GLAMsections: Part 1 | Museums & Cemeteries

On the 21st of October, I attended a commemorative event for Beverly Randolph Snow, a prominent Black entrepreneur and restaurateur who was born in the US and moved to Toronto in the 1800s. Hosted by the Toronto History Museums team, they honored Beverly who died on this day in 1865, with a talk that included history and historical records, culinary connections with Chef Marc Kusitor serving small bites inspired by Snow, and a new gravestone which we visited by way of a walking tour through the Toronto Necropolis cemetery - my first every visit to a cemetery (I think).

I was intrigued by the mix of museology, (public) history, cuisine, and more. 

"Born enslaved in Virginia c. 1799, and escaping the 1835 anti-Black "Snow Riot" in Washington, D.C., Snow settled in Toronto with his wife, Julia, where he went on to open several dining establishments. To honor his unmarked resting place at the Toronto Necropolis, Museums and Heritage Services (MHS) has procured a newly designed grave marker to commemorate his lasting impact."

The event began with an introduction by MHS Director Karen Carter, followed by a speech from local historian, James Thompson who shared how he'd learned Beverly Snow was laid to rest in Toronto, and the journey to finding out where he was buried which included tracing leads, public records, speaking with someone who had knowledge of the history of the cemetery, and more.

James shared more about Beverly's life and we got to enjoy a sampling of bites from Chef Marc Kusitor, of Chop Time Catering.

In the room where we gathered at Riverdale Farm, there were some beautifully designed posters that gave historical context to Beverly Snow's life and work, his restaurants, and more put together by historians at the Toronto History Museums - truly beautiful work!

The next major aspect of the day was the walking tour to see the newly designed grave marker commissioned by MHS to commemorate his lasting impact and to honor his previously unmarked resting place at the Toronto Necropolis.

The interpreter-led tour to the grave marker site (Section K, Lot 90) introduced us to where he and his wife were buried, as well as another couple, the Holmes. We learned about their work, families/ family lives, the struggles they faced, and the triumphs. 

It was a very eye-opening evening, and I'm excited to learn more about Beverly Snow, his family, and their lives. 

And then a few days ago, on LinkedIn, I came across a post by Elin (Meliska) Filbey, the Deaccessioned Career Coach, who co-hosts "Curate Your Career", a podcast for Museum Professionals. I love her posts, especially the ones where she shares novel intersections and connections between Museum professionals/ work and other areas you may not necessarily have considered.

This post focused on "A cemetery as an outdoor museum." In discussion with her co-host  Alli Schell, they welcomed Ashlynn Rickord Werner who shared her "unconventional journey from museums and public history into cemetery leadership, deathcare technology, and eventually founding A Grave Affair."

It is a GREAT episode - listen here.

In Part 2, I'll share another angle connecting graveyards, to recipes, and a book, To Die For A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes by Rosie Grant