"After Fifty" Article pg.2

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Jim Lawrence

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"After Fifty" article on Ralph Bangay July, 1993 Page 2

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Ralph and Eugenia Bangay founded and operated Memory Junction Museum at 60 Maplewood Avenue, Brighton, Ontario from 1995 to 2017. Ralph's love of history and astute eye for memorabilia, including artifacts, photos, deeds, and documents soon created a gathering place for Brighton history.

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Top Left: Page 10 After Fifty July 1993
Title: Passion for memorabilia started as a child

[Continued from "After Fifty" Article pg.1]: Continued from Page 1.
Lake with an island in the middle, constructing a building on the island and filling it with antiques, most of which would reflect Brighton's history.

COOL RECEPTION

Council was cool to the idea and Bangay was shunted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority for their input.
Armed with approval signed by the Minister he approached the LTRCA but after a length meeting was informed that the area was on a flood plain and could not be used for building.
"Hell," he remarked," didn't they known the miller's house had been there since the 1800's? Have you ever seen a miller's house and a mill built on the top of a mountain?

TURNED DOWN

After explaining the details of his plan to the LTRCA, Bangay was disappointed when the town received a letter refusing him permission to build a home in that area. "I spent three hours talking about a museum," he said. "I never mentioned a home once."
Angered by the response, Bangay bought a used bus and transported two full busloads and two truck loads of Brighton antiques to a barn in Fredericton, new Brunswick. "I guess a lot of them are still around the Maritimes," he remarked with a wry smile.

STAMPS

Bangay was born on Main Street in Brighton in 1926. It wasn't until he was eight when the collecting bug bit him and never let go. His brother, Bert, started the whole thing by presenting him with a stamp album.
Soon the young boy was bringing home horse shoes from the local blacksmith shop, old letters and wooden tools from the neighbours' garbage... anything that suited his fancy... and lots of it.
That was just the beginning.
Now, at age 67, Bangay is an admitted scrounger and collector. He's as interested now in finding another piece for his collection as he ever was. He has items (including the door from the Brighton jail) stored in a barn, the attics of some of his friends' houses, a son's home in Orono, a barn in Fredericton and in every nook and cranny of his home.

STORIES TOO

It's not just a matter of collecting things. Everything in his collection has a story and Ralph takes joy in relating the details of how,where and when he got the item and why he wanted it.
He tells how how someone he knew removed the mini-shotgun from the last mail train in Toronto. He unwraps the gun as he tells the story.

MARITIME HISTORY

He holds up a wooden dead-eye (a wooden block used to hold ropes on a sailing ship). "This is one of the original dead-eyes from the Bluenose," he says proudly. "I got it from a guy who got it from some sailors from the Lunenburg schooner at a party.
"When I asked if I could buy it, the guy told me it was far to valuable to sell... then he gave it to me!"
Bangay rescued a series of original drawings from a nearby house. The owner was using them to keep the wind out of a clapboard whoodshed behind the kitchen. Signed by AC Webb and dated June 13, 1871 the drawings are some of the earliest official surveys of Smithfield, just east of Brighton.
"I find things all over the place," Bangay said. "When I worked as a carpenter or plumber I found things behind walls, under flooring and stuffed into attics."
"I'd just say, 'Do you want that' or I'd just offer a dollar or two. Most people are happy to get rid of what they call 'the family junk'.

SHOW AND TELL

He chuckles about the stuffed hyena head that, with a collection of African swords and spears, he salvages from a neighbour's garage. "The garbage men would't take it... but I did!"
Over the years the hyena head has travelled back and forth on the school bus with his five children. "I'd let them take it to school for 'Show and Tell'," Bangay laughs. "When the kids finally graduated from the school many of the teachers told me they always looked forward to what the Bangay kids would bring from home. There's lots of uses for this stuff"
In the early 80's Bangay moved to Saint John where he established and ran the Wharf Museum at the base of the Reversing Falls. In later years he turned the museum over to the city and returned to his home town.

OLD LOG CABIN

Now he wants to establish a museum next to the proctor House, a Brighton museum of 1860 lifestyle. He'd like to move an old log cabin, located on Presqu'ile to a site near the Proctor House. He'll fill it with Brighton antiques.
"I've still got more than 100 items that were used or made in Brighton.It would add to the attractions for tourists," he said. "The more we have to offer, the more people will come into the area."
He's getting negative vibes over this idea too. "It could be because I want to run it my way," he suggests. "You can't run a museum with a committee."
In the meantime he's thinking about raising his garage and putting in a wooden floor. "I'm going to have to expand out there pretty soon," he said. "We're running out of room in the house."
Eugenia? Her only droll comment was that if Ralph dies before she does, she's going to have the biggest yard sale Brighton has ever seen.
"Oh yeah? Well, she ain't seen nothin' yet," cracks the collector, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Image Description: Not content to just collect items, Ralph Bangay, has a story to tell about each and every one of his treasures. Most have a humorous twist to match his ready, mischievous smile.

Bad joke of the month:
"Hey waiter, give me a cup of coffee without any cream."
"I'm sorry sir, we're all out of cream, you'll have it without milk."
"Is your milk fresh?"
"Fresh? It's so fresh that two hours ago it was grass."

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