In 1963, the Union Steamship Company ceased its operations on Bowen, bringing about the end of the resort age on the island. What happened on Bowen after we ceased to be a tourist destination? According to the editor of a Bowen short–run paper: “Zip, Zero, Zilch.” Was this true?
Please join us at the Museum & Archives on July 12th as we celebrate the opening of our new exhibit “Hippies and Dippies, Dodgers and Codgers – Bowen Island 1960-1979.”
To kick-start the exhibit, we will be hosting a living history fashion show. The history of Bowen from 1890 – 1979 is told through clothing. Guess who is wearing a poodle skirt? Who is that man who looks like Captain Cates? And hippies! We have hippies! And no, they are not nubile young twenty year-olds. These are the folks who lived the sixties, who experienced the seventies and who chose to make Bowen their home. They may not strut like models (yes, a cane or two may be needed) but they help make our history come alive with the protest signs that reveal significant events of the time.
Starting at 12:30, the Museum & Archives invite you to come down and explore the new exhibit. We’ve got a lot of exciting things planned for you, including a groovy contest. How many people do you know on Bowen? Would you recognize them in the sixties and seventies? Enter our “Guess Who?” contest and see how many Bowen folks you can identify. We’ve got lots of great prizes,
including Ticket to this year’s People, Plants and Places Tour, a copy of our book “Reflection,” and historic Bowen prints created by Ron Woodall.
And there’s even more. We will have face painting – want a flower or a peace sign? – and nice cold treats kept cool in the original Bowmart freezer.
The living history “fashion” show starts at 1:30. After the show we will grab our protest signs and head down to the Bowen Marina Pier for more music and fun!
Get your groove on! Put on your tie-dye and bellbottoms and come celebrate Steamship Days with us at 1014 Miller Road (across from the RCMP station).
