Galt Museum & Archives blog

Rural Urban Reciprocity: The Galt archives to receive transcripts and oral history interviews!

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:05:00 +0000

In the near future, University of Lethbridge History and Women and Gender Studies Professor Dr. Carol Williams will donate some very important oral history interviews and transcripts to the Galt Archives, with the full consent of the interview subjects.

These oral history interviews and transcripts come from Dr. Williams’ summer research project: Rural Urban Reciprocity: A Study of Ranching Life, Agricultural Land Use and Labour on the Southern Albertan Foothills, which was sponsored by the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN), Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (S.A.L.T.S.), and the University of Lethbridge. The interviews are currently being completed and edited.

Why are these interviews so important you ask? Well, as technology evolves and become a larger and larger part of our lives the average person tends to write less and less down. Historians have conventionally relied on written documents, such as diaries and letters, to piece together our histories. So the fact that we are producing less written paper documents poses a problem for future historians and society. How will we learn about our time if less and less is recorded and preserved? Will future historians use old Facebook profiles rather than old journals?

Oral histories are one method historians still use to counter the diminishing importance of written materials to everyday life. Oral historians capture life narratives, or stories about specific topics from the perspective of an individual or several individuals. They preserve a person’s history, an organization’s history, or the history of a specific event. Oral histories are usually digitally recorded, transcribed and then placed into an archive for the use of future historians, family members, or any other community members using public archives.

Researcher Dr. Carol Williams and Interviewee Kelly Hall. Photo Courtesy of Don Gill.

Oral history can be particularly useful in filling information gaps on specific topics. For example, the Galt Archives has many letters in support and protest of the Lethbridge Birth Control and Information Centre (LBCIC) from 1974 (as mentioned in one of my previous blogs), but houses less information on the organization of the LBCIC itself. Oral histories with the people who established, worked at, supported, or protested the LBCIC can fill the gaps the paper materials have left.

Oral history is especially important to groups who have been left out of previous histories and archives. First Nations, women, the working class, and immigrants were less visible in Canadian history until approximately the 1970s. Oral history has been one of the most common documentary methods used to capture and preserve these histories.

For the Rural Urban Reciprocity research project, Williams, along with Art Professor Don Gill, New Media graduate and videographer Kenneth Ampiah, and myself, interviewed a small number of ranchers, rural producers, and land owners in the Southern Alberta Foothills. We heard their stories about their land, livestock, water conservation, and western heritage and got to visit many of their ranches and farms.

The Rural Urban Reciprocity research project documented the concerns of ranchers and farmers and, as the Galt Archives acquires the interviews and transcripts, their stories will also be preserved for future researchers!

Oral histories are also useful in many other disciplines and are used for many different reasons. Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology are just a few other disciplines that use oral interviewing as a research tool because the interviews can provide knowledge on topics such as subjectivity, performance, self, and memory.

Many of the ranchers we spoke to referred to themselves as “not a typical rancher” or “not a real rancher” this is important for present and future researchers to learn what it meant to be a “typical” or “real” rancher in today’s society.

Student Researchers Kenneth Ampiah and Karissa Patton with interviewee Kelly Hall and Dr. Williams.
Photo courtesy of Don Gill.

Oral histories are also important to find what the interviewees consider important. In our interviews many of the ranchers and farmers talked about conservation and environmental issues. I, as an urban dweller, have never given much thought to where my food comes from, and how the production of the food I eat can affect the environment. This lesson of those who produce food for the urban table was what impacted me the most during the project.

The ranchers we met during this project expressed an amazing concern for the land, wildlife, water. The ranchers’ dedication to reducing their environmental footprint and the conservation of the land is amazing. For example, interviewees Hilah and Norman Simmons’ land is completely organic. At first when I heard this I didn’t think much of it, until I learned that ‘organic’ meant they had to pick all the weeds on their many quarter sections by hand! These ranchers put the land, water and wildlife first and genuinely care about our province’s and our country’s environment. It really made me stop and think about how my work and my actions impact the environment and how I can reduce that impact.

Oral histories have a wide variety of uses and are very significant to researchers from multiple disciplines. I know the Galt Archives is very excited to accept and preserve such wonderful historical sources!

By Karissa Patton

Karissa Patton is a fourth-year History major at the University of Lethbridge who is interested in Southern Alberta Women’s History. This spring she is the archives assistant social media contributor for the Galt Museum & Archives, earning Applied Studies credit while sharing stories uncovered in the archives.

Volunteering at the Archives: Why you Should!

