New exhibit to explore Hamilton’s seedy history
- Robert
- 11 Oct 2018
When people think about what Hamilton’s best known for, many ideas come to mind. Over the last ten years, Hamilton has made waves due to its booming creative arts and restaurant scene. Prior to that, Hamilton was known as a gritty, working class city that heavily relied on the steel industry. If we rewind the clock all the way back to the 1800s, Hamilton was best known for its seeds.
Yes, seeds. Around Ferguson Avenue, between Barton and Kelly streets, once sat Rosedale Nurseries. This seed supply centre covered more than 40 acres of land and was owned by John A Bruce, one of Canada’s earliest seedsmen.
Selling seeds was both a lucrative and respectable business; in the mid 1800s, you could find seed companies mixed in amongst furniture stores, hotels, cigar shops and other prominent businesses.
The seed industry played an important part in Hamilton’s history, as it brought many jobs into the city as well as served the needs of Hamilton’s farmers. To celebrate Hamilton’s ‘seedy’ history, the Royal Botanical Gardens is hosting a special exhibit.
The exhibit will include large reproductions of covers from seed catalogues, packages from Bruce’s business as well others from a collection of more than 30,000 seed catalogues and packets.
The historical seed catalogues not only shine a light on Hamilton’s past, but they also provide horticultural researchers a better understanding of today’s seed varieties and non-native species of plants.
Hamilton’s Seedy History runs from October 1 to November 4. Admission to this special exhibit is included in the general admission price.
Did you know about Hamilton’s ‘seedy’ history? What other odd Hamilton facts can you share? Let us know in the comments.
Cover photo courtesy of Public.Resource.Org on Flickr
Catalogue of Seeds photo courtesy of Sandra Culberson on Pinterest
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