Plateau Strategy
The story
The McCord Stewart Museum uses clothing, photographs, decorative arts, community archives and Indigenous cultural objects to tell Montréal's social history. Its holdings exceed 2.5 million items, including the vast Notman Photographic Archives, which record people, streets and buildings across generations.
The scale can be overwhelming, so begin with one person or object. A dress, portrait, protest sign or restaurant menu can reveal who made the city, who was represented and whose story was left outside older accounts. The museum also works with Indigenous communities connected to cultural objects in its care.
Use Universal Gallery after reading the museum label, especially when an object number or maker is available. The museum closes Monday and stays open later Wednesday. Ground-floor renovation is currently underway, but the museum says all exhibitions remain available.