The Killdeer (1974)

Originally published in 1962 and awarded the Governor General’s Award for Poetry or Drama, The Killdeer is considered one of Canadian playwright James Reaney’s defining works. The Killdeer marked a turning point in Reaney's career, a shift from poetry to drama. The National Arts Centre staged this work in 1975. The NAC's Annual Report for the 1975-1976 season indicates that The Killdeer "is a mysterious yet funny story, touched with horror, about young people trying to grow up and away from their families in the stifling environment of a small Ontario town."

Directed by Marigold Charlesworth, the set design was created by Maxine Graham. The maquette, 29 cm (height) by 37.5 cm (width) by 34.5 cm (depth), stages a living room scene with a brick chimney and mesh along the back wall, a porch wrapping around the left side of the set to the front, and a carpeted platform to the right of the house, presumably leading to another room. The main room is decorated with a wood burning stove, a sofa, two wooden chairs, two decorative vases with flowers, a small wooden side table and a larger round wooden table. The floor is adorned with an array of rugs.

Afaf Oumy and Mayra Monir worked on preserving this maquette, finding loose wooden electrical posts inside its protective case. Though their exact placement remains uncertain, as they are missing in the single reference image to which they had access.

Although the maquette shows signs of wear (expected given that it was created around 1975), the students found that it was not particularly dirty. The preservation process was shared between the students, allowing each to experience different aspects—one cleaning while the other documented damages through writing and photographs. Cleaning the maquette was challenging due to the materials used—wood, cardboard, fabric, and glue, all of which degrade over time. Weakening adhesives and delicate details, such as mesh and fine lattice work, required careful handling to prevent further damage.

Afaf and Mayra cleaned larger surface areas and delicate elements (such as the mesh), using cheesecloth to remove dust without causing harm. Turning to a soft brush to clear dust from the walls, floors, and loose furniture, following a systematic approach by starting at the top of the chimney at the back of the room, working downward and towards the front of the set. The loose furniture pieces, including chairs, steps, the table, sofa, and electrical posts, were also carefully cleaned with the brush. To address hard-to-reach corners, they used cotton swabs to remove dust from areas such as the spaces between porch balusters and the inner corners of walls and furniture.

Preservation team: Afaf Oumy and Mayra Monir