Through the Lens: Preserving Montreal’s Chinese Canadian Histories

Join Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, exhibition curator and CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum, and Anne Eschapasse, CEO of the McCord Stewart Museum, for a lively conversation on Montréal Chinois.

Discover the stories behind the photographers, explore how the McCord Stewart Museum collects and preserves these images and living histories, and reflect on what these powerful photographs reveal about migration, resilience, and belonging.

On view from October 15, step into the vibrant world of Montréal’s Chinatown from 1945 to the 1960s with this groundbreaking photography exhibition. Drawn from the McCord Stewart Museum’s rarely seen archives, Montréal Chinois: The Lost Decades / Les Décennies Perdues Photography 1945–1960s showcases the remarkable work of Chung Hong Ho, Arthur Lee, Peter Wong, Samuel Lee, and Chuck Yip — self-taught photographers who documented their community with candor and care, often outside official institutions.

Through their lenses, we see friendship, fashion, celebrations, and everyday life come alive, challenging the invisibility of Chinese Canadians in mainstream history and reframing how we remember a city in transition.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025

• Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St.)

• Time & Schedule:
  4:30 P.M. – Doors
  5-6 P.M. – Fireside chat with Anne Eschapasse and Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee

• Cost: Free with admission

• Register: RSVP here

This event will be conducted primarily in English.