Facilitating your research is part of the mission of Guelph Museums, however good research takes time, and staff can best serve your interests if you set up an appointment. Research appointments can be booked daily from 1-5 p.m. Researchers without a pre-set appointment cannot generally be accommodated.

Research fees apply. The basic research fee is the same as admission fees (adults $4.00, seniors, children and students $3.00). There are also fees for photocopies, photo reproduction, scanning of images and mailing costs. Complete details are available in our "Research at Guelph Museums" brochure.

To make a research appointment, contact the Assistant Curator at (519) 836-1221 ext. 2776 or kathleen.wall@guelph.ca 

Volunteers are a valuable asset of the museums and assist in many ways including program interpretation, collection cataloging, artifact preservation and fundraising. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer you can pick up an application form at the Guelph Civic Museum. The application provides the museum with information on your interests, background and availability. Once completed, the application is reviewed by the Coordinator of Public Programs and/or the Curator, and the applicant will be called for an interview. For more details please call the Coordinator of Public Programs at (519) 836-1221 ext. 2773 or the Curator at ext. 2774.

All items should be stored flat, away from a heat source and away from direct sunlight. A quilt can be hung on a wall. Make sure it is away from a window and not hanging on an outside wall. A quilt can also be rolled or folded. If it is folded, place tissue in the folds. A christening gown can be laid flat in a drawer. Place tissue in any of the folds.

Guelph Museums places an historic value on items, not a monetary value. We suggest you look in the yellow pages under "appraisers" or "antiques dealer" to get the name of an appraiser.

Guelph Museums cannot tell you how old your Bell piano is exactly but we can help. We have several files on the company which include a few catalogues that may be able to help identify the model and possibly the year of your piano. All Bell pianos have a serial number. The serial number is the best way to date your piano. Locate your serial number for pianos only and match it up with this range and you should have an approximate date.

1895 – 5000 1897 – 7000 1899 – 8600 1900 – 9000

1903 – 12, 000 1905 – 14, 000 1907 – 18, 000 1910 – 21, 000

1912 – 24, 000 1917 – 29, 000 1918 – 30, 000 1919 – 31, 000 1923 – 33, 000 1924 – 34, 000

These are for the upright pianos only. The organs have different serial number ranges and unfortunately we do not have those ranges.

There are over 30,000 objects in the museum’s collection. Staff select from the collection when they organize exhibitions that are up for a limited period of time. If something was left on continuous display, for example a hat or dress, it would soon deteriorate.

The Bell Piano & Organ company was founded in 1864 in Guelph, Ontario. It shipped products all over the world. The firm closed in the early 1930s.

Charles Raymond established the Raymond Sewing machine company in 1862. He retired in 1897 and sold the business, which continued to operate under the Raymond name. In 1916 the business was sold to the White Sewing Machine Company and moved to Cleveland, Ohio.

Public donations are the foundation of Guelph Museums’ collections. If you have an item you wish to donate, please contact the Curator at (519) 836-1221, ext. 2774 to discuss its suitability. The second step in making a donation is to complete a "Consideration Form" that will provide the museum with background information on the item and donor. All items are assessed according to whether they were produced, sold or used by Guelph residents and whether there is sufficient space in collection storage areas. Objects may also be connected to historically important people, places and events in Guelph’s history. The museum also considers the condition of the artifact, supporting documentation, relevance to current research, exhibitions or programs, as well as if the item is duplicated in the collection. The Acquisition Committee meets bimonthly and will advise the donor of acceptance. If an item is not considered appropriate to the collection, staff of Guelph Museums can also transfer your donation, with permission, to another institution or offer it to the museum’s education collection.