The collection of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes includes:

• Archival Materials;
• Art;
• Artefacts;
• Photographs and Library materials.

The official geographic limits of the collection are from Montreal to the Lakehead. The one exception to these limits is the library collection, which is International in scope. The Archival collection of the Marine Museum has over 3,500 linear feet of records and over 50,000 ship plans. The Artefact collection is over 4,000 objects and art. The Photograph collection contains over 31,000 images. The Library holdings contain over 12,000 titles.

Archives

The museum archives maintains collections documenting Canadian marine heritage on the Great Lakes from the early 19th century through to the present. Material covering all aspects of ships and shipping are represented from the original vessel design, through its building, its working life and its final paying off (or shipwreck).

These various aspects of the marine trades and industry are reflected in collections originating from the draughting offices of naval architects, from the shipyards which built the ships, from the vessels themselves, and from the corporate headquarters of companies operating the fleets. The textual and ships plans are further supplemented by photographs and audio-visual recordings.

Artefacts

Much can be learned from the maritime material culture available to us.

The Museum’s artefact collection includes a broad range of instruments, tools and equipment used by mariners, by shipbuilders and yachtsmen. A brief list of objects includes: navigation instruments, rigging gear, deck gear, steam engines, skiffs and other small craft, shipbuilding and boat building tools.

In addition there are ship models, clothing, and a ship CCGS Alexander Henry.

The artefact collection also includes works of art.

The art collection includes naval art of Grant Macdonald, works by Nicholas Henderson, Peter Rindlisbacher and many other professional and amateur and folk marine artists.

Museum Ship Alexander Henry

The 3,000 ton, 210 foot ship is broadly representative of shipbuilding technology from the end of World War 2 until the 1970's.

Students interested in the design considerations, structure and the many systems that comprise the construction of a ship will find many details of interest.

The ship is exceedingly well documented with material from the designer (German & Milne), the shipbuilder (Port Arthur Shipyards), and the operator (Canadian Coast Guard).

The collection also includes some photographs and stories from past crew members.

Library

The library collection includes:

• material pertaining to museums and museology,
• underwater archaeology,
• British, American and Canadian naval history.

The library subject areas cover all aspects of Canadian shipping and marine heritage: yachting; canal systems; shipping registers, including a near complete run of Lloyds and Department of Transport List of Shipping; ship histories, lists and directories; shipping company fleet histories; steam technology; naval history; navigation; pilot guides; shipwreck directories; transactions of nautical societies; some ethnographic studies; naval architecture; shipbuilding general; shipbuilding of the Great Lakes; shipyard hull lists; yacht design and construction; boat building; ocean liner histories; steamboats; sails and rigging and engineering.

The library also receives serials. Currently over 250 titles are on file. These include trade, scholarly and many special interest titles.

Photographs

The Photograph collections at the Marine Museum contain images collected or photographed by professional and amateur photographers over many decades.

The collection also includes historic photographs collected by researchers, images taken or commissioned by shipping company advertising departments and images purchased or given away to commemorate special events.

The Museum has also taken photographs or collected images that document ships and shipwrecks, marine industry, ship passages and traditional marine trades.

The Museum is in the process of digitizing many of these images to improve access.