society for the study of architecture in canada - SEXTONdigital ...

A
S THE FIRST CANADIAN BUILDING DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO HOUSE A MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, the Peter Redpath Museum in
Montreal ( 1880-1882) (figure 1) possesses architectural, scientific, and museological significance. 1 Its original design 2 constituted a
masterful expression of the museum idea of its founder, John William Dawson (1820-1899): his vision of the meaning of natural history and the
role that McGill's museum should play in the preservation, presentation, and propagation of its knowledge. 3
The account of the genesis, expression, and evolution of this museum idea- a story which spans more than two centuries of changing
ideas about science, architecture, and museology- can enrich our understanding of the importance of the Peter Redpath Museum today. It also
demonstrates that a full appreciation of the museum's design history, so critical in the establishment of an appropriate philosophy to guide its
future, implies looking beyond the original formal features of its building and understanding the broader cultural context that first inspired, then
shaped, and finally altered its architecture and arrangement.
17:3 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 61