Montreal Museum Exhibits Hearses and Other Funeral Exhibits

A museum in Quebec is having an exhibit that showcases the historical and cultural aspects of death and dying in this Canadian city.

The exhibit, which is named “Celebrating the Dead: A Living Heritage,” focuses on the history of the funeral business in and around the Quebec region. It has displays of old-time hearses, a recreation of a dying person’s bedroom from 1890 and several other objects that people will find interesting.

“It’s not a morbid exhibition,” explained curator Stephane Chagnon in hopes of encouraging people to come visit the exhibit rather than scaring them off. “It’s an exhibition that’s fascinating to look at because of its objects and content.”

As you go through the displays, Chagnon talks about the history of funeral rituals in Quebec. “Before 1960 when someone died people took care of the dying person at home and after the death the body stayed there,” he explained. “Family members came to pay their last respects and the wake could last for three days.”

You will not see any Cadillac hearses on display at this exhibit as it focuses on the horse-drawn hearses of many decades ago. You will, however, learn a lot about how far we have come in the death business and how things have changed. You can decide for yourself if they have changed for the better or for the worse.