Today, On This Spot is kicking off its content launch in Elgin County with a photo contest in celebration of the nation-wide initiative of Culture Days. App users will have a chance to win historical prints at participating Elgin County museums when they use On This Spot’s new Augmented Reality camera feature, available now on Apple devices. Users can use this camera function when they visit several then-and-now photo locations in Elgin County to blend history with the present. With the click of a button, they can insert themselves into historical images or allow nineteenth-century Canadians to walk on our modern-day streets. Simply post the captured photos on social media and tag participating museums (@ElginCountyMuseum on Facebook and @Elgin_Museum on twitter) and On This Spot (@on.this.spot) to receive a print!
For this contest, we will be launching three in-depth story locations throughout the county, each one matched to a set of then-and-now photos that explore how things have changed through time. These short essays dive into the history of the region. Learn about the shipping history of Port Bruce’s harbour, the historical blacksmith shop in the town of Sparta, and the legacy of Belmont’s founder, Thomas Nugent.
The story locations and photos are available for free online and through the On This Spot app. This project is in partnership with the the Elgin County Heritage Centre. The Elgin County Museum promotes Elgin County’s rich historical and agricultural heritage by acquiring, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting artifacts pertaining to the history of the County of Elgin.