’s human and military history by searching the online database of the Canadian Museum of History at historymuseum.ca/collections and the Canadian War Museum at warmuseum.ca/collections.