New exhibit at MVTM
Posted Mar 11, 2010 By EMC News
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Tweet ThisEMC Events - The Appleton textile mill was the last operational textile mill in Mississippi Mills. It produced colourful, synthetic knits and fleece on a spectacular site overlooking the Mississippi River.
From March 6 to April 4, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) presents 'Unravelled: The colourful decline of the Appleton textile mill through the eye of the camera and original artifacts'.
From the mid-1800s to the early 1990s there were two textile mill complexes in Appleton. The first was situated on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River, where some of the ruins remain. The second, which produced fleece, was built on adjacent property.
During the last years of operation, the owners of the second mill faced financial, operational, legal and environmental difficulties. The mill buildings and much of the contents were left intact when operations ceased.
Artist Alison Ball has been documenting the changes to the site since moving to Appleton about five years ago. During that time, the owners have begun to remediate the site in preparation for a housing subdivision.
The images of this exhibit document some of the changes to both mills from 2004 to 2009:
• Removal of much of the remains of the original mill building that had been a landmark in the middle of the village of Appleton.
• A fire at the warehouse that had been filled with textile machinery.
• An oil leak from a large tank near the river.
• Changes to the dye containment lagoons beside a provincially significant wetland.
• Dismantling of the buildings of the second mill.
• Textiles and documents left on the site.
• Natural regeneration of the site.
The artifacts - from the collection of the MVTM, include dye bottles, bobbins, fabric and documents.
The exhibit is in the upper hall (Wool Hall Gallery) of the MVTM. It has recently been insulated but does not yet have a dedicated heat source. To keep warm during your visit to the exhibit, please wear your favourite fleece!
The MVTM is located at 3 Rosamond St. E. in Almonte. Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5. For additional information, visit www.textilemuseum.mississippimills.com, or contact curator Michael Rikley-Lancaster at 613-256-3754 or mvtm@magma.ca.
HISTORY
The MVTM is located in the annex of the former Rosamond Woolen Company. Constructed in 1867, the National Historic Site of Canada features a fabulous blend of old and new - all related to the history of the Mississippi Valley and the textile industry. Exhibitions range from early mill history and period mill equipment to cottage industry and eclectic modern fibre art exhibitions. The community museum combines traditional static and working displays of textile equipment and processes with activities and events focusing on the region's heritage, culture and role of the textile industry in the development of Canada.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ball first learned about imaging while training as a medical imaging technologist in Hamilton. As an X-ray technologist and later as a field biologist in the Yukon she began taking nature photographs. After moving back to southern Ontario her focus shifted to abandoned industrial sites. Ball moved to Appleton five years ago and became captivated by the juxtaposition of the textile mill ruins and spectacular site overlooking the Mississippi River. By day, she is a science librarian with the federal government.
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