Before Modern Plumbing

     Liverpool is home to another exhibit. The Rossignol Cultural Centre houses some unique exhibits. One of them is the Museum of Outhouses. The website describes the museum like this: 

"The irreverently comical Outhouse Museum recalls times past when folks did their business out back! 

Featuring the incredible Connie Denault Collection of outhouse collectibles, the Outhouse Wall of Fame, the Sherman Hines Antique Outhouse Collection and everything you ever 

wanted to know and and some things you didn’t about the little house over yonder!"

     This Outhouse museum is the only one of its kind in North America. Sherman Hines began photographing outhouses in the 1970s, said to have started when he was photographing the oldest remaining house in Mill Village, Nova Scotia which had an outhouse. Hines has published several books featuring outhouses and issues an annual outhouse calendar. Yes, there were many, many items on display. Outhouses painted on various items. Outhouses made from all sorts of materials. I had a good laugh at some of the outhouses on display. Really, who collects the places "where you do your business"? 

On a bread board and spoon.

Painting

Wall hangings

Carved and painted on wood

Quilted in a hoop

There are many pictures displayed on all sorts of items

A shovel

Pictures of outhouses done in various designs

Postcard

Stained glass

Model outhouses

Model outhouses

Oh so many model outhouses

More model outhouses and mini chamber pots

Tree decorations

An outhouse made from Quebec license plates

Salt and Pepper shakers

A collection of chamber pots

     This is not the only museum within the walls of the Rossignol Cultural Centre. The centre was, established in 2002 and is located in a former high school (apparently Hines went to school there) that was to be demolished. The museum consists of five galleries, which includes an apothecary museum, a wildlife art gallery, folk and fine art, a hunting, fishing and guiding museum, a Mi’kmaq museum, a trapper’s cabin, and an outdoor cultural village. 

     Here are some of our favourite photos from other exhibits.

Even the out door exhibits had a variety
of life-size outhouses

Really!

These jars were used in the window of the
Apothecary to signify if the shop was open or not
or if there was a pharmacist on duty.

A beautiful stained glass window from an apothecary

A display showing how a photographer, back in the old days, would
 ensure a child would be still while having a photograph taken.
That would never work now-a-days.

A visitor in the trapper's cabin

Photos from the wild life gallery

Delicate carvings in antlers

Would he scare you in a battle?

      This was a very unique venue with various exhibits or museums under one roof. Although it was a little difficult to locate due to a lack of signage, once found it was worth it. We had a great time wandering through the building looking at a wide variety of topics.