Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes

For many years the Timothy Eaton’s store stood on Portage Avenue as a staple for Winnipeggers and for Manitobans from all over the province who would visit it on their trips into the city.

Eaton’s is fondly remembered by Manitobans of all ages. It can be argued that the fondest of these memories are those of the Christmas season when Eaton’s had its grand Christmas display windows along Portage Avenue and its Eaton Fairytale Vignettes display set up on the ninth floor annex.

The Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes display is comprised of a collection of fifteen storybook vignettes that contain over 300 pieces in total. At each vignette visitors can read the story associated with the vignette on a similar storybook shaped interpretation panel. The Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes display has been a Winnipeg holiday tradition for over 40 years – and though the exact age of the dolls in the display is unknown, they are much older than that!

The relocation of the Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes to the Children’s Museum was initiated by a private citizen after Eaton’s announced it would be closing its local stores in 1999. Representatives from Eaton’s met with a number of non-profit groups who were interested in the display, and in the end chose to give it to the Children’s Museum. The Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes display officially opened at the Children’s Museum on November 20, 1999 – and dozens of years later, countless visitors to the museum continue to be thrilled with this acquisition.

As a cornerstone of Manitoba’s heritage, the Children’s Museum takes the care and upkeep of the Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes display very seriously. Since being in the museum’s possession, the Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes display has undergone several significant redevelopments and restorations by heritage conservationists.

The primary cost to redevelop and relocate the Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes to the Children’s Museum in 1999 was $85,000.

The first restoration and refurbishment of the vignettes was in 2006 and cost over $10,000 – with $5,000 of assistance in grants from The Thomas Sill Foundation and the Heritage Grants Advisory Council.

The most recent redevelopment and restoration was in 2010 as part of the museum’s $10M capital campaign renovations. This restoration cost approximately $75,000 and included the fabrication of new vignette display cases, doll and motor refurbishments, push-button activation, and archival storage supplies.

With each passing year and with ongoing support from our community, the Children’s Museum strives to ensure that the Eaton’s Fairytale Vignettes will continue to be on display for visitors to enjoy for many holiday seasons to come.