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:09:00 +0000

Last night's Archives Program was about volunteering at the Galt Archives! If you are interested in volunteering, or if you're just wondering what it is that we do at the archives, here is some information for you.

The first reason you should volunteer at the archives is the great experience you get. History or Museum Studies students are provided with good practical work experience in one of their fields, while some volunteers come to update, or learn new, skills. For example, Alice, one of the current volunteers at the Galt archives, came to update her skills by scanning photos. Chris, one of the archives long time volunteers, has worked on transcription, research projects, scanning photos, and processing while volunteering the archives!

Volunteer Alice scans photos at the Archives!

The second reason you should volunteer at the archives is because it is fun! The work volunteers do at the Galt provides a fun, rewarding, and educational experience. The archivist, Andrew Chernevych, tries to match each volunteer’s projects with their personal interests. Chris works on projects on Waterton Provincial Park because of her interest in the area.

Andrew also gives each volunteer two projects to work on at a time so there is some variety. Each volunteer is usually provided with an arrangement description, which includes organizing and describing a collection. The second project each volunteer is assigned is usually labeling items or data entry. Projects are never rushed and Andrew encourages each volunteer to take the time to explore or research their project if they’re interested. Projects are on-going so there is never a dull moment in the archives. In fact Chris shared the unofficial motto of the archives volunteers: “there’s more where that came from!”

The volunteering shifts at the archives are also excellent! Each volunteer is expected to come in once or twice per week for three to three and a half hour shifts. The shifts are flexible and Andrew is very understanding about taking time off or switching shifts.

The third reason you should volunteer at the archives is because it is a public service. The Galt Museum and archives wouldn’t be able to function without its volunteers. And at the archives you help the museum preserve our local heritage and history! Chris told us that each job you do, no matter how tedious or repetitive, provides you with a sense of purpose. She said, “There’s always more history being created.”

If you are interested in volunteering at the archives or any area of the Galt Museum and Archives, contact Chris Roedler, the Galt’s Volunteer Coordinator. He will set up an appointment to interview you about where you want to work and what you want to accomplish while volunteering at the Galt. To get his contact information click here.

By Karissa Patton

Challenges and Rewards of Archival Work: Schwartz Agencies files

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Henry Schwartz, 1959 Galt Museum & Archives #197529101203

Henry Schwartz was a Hungarian immigrant who got his start in business as a land agent for the railway. In 1927 he co-founded a company called the Colonist’s Service Association. (By the end of the depression Henry was the sole owner and it was re-named Schwartz Agencies.) This was an agency that helped people looking to move to Canada get transportation and proper documentation. This involved making sure there was a place to live and work waiting for them. Henry would act as an agent, often corresponding with government officials in English for clients that only wrote in Hungarian.

Around World War II Schwartz Agencies mostly brought over Central Europeans destined for the Sugar Beet fields. From 1939 to 1946 non-military travel was suspended between Europe and Canada so no immigration occurred during this time. Even after travel resumed, the post-war situation in Europe made getting the proper documents difficult. I found one letter from the Canadian government granting admission to Schwartz’s client, but the official doubted the Hungarian government would allow anyone to leave. There were similar applications regarding people in the Soviet Zones of Germany and Austria after World War II, all of which made me a little sad. However, it was also in these files that I came across an application submitted by my uncle’s father requesting that his wife and children join him in Canada from Hungary. When I saw my uncle’s name on the application, written in his father’s handwriting, it was definitely a history win.

Thanks to grants from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta and the Archives Society of Alberta I was able to spend my summer working full-time on preparing large donations like this one for public use. It can take a lot of time and effort to process archival records. First I had to go through everything and see what kinds of material I was dealing with and what shape in was in. As it turned out there was a lot of it (if you stacked the papers the pile would be ten metres high) and some of it was in pretty bad shape. Not surprizing considering some of it was nearing 85 years old and had spent about a decade in a barn.

After coming up with a strategy for organizing the material, I set aside the boxes that contained mould so that their contents could be cleaned later. Then I transferred the clean papers into proper archival folders and boxes, preparing them for long-term storage. I spent a lot of time unfolding pages, separating out acidic paper like newsprint, and removing rusty pins. Finally, I had to clean the mouldy documents. This involved setting up a vacuum and carefully brushing the paper with a soft paintbrush while sucking up the mould. This took a couple of days and I’m pretty sure I looked like something from a science fiction movie while doing it since I had on green gloves and a HEPA mask. The very last thing I did was write up a description and history of the fonds (archival collection) which you can find on the archives online database under the title Schwartz Agency fonds.

