Can you tell the true artifact from the fake? The Galt Museum & Archives invites visitors to test their skills in Fakes & Forgeries: Yesterday and Today, an interactive travelling exhibit produced by the Royal Ontario Museum opening Saturday, December 18, 2010 as part of the Museum Community Day from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is free all day with special activities planned.

Fakes & Forgeries presents 115 authentic items next to counterfeit products that run the gamut from historical specimens and cultural artifacts, to household items and designer name brands.

“Fakes and forgeries are everywhere in our world, but this is nothing new,” says Wendy Aitkens, Curator at the Galt. “Counterfeit money has been around since the use of currency began some 2500 years ago. Forged art, archaeological specimens, fossils and other collectibles have been sold on the black market for generations. Many reproductions were made hundreds of years ago as legitimate souvenirs or modest replicas for the local market. As they resurface today they are often sold as the real goods. More recently, pirated software, music, movies and knocks offs of more expensive clothing, accessories, automotive parts and technical equipment have been sold to and used by many of us.”

Visitors of all ages will learn how to tell authentic pieces from sly forgeries and discover the fascinating lengths forgers will take to hoodwink the unwary. The exhibit provides information to help visitors identify and avoid misrepresentative articles, including pirated computer software and counterfeit currency.

Programs reflecting the theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including weekly family activities during Saturdays at 1:00, presentations on the first and third Wednesday monthly as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for senior, The Curator Presents… in January and a special guest speaker for Café Galt in February.