The carnival is in town! A special exhibition on Jack Ray at the City of Ottawa Archives presented by the North American Carnival Museum and Archive (NACMA) opened earlier this week, highlighting Jack Ray's art deco designs and midway plans from the 1930s. Jack Ray, a British-born Canadian became famous for his grand stage sets and unique amusement park designs. The exhibit will be open from October 11th until November 19th. A virtual exhibit is also available online called Jack Ray: Selling Glamour and Illusion. The North American Carnival Museum and Archive, located in Stittsville, Ontario, is a self described 'diamond in the rough'. Last summer before the Ottawa Ex was closed I was fortunate enough to see one of the beautiful and rich carnival exhibits put on by NACMA. They are truly a beautiful diamond here in Canada preserving a history of the weird, wacky and exciting world of the midway culture and you can find out more about the museum and their work at NACMA.org.