This project was full of the most amazing things—far too many to get into now. Some of my favourites are pre-WWII passports from central Europe, brochure and manual for an indoor charcoal barbeque, the entire set of blueprints for the College Mall Theatre, and the set of resumes where the female applicants listed their height, weight, hair and eye colour. Researchers will find the immigration files invaluable when searching for information on family members (especially those from central Europe) that immigrated to Southern Alberta from the late 1920s to the 1960s. There is also material that can help you research your house if it was built in the 1960s by one of several builders associated with the Schwartz family.

By Jennifer Vanderfluit

Jennifer Vanderfluit is a History and Museum Studies graduate from the University of Lethbridge and long-time volunteer at the Galt. In summer of 2012, Jennifer was contracted to arrange and describe Schwartz Agencies fonds and other collections for the Galt Museum & Archives.

Controversy in Lethbridge! Fears of Perversion, Immorality, and Change in 1974

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:52:00 +0000

In January 1973 the Lethbridge Birth Control and Information Centre (LBCIC) opened its doors. The LBCIC was run by Judy Burgess, a young nurse who had just finished her schooling at the Galt School of Nursing. Burgess was supported by local doctors, Lloyd Johnston and Robert Hall, and the LBCIC was established next to the Haig Clinic in an old heritage house.

The LBCIC, 1974. Galt Archives, 19901067001

The centre provided literature, out-reach seminars, and counseling on birth control. The centre was supported by many students, women’s liberation activists, local doctors, and city officials. In fact, the LBCIC Board of Governors included Dr. Johnston, Dr. Hall, the City Manager, and a local high school Principal.

The support for the LBCIC was confronted by another group of Lethbridge locals who thought it was immoral to say the least. In 1974 the Community Services Advisory Committee recommended the city pull all municipal funding from the LBCIC and close it down for good. This recommendation caused uproar on both sides: supporters advocating for free access to information and women’s reproductive health, and the protestors calling for moral parental education on birth control.

City Council was flooded with letters of support and protest of the LBCIC. A total of 138 letters opposing the centre were sent, almost all within the month of April. Only 35 letters of support were sent to City Council but three petitions, bearing 893 signatures, accompanied them.

Many citizens in opposition of the LBCIC used their titles of parent, taxpayer, and citizen to give them authority on the issue of birth control information and education. Some also used their occupations in the same aspect. A small number of doctors and nurses, and one clergyman wrote in opposition of the LBCIC. Many of the protestors referred to the center as ‘disgusting’ and ‘immoral’ and the literature distributed ‘perverse’ and ‘pornographic’. Many of them argued that birth control education should be taught in the home and by parents so moral, family, and religious values could be instilled in Lethbridge youth.

Those who supported the LBCIC advocated for equal rights and access to birth control information. Many supporters, such as Rita Moir, editor at the time of the independent university newspaper The Meliorist, believed the LBCIC “produced positive responses in informed people.” Many citizens asked City Council to consider that the LBCIC “fulfills a much needed educational service in the areas of birth control, VD, and adolescent sexuality that has not been available elsewhere.” Many of the support came from the large post-secondary community, including the college and university student unions, the Meliorist staff, various professors, and staff from the Galt School of Nursing, Lethbridge College, and the University of Lethbridge.

The city continued to fund the LBCIC until 1978 when they closed. The next year, in 1979, the Lethbridge Health Unit took over the services and opened the Family Planning Centre. The Lethbridge Health Unit still provides these services today through the Sexual Health Clinic.

This local controversy occurred only five years after the Canadian government decriminalized birth control and abortion (1969). Therefore, free and legal access to birth control and abortion information was relatively new. This paired with the prevalent religious groups in Lethbridge and surrounding communities made for a strong resistance against the LBCIC.

The LBCIC was part of a much larger national birth control and reproductive rights movement in the 1970s. Similar feminist and student initiatives like the Vancouver Women’s Caucus’ abortion caravan (1970) and the McGill Birth Control Handbook (1968). These are just a few examples of birth control activism in Canada. However, the LBCIC is significant because it has never been researched before. In fact, Albertan reproductive rights activism and its social responses have been left out of the history of the Canadian birth control movement and women’s movement.

If you would like to see some of the LBCIC’s newsletters and articles, or if you would like to learn more about the 1974 controversy in Lethbridge visit the Galt Archives! You can find the accession numbers on our online database by searching “Birth Control Information Centre.”

