Architecture meets Moose and Beaver chicsteemCreated with Sketch.

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The building loomed above us as we followed the broad sidewalk around to the front entrance. Grand old buildings have an eerie aura about them, more so on a misty day like this, and this old one is a historic landmark - it was the first building in Canada created to house a national museum. Today, instead of featuring its contents - it houses the Canadian Museum of Nature - we're going to talk about this interesting Ottawa building.

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Built between 1905-1911 out of local sandstone and employing 300 Scottish stone masons, exactly what style would you call it? The museum's web site says it best.

...chief architect and designer, David Ewart, created a fanciful castle-like structure that has been described as Scottish Baronial in design. Ewart's structures reflect the Romanesque and medieval styles of Europe, with a combination of Tudor and Gothic features.

The massing and interior articulation of the building are influenced by the Beaux-Arts style, which stressed symmetrical, axial plans.

The architecture was intended to mirror the Centre Block of Canada's original Parliament Buildings, one mile due north of the museum's site.

Despite the influence of European styles... The museum is one of the first public buildings to incorporate into its design animals and plants that are found in Canada. These are found in windows, exterior walls and interior embellishments, in addition to the two carved moose heads that guard the main entrance.

This next photo, over the front door, shows the whimsical moose heads and the building's name, "The Victoria Memorial Museum." It was named after Queen Victoria.

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Throughout its history, it housed various national museums and important tenants. In 1916, after the great fire on Parliament Hill, it spent 4 years as the emergency headquarters for the Canadian Parliament. Today, it's the home of the Canadian Museum of Nature.

The building is
also known for sinking!

This was discovered before it was completed and led to the removal of the original stone tower. It continued to sink until 1969 when it was closed for stabilization against sinking, infrastructure upgrades and new galleries. Since then, there has been periodic work on the infrastructure, including the installation of a steel support structure, sandstone maintenance, new galleries, and the erection of the Queen's Lantern, the 4 story glass atrium that replaced the original tower. In 2010, the completely renovated museum was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth on May 22—International Day for Biological Diversity. It's beautiful and regal looking inside.

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Now I have to tell you the scandalous story of the bull moose mosaic. We had entered the museum and taken the steps up to the foyer. On the floor was a large mosaic of a moose that I hadn't remembered from my earliest visits. I was taking its photo when one of the museum workers asked if I knew its story. Well, no. It turns out that some time in the 1950s, a nun had objected to the anatomically correct moose depicted in the mosaic - I did say it was a bull moose. Fearing negative publicity, the museum covered the moose and it was almost forgotten when it was uncovered during renovations in the 1990s. It has remained uncovered ever since then.

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References

Canadian Museum of Nature - History and Buildings
Backgrounder - The Queen's Lantern
Bull Moose Mosaic Story

Images

Photos from the iPad of @kansuze.

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@kansuze

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Suze...Thank you for the present!! I was wondering where that came from..

Congrats! Now you're working for you. :-)

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Oh dear! Spare us from bull testicles, lol

Hello @kansuze, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!

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