Permanent exhibition SAVOIR-FER

Savoir-fer: the forge in our societies

Until the industrial age, the forge contributed to the growth of our societies by enabling the production of tools and objects of primary utility. The transformation of iron played a central role in the technical progress and development of populations throughout the world.

However, the era of industrialization has also affected the practice of these ancient skills. The shift from small-scale, customized production to mechanized, mass production changed the face of the forge and its role in the production chain. The status of the artisan blacksmith, once at the heart of society, was relegated to the background and his skills gradually faded from the collective memory.

In today's global context and given the socio-environmental challenges we face, blacksmithing skills offer a viable, sustainable and eco-responsible alternative to the current production system. Urban gardeners, microbreweries, and heritage restoration craftspeople
among others, are once again turning to the skills of artisan blacksmiths.

This makes it possible to bring the forge up to date. The Savoir-fer exhibition presents this evolution in the practices and role of the artisan blacksmith, from industrialization to the present day. It also demystifies the work of the artisan blacksmith and publicizes the research carried out by the Forges de Montréal on traditional know-how. Last but not least, it offers a glimpse into the history of the Riverside Pumping Station, a heritage building that has housed the organization for almost 20 years.

Financial Assistance and Acknowledgements

This exhibition has received financial support from the Government of Québec and the City of Montréal as part of the Montréal Heritage Dissemination Program of the Entente de développement culturel de la métropole. We would also like to thank the Gallant family, the Borough of Ville-Marie, the Conseil des métiers d'art du Québec, Canadian Heritage Québec, and Madame Phyllis Lambert, founder emeritus of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Conseil des métiers d'art du Québec, for their financial support. 

We would like to thank all our volunteers (Noé Beaudoin, Zacharie Longchamp-Miron, Léonard Blais-Hurtubise, Guy Bessette, Sandrine Contant-Joannin, Maxime Gallant, Marie-Claude Labrie, Félix Mathieu, Reynald Meunier-Daure, Olivier Truchon and Samy Labrie-Collette), Julien Castanié (illustrations), Le Comité (graphic design), Victoria Vanier (translation), Joanne Burgess, Alain Gelly and Pierre Wilson (validation committee), Martin Drouin and Nicolas Chebin (French editing), Patrice Roy and Maya Labrie-Collette (English editing), Vivien Paulucci, Marc-Olivier Paquette, Ivan Savchev, Jérémy Corriveau, Luc Émond and Jean-Luc Lacoste (design), Samy Labrie-Collette (photographs) and Mathieu Collette, Catherine Charron and Mardjane Amin, for the implementation of the Savoir-fer project and their research, writing and creation.