Sooke Agriculture Historium - Fair Exhibit

"Sooke Farmers Institute Exhibit, displayed in Victoria in 1910."

Very nice! It reminds me of a Thanksgiving display.

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Sooke Agriculture Historium - Hay Load

"Hay load on the farm of Herb Blythe in the Kemp Lake area in the 1940s."

Now that's a load of hay! I love the way the artist has captured the hay's soft texture.

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Sooke Agriculture Historium - Woodside Barn

This barn, built in 1932 at Woodside farm, is a landmark along West Coast Road. 

Photo taken in the '70s.

I love the fine details of the machinery in this scene. 

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Sooke Agriculture Historium - Jersey Cow

"A Jersey cow, vital to the farm in the 1920s, resided at the Milne farm."

Oh dear, everyone does look grim in this photo--except for Mr. Milne, who gives us just a hint of a smile. But the way Mrs. M. is holding that kitten, she surely isn't as fierce as she looks.

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Sooke Agriculture Historium - Woodside Farm

"Woodside farm, established in the 1860s by the Muir family,

has consistently remained agricultural."

I love the look of this spread. It reminds me of a Grandma Moses painting!

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Sooke Agriculture Historium - Mowing Oats

Mr. Wes Carscadden mowing oats on the Murray farm, 

located at Murry and Goodmere Roads in 1920.

Got to love the way this farmer is dressed in shirt and hat for his work... or maybe he was posing for the photo!

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Sook Agriculture Historium - Loggers

On our holiday last summer, we visited the town of Sooke, B.C. on Vancouver Island. Imagine my delight when we came across a whole slew of murals—the Sooke Agriculture Historium.

These reproductions of old photos are painted in sepia tones and set off with borders and photographic corners as if taken from an old photo album. They appear on a long L-shaped building and cover two walls of that building.

In the weeks ahead, we'll view them one at a time, along with the description (as written on the painted tag that accompanied each photo). Enjoy this trip to the past...

This first mural gives details about the project, the artists, and sponsors.

This is what the first wall of murals looks like from a distance.

Sooke Agriculture Historium - mural wall

"Loggers using springboards and crosscut saws felled these giant Douglas fir trees, by hand in 1900."

Those were some amazing trees they cut down back then, with considerable risk to life and limb, I would suppose!

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