One Day Exhibit: Rust in Peace
Sunday, July 25th

Back before the environmental movement was in full swing and the auto crusher was sent out to remove old cars from the landscape, many an old 1920s and 1930s coach and sedan was left in the back corner of an Island junkyard to quietly rust away. On Sunday, July 25th, the Courtenay and District Museum will be displaying Rust in Peace, a photo-documentary of these fascinating old car graveyards.

The show coincides with Comox Valley Classic Cruisers Graffiti Show and Shine which takes place in downtown Courtenay the same day.

The black and white photographs in Rust in Peace were taken by long-time Comox Valley resident, Rick James. In the 1970s, just before the vintage car collections disappeared for good, James spent time exploring the derelicts with his buddy and old car nut, Ken Gerberick. Gerberick was totally preoccupied with collecting interesting fenders, cowls, wheels and hood ornaments for his own old car junkyard, an on-going art project that he worked on for years.

Although James did pick up the odd bit of rusty metal himself, he was more concerned with photographing the sites before their residents were turned into razor blades in Japan. The three junkyards featured in the Rust in Peace exhibit will be Lionel English’s Merville junkyard, ex-Campbell River mayor Ken Forde’s collection at Shelter Point and the unforgettable Gorosh pile that was a roadside icon next to the Old Highway near Nanaimo from the early 1940s to late 1970s.

The framed photographs in the show will be for sale.

Please note that to better accommodate Classic Cruiser show visitors, the museum will be open special hours (10 am to 2 pm) for Sunday, July 25th only.