Written by Jacob Smith, Digitization Coordinator for the Huron County Museum.
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A series of short films to the Huron County Museum’s YouTube channel that were filmed by local media company CKNX in the 1960s and 1970s. The clips range from news clips, commercials, and local events throughout southwestern Ontario. These videos were donated to the Museum by a former CKNX employee in 2009. In 2022, a portion of the film reels, selected based on relevance to the area, were sent to a third-party company in Toronto to be digitized. In late 2023 and early 2024, staff uploaded the videos to YouTube.
The first video published to YouTube is a tour inside the Huron County Museum in the early 1960s. The brief video features Museum founder, Joseph Herbert Neill, as well as visitors touring the building. You may notice that the present-day History Hall looks different. That is because the video was filmed prior to the extensive renovations that occurred in the late 1980s.
We often groan at the thought of having to sit through yet another commercial or advertisement. However, old commercials can be interesting! They allow us to see defunct businesses, old technology, and popular fashion trends from the time period. Advertisements for Superior Propane, Canadian Tire, Fashions by Westinghouse, and Black Flag insect repellant are just a few that are available for viewing on our YouTube channel. Some of the advertisements are for local businesses, such as Hunt Club Cream Lager, which was made in Formosa, ON.
CKNX staff also captured local news and events within Southwestern Ontario, such as the Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association’s reunion in Blyth, local hockey games, and Kincardine water sports.
This project is funded (in part) in part by the Government of Canada
Ce projet est financé (en partie) par le gouvernement du Canada.