All fire, all headlights

Traveling exhibition presented from June 2 to October 6, 2024.

The exhibition All Fire, All Light is a collaboration between the Musée maritime du Québec, the Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l’estuaire et du golfe Saint-Laurent, and photographer Patrick Matte.

In the 19th century, maritime traffic increased on the St. Lawrence River, causing numerous accidents. Faced with substantial losses, merchants and boat owners demanded changes. This led to the creation of a network of lighthouses in the Gulf and the River, which would serve for nearly two centuries to signal land to sailors.

The exhibition Tout feu, tout phare(All Fire, All Light) highlightsthe history of Quebec's lighthouses, which have witnessed the odyssey of the St. Lawrence River. During your visit, you will discover the important role played by lighthouses and the keepers who operated them.

Showcasing images captured by Patrick Matte, a talented photographer who has been collaborating for many years with the Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l’estuaire et du golfe Saint-Laurent(Corporation of Lighthouse Managers of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence), the exhibition Tout feu, tout phare also showcases some of the Corporation's lighthouse models, as well as lenses from the rich collection of the Musée maritime du Québec, which has also created a narrative evocative of the history of lighthouses in Quebec.

At the heart of this exhibition lies an inseparable link with Acadian history. The lighthouses of the St. Lawrence River were much more than just a maritime guide for the Acadian diaspora in Quebec. They symbolize resilience, safety, and hope. Let us also remember that one of the first lighthouses in North America was Acadian and built at the fortress of Louisbourg between 1731 and 1733." — Laurie Beaudoin, curator.

Quebec Maritime Museum:

Founded in 1968, the Musée maritime du Québec is the custodian of Quebec's national maritime collection. It has a wide variety of artifacts and historical documents relating to all kinds of maritime events, as well as two ships that are open to visitors, making it a major maritime museum institution in Canada. Its mission is to preserve, study, and promote the maritime heritage of the St. Lawrence River, from the Great Lakes to the high seas, including the Arctic territories. The museum perpetuates the memory of Captain J.-E. Bernier.

This project is presented by Hydro-Québec and was made possible thanks to the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications.

Patrick Matte:

Coming from the field of multimedia communications, Patrick Matte is passionate about simple, expressive images. In 2006, he obtained his photography certification from the New York Institute of Photography. He then continued to refine his technique as a self-taught photographer. Since then, his work has been published in some 20 countries and distributed worldwide by Getty Images. Lighthouses entered his life during a trip to the Gaspé Peninsula. Patrick was initially interested in their aesthetics and their environment. The idea of photographing them all quickly went from a dream to a structured project. Since then, Patrick has been deepening his knowledge of this world and the people who gravitate around it. Through his images, he hopes to introduce local lighthouses to a wider audience.

Corporation of Lighthouse Managers of the Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence:

Since 2001, this non-profit organization has been dedicated to the conservation and promotion of lighthouses located along the St. Lawrence Seaway. It works to defend the interests of lighthouses and promote them. Twice a year, it publishes the Bulletin des Amis des phares (Friends of Lighthouses Newsletter), and members' activities can be followed on the website and Facebook page.

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SCHEDULE

Tuesday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.