The project centres on an archive left at Carleton University's School of Industrial Design (SID) by its founder, Wim Gilles. Gilles passed away in 2002, having come to Canada in 1972 to establish SID. Reviewing the literature on Canadian design history, few sources mention design educators. The archive provides an opportunity to resolve a gap in design history and to learn more about design. Latour and Sanders offer a means to develop an exhibition of materials openly and collaboratively to respond initial research questions, who was Wim Gilles, why did he come to Canada and what was the outcome. Interviews with Gilles' colleagues provided further information, and their participation in surveys about materials from the archives informed the first of two exhibitions. The project demonstrates that creating an exhibition from an archive can address research questions and develop design history to establish a design culture in Canada.