Hello, Montreal!

Bell's Historical Collection

February 17, 2017 - January 6, 2019

This is the first, new, 2017 temporary exhibition at Pointe-à-Callière (PAC - the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History), presented in collaboration with Bell, Canada's the very first and still the largest telecommunication company. The Exhibition looks at the evolution and the role telephony plays in our lives. It also focuses on development of the telephone gadgets and their design not only from the technical but also from the aesthetic point of view.

Francine Lelièvre, Executive Director of Pointe-à-Callière, stated:

"For the Montréal's 375^th anniversary, we decided to unveil an exhibition looking at the development of telephony over more than 140 years, from a Montréal point of view. Technological innovations have shaped the way we communicate and contribute to our city’s growth. Pointe-à-Callière is proud to retrace the development of telephony in such striking fashion, and we thank Bell most sincerely for making it possible to access its invaluable private Collection."

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey lasting more than 140 years, tracing the evolution of telephony. It begins with the birth of Alexander Graham Bell’s first concepts of how to transmit sounds and speech at a distance, and follows technological advances leading up a new way of interacting: the wired network, and the much later giant step of introducing fibre optics. Visitors will also learn about the people who contributed to the development of telephony, particularly in Montreal, highlighting the city's historical role in the development of the telephone communication.

The exhibition various themes examine the development of communications networks, mobile telephony and its influence on today’s lifestyles, and the future of communications. Visitors will see all this history and will be also encouraged to think about their own use of the telephone and its central role in their lives as they learn about how technological advances over the decades have changed the way we communicate.