Technology in Our Lives

Explore the complex relationships Canadians have with their household technologies. From cutlery and irons to refrigerators and the family car, these technologies reveal so much about who we are, what we value, and the possibilities afforded to us by technology.

Following the Second World War, household technologies exploded in popularity. In time, labour-saving devices would also become status symbols, driven by advertisements urging consumers to buy the latest and greatest.

View early lawnmowers and irons, and see how much refrigerators have changed over the years. Learn how the rise of cars and better roads led to the development of Canadian suburbs. See how popular children’s toys reinvented themselves over the years, and explore nearly six decades of consumer culture.

The exhibition also looks at the dark side of consumption and the amount of trash generated worldwide each year. Learn about upcycling, and explore the realities of living in a tiny house.

Exhibition highlights

• Using a quiz-based interactive, determine what your vintage dream kitchen might have looked like
• Walk through a high-efficiency tiny house, and think about whether you and your family could live in a space no larger than 30 square metres (323 square feet)
• See images of German artist H.A. Schult’s Trash People, including installations at world landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza, and Moscow’s Red Square