By Karissa Patton

Bringing up Father: Comic strips in the Lethbridge Herald during the Great Depression

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:41:00 +0000

The Sunday morning funny pages bring laughter to people all over Canada every week. The tradition of reading the ‘funnies’ has brought a lightness to the often depressing, shocking, or upsetting news. The comic strip “Bringing Up Father” by George McManus brought laughter into the homes of Lethbridge Herald readers during the Great Depression. These comic strips by George McManus featured an upper-middle class family, with the grumpy and mischievous father, Jiggs, as the main character.

Lethbridge Herald, June 4, 1930.

The comic strip’s plot usual featured the social blunders and misadventures of the “Bringing Up Father” family. The plot of most of the “Bringing Up Father” comic strips begins with Jiggs getting caught in a lie and Maggie either throwing a rolling pin or dishes at him. The comics explore familiar but mundane conflicts that many upper-middle class families and couples would have experienced. However, the themes of “Bringing Up Father” during the 1930s rarely referenced the Great Depression that the world was experiencing.

Lethbridge Herald, June 15, 1938.

In 1931 and 1932, the two worst years of the Great Depression in Canada, The “Bringing Up Father” comics rarely mentioned economic plight, not to mention the world wide Depression. During the Great Depression Canadian unemployment rates never dropped below twelve percent! Although the “Bringing Up Father” comics seem to ignore the plights of the Great Depression, by doing so McManus allowed readers to temporarily escape from the hardships all around them. The stories of Jiggs, his wife Maggie, and their daughter Nora brought laughter to people all over North America during some of the most dismal years in history.

You can view the “Bringing Up Father” comic strips at the Lethbridge Herald online database at the Galt Archives.

If you are interested in comics you may also want to check out Nerd Fest at the Galt Museum and Archives this week, March 21-23, 2013. Click here to learn more about Nerd Fest!

By Karissa Patton

Have you ever wondered about the history of your home? “How to Research Your House” Archives Program, March 7, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:01:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered who owned your house before you? Or when it was built?

The Chinook Club House originally resided
in Lethbridge's downtown area. However, the
lot was sold and the house was moved. Now a
Bed & Breakfast, the building can be found
in one of Lethbridge's new south side developments

Last week’s Archives Program outlined the many resources available to research your home here at the Galt Archives as well as other local resources. If you are interested in the history of your house, we've recapped the information here - read on!

Before you start your search, consider:

Street names may have changed, This is significant because many of the records you will find will be under the original address
Some areas in Lethbridge started as separate municipalities and were later annexed. For example, sections of the North side of Lethbridge began as the small community of Stafford.
Houses can be identified differently. This means that your home may be described as a district, block, or lot in the early records. This can be confusing because of the large subdivisions created in Lethbridge.

After you have considered original street name, municipality, and description of your home you will be able to research your home more easily. To start, try a title search. This can be done at any local registry or the Alberta Land Titles Office in Calgary. You will have to pay a fee to have a title search done for your house. To learn more about title searches check out the Government of Alberta website.

The next resource to research your home are the house Inventories, or “Black Binders,” at the Galt Archives. These binders include photos and information on each house. The binders are organized by street addresses and are very easy to work with. The Henderson directories, also available at the Galt Archives, will complement the House Inventories in your research on your home. These local directories range in date from 1909 to 2000 and are organized by name and address. These directories can tell you who lived in your home, as well as other interesting facts about that person. For example, some residents’ occupation, marital status, and tenant/owner status. These were a popular and fun item at the program last week! They are very interesting and give you a lot of information on the houses inventoried.

If you are a very thorough researcher or none of the above resources help you with your search you can also investigate local fire insurance maps. These maps are housed at the Galt Archives and range in dates from 1891 to the 1950s. The fire insurance maps provide the most detailed view of the buildings, including the materials used in the construction of each building.

There are many other resources available for your house research! The Galt Archives has published sources in the ATCO Gas Reference Library that outline local histories which may have information on some houses, streets, or neighbourhoods in Lethbridge and other Southern Alberta communities; if you are researching a rural community, such as Coaldale, the Atco Gas Reference Library is an excellent place to start. You can also check out the Galt Archives online database to explore online maps, photos, and documents.

Another alternative resource is your house itself! For example, if you have the original wall paper you may be able to find the approximate date the house was built. You can also search your basement, attic space, under your stairs, etc. for clues about the history of your home (if you do renovations you can also look inside your walls). Some homeowners have found old newspapers and other interesting items that can tell you a lot about your home, the first or early owners, or give you an excellent start for your research.

