Design is everywhere. As a student in the Master of Design program at Carleton University, I see how design impacts the things surrounding us and how we make sense of them in museums and galleries. This came into sharp focus when I had the opportunity to intern at the Canadian Museum of History in the summer of 2024 under the curator of Visual Culture and Industrial Design, Dr. Joanne Stober. Here, I realized how different institutions that hold design artefacts exhibit them differently.

Clairtone Project G stereos, an iconic Canadian design, provide a case in point. Examples of Clairtone stereos are displayed at the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) and the Canada Science and Technology Museum (CSTM); however, the curatorial approaches at each institution offer contrasting interpretations. At CMH, the Project G Stereo is showcased in the Modern Canada exhibition in the Canadian History Hall, which narrates the country’s historical timeline. By placing the Clairtone within the narrative of Expo 67, it positions the artefact as a reflection of the optimism and national pride Canada felt by showcasing its design innovation on the international stage. This interpretation, however, confines the object to solely being an artefact of Expo 67, providing a limited lens that does not capture the social and cultural significance of the Clairtone Sound Corporation or that Project G Stereo had on the evolution of Canadian design. This is an example of how an object’s context within a non-design museum may dampen the voice of design narratives.  

Clairtone Project G Stereo, Modern Canada exhibit, Canadian Museum of History. Photo: Dhatri Gunupudi

Overall, CSTM’s exhibit exemplifies a curatorial approach that invites expansive narratives. Positioning artefacts as symbols of good design and pivotal sound technologies gives them independent narratives that are not bound to one temporality. The agency given to these objects allows for a holistic understanding of these objects’ cultural and social dimensions. Through curating the artefacts under shared identities - in this case as sound technologies – this exhibit explores and pays tribute to the unique differences between the artefacts, inspiring narratives of their social, cultural, and design impact. This contrasts with Project G at CMH, which is constrained to the historical framework of Expo 67, which reduces the artefact’s broader historical significance. Expo 67 was a pivotal moment in Canadian design. Yet, due to the lack of inclusive narratives surrounding the Clairtone, there is lost potential in representing this artefact and its significance in social, cultural, and design dimensions.  

For my thesis, I’m interested in exploring how artefacts collected in national museums can bridge the worlds of design, technology, history, culture, and society. How can museums better curate design objects to reflect their multifaceted impact on society? By comparing exhibitions, like those featuring Clairtone stereos, and by interviewing curators at both institutions who have curated design in Canada, my research hopes to spark new conversations about how design, and the role of design in our cultural heritage, can be better incorporated into museum practices nationwide.