Royal Military College of Canada Museum
Encyclopedia
The Royal Military College of Canada Museum, established in 1962, is located in a Martello tower
known as Fort Frederick
on the campus of the Royal Military College of Canada
(RRMC or RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
, and is operated by the college. The Royal Military College of Canada Museum has regular hours from the last weekend in June until Labour Day
. The museum and historic site can also be visited via the Virtual Museum.
The Martello tower housing the museum is a 1790 fortification
consisting mostly of earthworks
with a north wall of stone masonry
. It is on the Registry of Historic Places of Canada. Fort Frederick is one of four Martello Tower
s, built by Corps of Royal Engineers between 1846 and 1848 to augment the Kingston defences. The Martello tower was named in honour of Frederick, Prince of Wales
.
which once occupied Point Frederick, the peninsula upon where the college stands.
The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, research and photograph material relating to the history of the Royal Military College of Canada, its former cadets and its site, and, through the appropriate display of such items, to convey this history to the currently serving cadets, the broader College community and the public.
The museum also holds a small collection of material related to the Point Frederick dockyard and the Royal Navy.
Between 1922 and 1946, the RMC collections consisted merely of arms and military artefact
s collections raised, built and maintained by individuals or very small groups of veterans. Although these items were interesting, there was no overall, coordinated story.
The museum displays collections of military memorabilia and 7000 artefacts, including a collection of 16th through 20th century arms, uniforms, flags, military art and trophies. It holds, for example, the Douglas Arms Collection which was presented to RMC by Walter Douglas (RMC 1890).The Douglas Arms Collection contains over 400 guns that were originally in the ownership of Mexican President, General Porfirio Diaz
. Another significant collection is the Leinster Plate, a collection of silverware, of the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment
. A model of the 112-gun HMS St Lawrence (1814) was donated in 2008. The lower floor of the Martello tower contains exhibits on the War of 1812 and the fort’s dockyard. The main floor contains exhibits on the history of the college, and personal mementos of the Old Eighteen, the first class that enrolled in 1876. A gun platform displays the original cannons at the top of the tower. The archives includes cartographic materials, prints and drawings, manuscripts and photographs. The human history consists of manuscripts, medals, military history and technology and weapons.
The museum is also responsible for a collection of Canadian landscape and military art, including paintings, sculpture, and stained glass windows on display throughout the college, though primarily in Currie Hall
and Yeo Hall. The college announced in 2011 the establishment of an art venue in the New Learning Center.
and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada
Inc. It is also accredited within the Canadian Forces Museum System. It is affiliated with the Canadian Heritage Information Network
, and the Virtual Museum of Canada
. A cooperating association of friends of the museum has been formed to assist with projects.
The Parks Canada
Agency often participates in joint programs, or provides supporting resources to the Royal Military College of Canada Museum, which is a partner organization.
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
known as Fort Frederick
Fort Frederick (Kingston)
Fort Frederick is a historic military building located on Point Frederick on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its construction dates to 1846 and the Oregon crisis. The fort consists of earthworks surrounding a Martello tower...
on the campus of the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
(RRMC or RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, and is operated by the college. The Royal Military College of Canada Museum has regular hours from the last weekend in June until Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
. The museum and historic site can also be visited via the Virtual Museum.
The Martello tower housing the museum is a 1790 fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
consisting mostly of earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
with a north wall of stone masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
. It is on the Registry of Historic Places of Canada. Fort Frederick is one of four Martello Tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
s, built by Corps of Royal Engineers between 1846 and 1848 to augment the Kingston defences. The Martello tower was named in honour of Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
.
Mandate
The museum's mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display artefacts and records relating to the history of the RMCC, achievements of its graduates and the earlier naval history of its site, Kingston Royal Naval DockyardKingston Royal Naval Dockyard
The Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard from 1788 to 1853 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at the site of the current Royal Military College of Canada.-History:...
which once occupied Point Frederick, the peninsula upon where the college stands.
The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, research and photograph material relating to the history of the Royal Military College of Canada, its former cadets and its site, and, through the appropriate display of such items, to convey this history to the currently serving cadets, the broader College community and the public.
Collections
The RMCC Museum exhibits items about the history of the Royal Military College of Canada, the site on which it is located, and the life of the cadets.The museum also holds a small collection of material related to the Point Frederick dockyard and the Royal Navy.
