Sir William Logan enters Personalities Hall at Canadian Museum of Civilization

Sir William Logan enters Personalities Hall at Canadian Museum of Civilization

Gatineau, Quebec, April 28, 2010 — William Edmond Logan, the self-taught geologist who became one of the most honoured scientists in Canadian history, joins the Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. This Hall attracts over 200,000 visitors every year.

As founding director of the Geological Survey of Canada in the mid-1800s, Logan led a national effort to identify, document and develop Canada’s vast mineral resources. He was knighted by Queen Victoria, honoured by the Emperor of France, Napoleon III, and hailed by his peers and compatriots. Canada’s highest mountain bears his name. Logan’s story is told in a new module in Face to Face, a permanent exhibition that profiles exceptional Canadians who helped shape the country through their words and actions.

“Sir William Logan made enormous contributions to Canadian science and to the country’s economic development,” said Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. “He was also a remarkable character, as much at home in the Canadian wilderness as he was consorting in London with the scientific elite of the British Empire.”

The artifacts showcased in the module are a generous donation of the Geological Survey of Canada. Among the featured objects are the medals Logan received from the Queen and the Emperor, and a “buggy odometer” that measured the distance he traveled by horse-drawn carriage. Also displayed is a delightful collection of sketches, taken from Logan’s field notes, which illustrate his considerable talents as an artist.

“Logan was a renowned geologist and cartographer,” explains Dr. Xavier Gélinas, curator of Face to Face. “The exhibit also highlights his central role in the founding of three of Canada’s national museums, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization.”

Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall opened in 2007. It profiles 27 people at a time, with the line-up changing periodically. The Museum invites Canadians to nominate or vote for other historical figures worthy of inclusion in the Hall. More information is available online, at www.historymuseum.ca/facetoface.

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Canadian Museum of Civilization
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Canadian Museum of Civilization
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