A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

From The Collection Main Street

An Ordinary Object Fashioned Out of Extraordinary Circumstances

Portrait
World War One trench lighter, acquired by Hero’s Welcome from a private collection.

FROM THE COLLECTION aims to introduce readers to the inventories of local art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions, not via official exhibition notes but by way of the people that help manage and maintain the collections themselves.

“…given that supply lines to the front were unreliable at best, soldiers had to improvise to provide for their daily needs.”

For this edition of From the Collection, Kim Luttich, curator and designer of Main Street watering hole, Hero’s Welcome, continues mining through their extensive collection to share an innocuous yet inventively fashioned piece of history…

“Trench warfare was horrendously gruelling, grisly, and traumatizing. It is, however, within these horrid confines that great ingenuity and, at times, humanity, shone through. Such is the case with this lighter: given that supply lines to the front were unreliable at best, soldiers had to improvise to provide for their daily needs. These lighters were pieced together from spent bullet casings, torn fabric, and fuel. They are truly a testament not only to the stubbornness of those in the front line, but also to the desire of those in the trenches for a little semblance of normality.”

Directions
Hero's Welcome
Neighbourhood: Main Street
3917 Main St.
604-879-1020
WEBSITE

From The Collection

See more from From The Collection
From The Collection Downtown

Reflecting on Six Decades of Art Collecting with Hy’s President & CEO, Neil Aisenstat

In honour of Hy’s Canada's 60th anniversary, the son of founder Hy Aisenstat reflects on the restaurant’s legacy, and what has made Hy's Steakhouse an institution for generations of locals and visitors alike for over half of a century...
From The Collection Kitsilano

A Symbolic and Well-Traveled Piece of Luggage Uncovered from the MOV

Stanley Chia, Program Assistant and Museum Interpreter at the Museum of Vancouver, selects an item that triggers thoughts of his own personal journey and current place in the world...
From The Collection Main Street

FROM THE COLLECTION // A Priceless, Lovingly Engraved Memento Preserved by Hero’s Welcome

In this edition of From the Collection, we once again hear from Kim Luttich, who continues to unearth interesting items from the former legion's growing collection of wartime artifacts.
From The Collection Main Street

FROM THE COLLECTION // A Valuable Reminder of the Human Element Behind Every Artifact

Kim Luttich, curator and designer of Main Street's Hero's Welcome shares one in a collection of donated pins and the handwritten personal message that accompanied it.

The Scout Community

Become a member