This week, I’ve been working on updating the “Banting House” Wikipedia page. It had a small amount of information on it, so I figured it could use some new contribution, especially since it has become part of our presence on the internet.
What I didn’t realize when I started was how long it would take! I needed to find the original sources for everything I added to the article – it’s a good thing we have so many newspaper clippings here!
I also had to make sure I was writing in the right style for the site, and learn how to use the template codes that were provided for editing.
After working on the article for a couple of hours, giving a tour to some new visitors is a welcome interruption. Between the two though, I’ve been keeping busy this week!
Since I’ve had to do a lot of research for this project, I thought I’d share some of the most interesting things I learned this week while flipping through articles.
First of all, the Sir Frederick Banting comic book exhibition – Three Stories. One Life. Banting’s Biography and the Comic Book Aesthetic, in the Francis Ruth Lawson Gallery right now was opened the day after last year’s Free Comic Book Day – a yearly event that keeps the Old East Village bustling, where participating stores give away free comics and put on great deals.
I love a lot of comic book oriented things, so imagine how excited I was when I learned that one of the artists for “World Famous Heroes,” one of the comics featuring Banting, went on to work on DC Comics! I was also pretty impressed to learn that my boss made friends with Batman and Darth Vader when he opened the gallery.
Photo by Mike Maloney – London Community News
I also learned that there’s a crater on the moon named after Sir Frederick Banting. Last year, Banting House NHSC had a stargazing event, using telescopes to see it (they also got a great view of Saturn)! We’re thinking about making it a yearly occurrence.
One of the most surprising things I learned is that it took 61 years for Banting House to become a museum, from the time it was first suggested, to its initial opening. It amazed me a little bit, how long it takes us Canadians to honour our heroes sometimes.
Overall, I learned a LOT this week. I learned how to use template codes, I learned how to write in an encyclopedic style, and I learned that sometimes, when you think something’s going to take you an hour or two, it takes a week – but it sure feels great when you’re finally done!
Oops – I have to go, I’ve got another tour! Come and join us when you have a chance!
This blog was written by Siena McLachlan, Special Events Assistant/Interpretive Guide at Banting House NHSC. Siena specializes in English Literature and Creative Writing at Western University.
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