Stories From Banting’s Basement: Week 11

Hello again! This week was busy. I spent a lot of my time cataloguing objects, giving tours, and working on my research project.  

This week I catalogued a Glass-Ball Mosaic kit that belonged to Teddy Ryder. It is currently displayed in our “I’m a Fat Boy Now” exhibit. This item is used to show what life was like before Ryder was diagnosed with diabetes. It is displayed next to his story books and photographs of him before diabetes.  

I also catalogued a scrapbook that included various newspaper clippings about Frederick Banting’s death in 1941. Some of the articles are shown below.

In addition to cataloguing artifacts, I also reviewed the finding aid for the new William Banting collection that will make it more accessible for future researchers. I came across this framed photograph of Marion Robertson in a nursing uniform. Marion Robertson was the first wife of Frederick Banting.

This week I also got to partake in an event hosted by Banting House. This past Sunday, the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Canada as part of their Ride For Cause…Let’s End Diabetes campaign, came to visit. They hope to raise $100,000 or more to work towards crossing the finish line to End Diabetes! On this day, Banting House was open to the public with admission by donation. There was also food, booths and wonderful speeches. Tours were self-guided for this event, so my role was to give an introduction to the house, give visitors a suggested route, and then pop in every so often to answer questions. Below is a photo taken of the event as seen on our social media.  

Overall, it was an exciting and eventful week!