Alberta Inventors and Inventions - Development of the Database

Inventive Spirit, Alberta Patents from 1905-1975, edited and with an introduction by Catherine C. Cole, published in 1999.

Developing a database of patents registered to Albertans between 1905 and 1975 has been an extensive project. In 1995, Museums Alberta funded the Inventive Spirit Research Project to explore Alberta patents and connect them with artifacts and documents in the collections of the province's museums and archives. The initial phase was hosted by the Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery and the second component by the Red Deer and District Museum. The research consultant was Catherine C. Cole, an experienced curator and researcher who had previously and extensively researched into Alberta's industrial heritage. The major goal of the project was to make information about Albertan inventors and inventions available to a wide public audience. By acknowledging the innovations of thousands of creative men and women, the Inventive Spirit Project has preserved the history of invention in Alberta, and recognized these inventors' contributions to the province’s development.