Between 1922 and 1946, the RMC collections consisted merely of arms and military artefact
Cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users...
s collections raised, built and maintained by individuals or very small groups of veterans. Although these items were interesting, there was no overall, coordinated story.
The museum displays collections of military memorabilia and 7000 artefacts, including a collection of 16th through 20th century arms, uniforms, flags, military art and trophies. It holds, for example, the Douglas Arms Collection which was presented to RMC by Walter Douglas (RMC 1890).The Douglas Arms Collection contains over 400 guns that were originally in the ownership of Mexican President, General Porfirio Diaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
. Another significant collection is the Leinster Plate, a collection of silverware, of the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment
Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment
The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 100th Regiment of Foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot...
. A model of the 112-gun HMS St Lawrence (1814) was donated in 2008. The lower floor of the Martello tower contains exhibits on the War of 1812 and the fort’s dockyard. The main floor contains exhibits on the history of the college, and personal mementos of the Old Eighteen, the first class that enrolled in 1876. A gun platform displays the original cannons at the top of the tower. The archives includes cartographic materials, prints and drawings, manuscripts and photographs. The human history consists of manuscripts, medals, military history and technology and weapons.
The museum is also responsible for a collection of Canadian landscape and military art, including paintings, sculpture, and stained glass windows on display throughout the college, though primarily in Currie Hall
Currie Hall
Currie Hall, is a hall within the Currie Building, which is an annex to the Mackenzie Building at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario...
and Yeo Hall. The college announced in 2011 the establishment of an art venue in the New Learning Center.
Memberships and affiliations
The museum is a member of the Canadian Museums AssociationCanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada
Organization of Military Museums of Canada
The Organization of Military Museums of Canada is a national organization for the promotion of military museums in Canada.The OMMC was established in 1967 by a group of military museums, historians, and military history enthusiasts. It has over 40 individual and 60 institutional members including...
Inc. It is also accredited within the Canadian Forces Museum System. It is affiliated with the Canadian Heritage Information Network
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and the Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
. A cooperating association of friends of the museum has been formed to assist with projects.
The Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
Agency often participates in joint programs, or provides supporting resources to the Royal Military College of Canada Museum, which is a partner organization.
| Year | Significance |
|---|---|
| 1918 |
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| 1920 |
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| September 1922 |
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| January 1926 |
Charles Francis Constantine -Education:Major-General Charles Francis Constantine, CB, DSO, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1883. His father, Charles Constantine, was the superintendent of the Royal North West Mounted Police. He was educated at Upper Canada College, in Toronto, Ontario . He studied at the Royal Military... , DSO, RMC Commandant 1925–30 “It is the desire of National Defence Headquarters to make the museum at the Royal Military College the principal storehouse for military relics of all natures...” |
| February 1926 |
|
| 1938 |
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N... , former President of Mexico to RMC. |
| 1946 |
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| July 1946 |
Fort Henry, Ontario Fort Henry is located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Point Henry, a strategic point located near the mouth of the Cataraqui River where it flows into the St. Lawrence River, at the upper end of the Thousand Islands... , a 19th Century citadel overlooking the RMC grounds were given to other military museums. |
| 1957 |
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| 1960 |
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| 25 June 1962 |
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| 2007 |
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Trophies
The Royal Military College of Canada Museum curator oversees the trophies and memorials on the college grounds.| Trophy | Description |
|---|---|
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7.5 cm Infanteriegeschütz 37 The 7.5 cm Infanteriegeschütz 37 was an infantry support gun, used by Germany, during World War II. The guns were originally designated 7.5 cm PaK 37... 8.8 cm Flak 37 used during the Second World War |
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8.8 cm PaK 43 The Pak 43 was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp in competition with the Rheinmetall 8.8 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun and used during the Second World War. The Pak 43 was the most powerful anti-tank gun of the Wehrmacht to see service in significant numbers... used during the Second World War |
Memorials
| Other | Description |
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Avro CF-100 The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck was a Canadian jet interceptor/fighter serving during the Cold War both in NATO bases in Europe and as part of NORAD. The CF-100 was the only Canadian-designed fighter to enter mass production, serving primarily with the RCAF/CAF and in small numbers in Belgium... Canuck Mark 5 |
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Centurion tank The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades... Mark 5 |
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Leopard tank The Leopard is a main battle tank designed and produced in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard focussed on firepower in the form of the German-built version of the... |
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Gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest... behind Fort Champlain |
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