Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site
Permanent Exhibitions
An
exhibition room
© Parks Canada / Jacques Beardsell
The Cartier homes on Notre-Dame street were built in 1837 by their first owner, Arthur Ross. Neo-classical in style, the two houses share an adjoining coachway. Cartier eventually acquired both properties in two separate transactions. From 1848 to 1855, the Cartier family lived in the 'East House'; from 1862 to 1871, they lived in the 'West House.'
About Mr. Cartier...
Sir
George-Étienne Cartier
© McCord Museum/ William Notman / Photographic Archives
Notman, I-67119
Today, the 'East House' features a permanent exhibition on Cartier's achievements. A lawyer, politician and businessman, Cartier was a major figure in a number of crucial events in Canadian history. He played a decisive role in resolving several fundamental questions that presented themselves during the period. A man dedicated to the ideals of progress, he set about reforming civil institutions and the law through the political mechanisms at his disposal. His dream of making Montreal the trading-hub of British North America accelerated the development of railways and industrialisation. Learning about his career and his achievements will bring you to the heart of a period characterised by major change and progress.
Let Yourself be Seduced by the Splendor of Victorian Style
The interior of the 'West House' has been faithfully restored to recreate the sumptuous bourgeois decor typical of the 1860s. This home remains the only Victorian-era interior open to the public in Greater Montreal. Admiring the rooms' furnishings, visitors can soak up the atmosphere that permeated the bourgeois homes of the past. Soundtracks located in most rooms feature characters who reveal some of the Cartiers' most intimate secrets. Listen in!
A Lady, Two Travelling Misses and a Home
Ladies of the upper class© Parks Canada / Lady's Book and Magazine
In the rooms where the Cartier daughters lived and grew to adulthood is an exhibition where they themselves reveal some of their memories through the pages of their diaries. These private reflections speak to the rhythm of their young bourgeois lives in the city and on numerous excursions, from Saratoga to Cacouna by way of Quebec City. The Cartiers' steamer trunk, family photos, desk set, stamps and sewing accessories, etc.: all objects to admire as you make your foray into the daily lives of Hortense and Joséphine Cartier.
G.E. Cartier and his daughters© William Notman / McCord Museum, I-15392.1
A Victorian Christmas: Experience the Magic of the Holidays at the Cartier House!
Throughout the year, the Cartier house takes on different hues in
keeping with the subjects undertaken in our theatrical presentations. Come discover the magic of the holidays during the 19th century by visiting
the thematic exhibition A Victorian Christmas. You'll be enchanted by the
period gifts and decorations. Learn about the origins of Santa Claus. Don't
miss the preparations for the réveillons!
For further information, contact us at:
514 283-2282.