Natalie Ménard of the Cornwall Community Museum holds a photo of an early presentation of Cornwall`s top sports award, believed to be from the 1960s
It is a collection that Ian Bowering describes as “priceless” both monetarily and for its historic importance.
For more than 40 years, where ever there was news happening in Cornwall and the surrounding area, Marcel Quenneville was there to photograph it.
Now, a collection of much of the work of his professional life has been handed over to the Cornwall Community Museum.
The collection was donated by Quenneville’s daughter Barb Tobin, who felt donating the work to Cornwall Community Museum was naturally fitting because of the late Quenneville’s immense involvement the community.
“Her father had always been proud of Cornwall,” said Ian Bowering, musuem curator. "He’d be pleased if it came back to the community.”
Quennneville died in 2000 at the age of 75, leaving behind a legacy that began at the tender age of 17 and stretched for 43 years.
Bowering could barely hide his pleasure at receiving the photos detailing many historic events in Cornwall’s history, from visits of major political leaders to the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“It’s priceless -- historically and monetarily. The museum is honoured to be able to have it.”
It is the receipt of items like the photo collection and the recently acquired War of 1812 medal that make Bowering’s job interesting.
“I’m like a little boy in a toy shop,” Bowering grinned.
The collection will be available for a couple of weeks for public. After that, it will disappear for about a year to be catalogued, Bowering said.
