Musée de la civilisation to host science fiction props and costumes

The Musée de la civilisation is preparing a new exhibition featuring 45 cult science fiction props and costumes on loan from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The items, which arrived by truck after flying from Vancouver to Montreal, include iconic pieces from films such as Back to the Future, Star Trek, and Blade Runner. Museum staff began unpacking and inspecting the collection to ensure all artifacts remain in their original condition.

The incoming collection features several instantly recognizable artifacts from cinematic history. Staff unpacked Marty McFly’s self-lacing sneakers from Back to the Future II alongside an original Dr. Zaius costume from the 1968 film Planet of the Apes and a Sentinel prop from Matrix Revolutions.

Museum conservator Philippe-Antoine Hamel noted the careful process required for handling the collection. Quand le musée emprunte des objets, évidemment, selon la valeur, l’importance historique des objets, il y a parfois des gens qui les accompagnent. Zulma Gomez, registraire des collections at the Seattle museum, traveled to assist local staff with the careful handling and inspection of the artifacts.

The loan represents the largest loan of the year granted by the Museum of Pop Culture, which is collaborating with the Quebec institution for the first time, according to project manager Anouk Gingras. Following the unpacking phase, teams will complete a condition report for each artifact before installation begins.

Exhibition Design and Technological Inspiration

The upcoming exhibition, titled La machine : mission vers le futur, opens to the public on November 26. Project organizers designed the exhibition around a conceptual time-traveling imagination machine intended to give young visitors a sense of agency and hope regarding the future.

Exhibition spaces will transport visitors through distinct eras, including a teenager’s bedroom on the eve of the year 2000, 1969, during the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the economic crisis of the 1920s. Beyond historical settings, the exhibition explores what the world might look like in 25, 50, and 100 years by drawing on both science fiction and consultations with modern technology specialists.

Several items in the collection highlight how early science fiction concepts anticipated modern communication technologies. Gingras pointed to the Vid-Phone prop from Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner, which mirrors contemporary video conferencing tools, as well as the Starfleet Communicator from the original 1969 Star Trek series, which predated 1990s flip phones. Private collectors have also contributed additional items to the exhibition, such as a Luke Skywalker figurine depicting a scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.