This month, the St. Catharines Museum made a collection of glass plate negatives available for viewing to the Society.
These images come from the Bertha Shickluna Collection. The box of negatives were found in a basement when the Shickluna’s were cleaning up. The box and photos were not in very good shape. They were offered to the Museum with the message, “if you do not want it, throw it out.” Fortunately, the Museum immediately recognized the importance of the images and decided to keep the collection. The photos were sent to the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa. The CCI stabilized the images, cleaned the glass and made working prints of the photos.
The bulk of the collection features the Port Dalhousie area around the turn of the 20th century. The collection shows buildings, people and a lifestyle that truly takes you back in time. This has become one of the more important photo collections at the St. Catharines Museum.
Sample image: A sloop and grain elevator in Port Dalhousie, Ontario. Bertha Shickluna Collection, 1982.223.74, neg. N4848.
The Historical Society of St. Catharines 
Where can I see the rest of the Shikuna pictures?
Hello Dan. The remainder of the Shikuna pictures can be found at the St. Catharines Museum at Lock 3. Enjoy this impressive collection.