Coordonner l'artisanat et le tourisme, ou comment mettre en valeur le visage pittoresque du Québec (1915-1960)

Abstract

In Quebec, the growth of “traditional” cottage industries is associated with the nineteenth-century movement to preserve and value traditions at a time when a growing number of people were lamenting the disappearance of regional cultures. From 1915, arts and crafts enjoyed rapid development that culminated in the 1930s in the context of an economic climate that favoured a return to domestic production. Besides ideological and economic factors, the demand for souvenirs prompted by the development of tourism was another argument for encouraging cottage industries. Handicraft production, organized on a regional basis to ensure a diversity of arts and crafts, was intended to convey a picturesque image of Quebec. The desire to portray regional identities went as far as a plan to create regional costumes, as the perfect stereotyped images for attracting tourists.