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OTTAWA With all of Britain immersed in a weekend of supremepageantry celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth'sreign, details about how Canada's main history museum will markthis year's Diamond Jubilee have quietly emerged. And taking centre stage at the Canadian Museum of Civilization'splanned Jubilee exhibition scheduled to open on July 1 and rununtil early 2013 will be a 55-year-old, maple-leaf-emblazoneddress that was worn by the Queen during her first post-Coronationvisit to Canada in 1957. The dress adorned with a garland of bejewelled, green leaves is among 60 artifacts to be displayed in the exhibit titled A Queenand Her Country at the Gatineau, Que., history centre. Otherobjects in the chronologically themed tribute to the Queen's closerelationship with Canada include a handcrafted porcelain vasecelebrating her Coronation in 1953 and souvenirs recalling a 2002royal visit during which Elizabeth dropped the puck for aceremonial faceoff at the start of a Vancouver Canucks game. But the "Maple Leaf of Canada Dress" from 1957 ishighlighted by the museum as the exhibition's central artifact. The country was enthralled with the 31-year-old Queen when shearrived in Ottawa in October of that year, in time to become thefirst monarch in Canadian history to deliver the throne speech andopen Parliament. John Diefenbaker was the Conservative prime minister at the time;future Liberal prime minister Lester B. Pearson was earningheadlines alongside Elizabeth II after it was announced on Oct. 14that he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomaticefforts to defuse the Suez Crisis of 1956. But the leafy dress, created for the Queen by British fashiondesigner Norman Hartnell, was winning widespread media coverage ofits own. "Second only to her dazzling coronation gown of this afternoonwas the Queen's Maple Leaf of Canada Dress," the Globe andMail reported at the time. "Each leaf in green velvet wasappliqued with crystals and emeralds . . The magnificent gown wasso striking and so magnificently worn by Her Majesty that one hopedfor a stimulus to Canadian design, with so regal an example." One historical account of the Rideau Hall state dinner at which theQueen wore the dress took note of its impact on observers. "The Queen's every glance, gesture and smile was reported bythe press," author John Melady wrote in Pearson's Prize:Canada and the Suez Crisis. "Her 'Maple Leaf of Canada' dressgot as much coverage as a flood in Valencia, Spain, that left aquarter of a million people homeless." The Canadian Postal Museum, which is located within the Museum ofCivilization, is currently exhibiting a collection of stamps ina show titled Designed For a Queen and running until October that features images of Elizabeth as captured in 645 royal"postal portraits" from around the world. Canada Post has also issued a series of commemorative DiamondJubilee stamps, and the Royal Canadian Mint struck 60,000 Jubileemedals that are being presented in the Queen's name this year todeserving Canadian achievers and volunteers. "As Canada's national museum of human history, we are proud topresent this unique, pan-Canadian perspective on Her Majesty's60-year reign," Museum of Civilization president Mark O'Neillsaid of the exhibition to be unveiled in July. "The openingdate Canada Day underscores her constitutional role as Queenof Canada and her deep affection for this country and itspeople.". I am an expert from usb-peripheral.com, while we provides the quality product, such as USB Hub Card Reader Combo , Hi Speed USB Hub, Mini Bluetooth Keyboards,and more.
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