So if you are interested in the history of your home try the different strategies and check out the resources listed for you. You are also always welcome to come and talk to us at the Galt Archives! We would love to help point you in the right direction.

Make sure you join us next month for the Archives Program: Volunteering at the Archives!

By Karissa Patton

“She Cared Enough to Come:” Archives Exposed Exhibit Honours Senator Joyce Fairbairn

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:40:00 +0000

The new Archives Exposed exhibit, From Galt Baby to Senator, opens today! This exhibit will be honouring Senator Joyce Fairbairn through a series of photos and artifacts. Senator Fairbairn was born and raised in Lethbridge and has worked on Parliament Hill in various jobs for the last five decades.

Joyce Fairbarin worked for Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau
as a Legislative Assistant and, later,
Senior Communication Coordinator
until 1984 when she became the first
Senator from Lethbridge, AB.

She was born at the Galt Hospital in 1939 and attended Lethbridge Colligate Institute (LCI). During her time at LCI she also worked as a teen journalist at the Lethbridge Herald writing a column titled, “Teen Chatter”. Even as a young woman Fairbairn was active in her community as she contributed to the Herald and participated in local speech contests and festivals.

Fairbairn left Lethbridge to attend the University of Alberta, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English in 1960. A year later, she graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Journalism. Fairbairn stayed in Ottawa and began writing for many newspapers and became the first woman to work in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

Her career on Parliament Hill continued when Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau hired Fairbairn as his Legislative Assistant in 1970. Later Fairbairn also became Prime Minister Trudeau’s Communications Coordinator. In 1984 Fairbairn was appointed to the Senate where she worked until January 18, 2013.

Senator Fairbairn was named Chief Morning Bird Woman
when she was inaugurated into the Kainai Chieftainship
in 1990. As a member of the Kainai Chieftainship she attends
meetings and pow-wows. Photo courtesy of Glenn Miller.

After Fairbairn was appointed to the Senate in 1984 it quickly became clear that she would not be limited to the Red Chamber. Senator Fairbairn quickly became known for attending Southern Albertan milestones, openings, celebrations, and even the occasional cake decorating contest. Senator Fairbairn became well known throughout Southern Alberta because, as one constituent commented, “she cared enough to come”.

Through her many accomplishments Senator Fairbairn has become a great role model for young women and young Canadians. Her devotion to her communities is amazing, communities such as the Paralympics Association, the Kainai Nation, the University of Lethbridge, the city of Lethbridge, and many more.

It was my privilege to curate this exhibit to honour Senator Fairbairn and her great accomplishments. Please come and be impressed by Senator Fairbairn’s career endeavors and her passions and honours at the Archives Exposed… Galt Baby to Senator exhibit!

By Karissa Patton

Thought Experiments -- Riddle Me This!

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:57:00 +0000

Every time we get a new feature exhibit, I have to create a tour/program around it for classes. Some are absolutely easy. Dinosaurs was a no brainer. Egypt, piece of cake. There was absolutely no way these subjects were not going to connect with kids.

At the moment our feature exhibit is a traveling exhibit from the Canada Science and Technology Museum called Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. It focuses on 54 people whose outstanding scientific or technological achievements have made a great contribution to society. These are some fascinating people who worked in a wide variety of sciences and areas and have made incredible strides in their field.

But I can imagine to a class of students the exhibit at first will look like a bunch of dead, old people. So how to bring these people and their stories to life? How to inspire students to learn more about them and to realize that there are fascinating opportunities for them to have careers in science and engineering? How to share the stories of these people but to also get kids to think a little more like scientists (and to do all of this in an exhibit of a history museum where they get very worried if I bring up the idea of doing experiments around the artifacts)?

One thing I have always found inspiring about truly brilliant people is their ability to see the world differently, how they are able to problem solve and connect pieces in ways that others can't imagine. As I read about their achievements, I wondered can train your brain to work and solve those sorts of puzzles. And, if so, how?

I was intrigued when I learned that many scientists and innovators have played around with "thought experiments." Thought experiments are a riddle or question that can only be solved with imagination. Probably one of the most famous thought experiments and one which had a profound influence was the one that played a role in Albert Einstein developing the theory of special relativity. When he was 16, Einstein imagined chasing a beam of light and wondered what it would be like to ride on light.

So, interspersed with the biographies of these famous scientists and engineers and the stories of the discoveries, I think I'll have students work on a few thought experiments. Maybe you want to try them for yourself? Try them with your family and friends and see where your mind goes.

Question: What if you had the power of invisibility?

Question: What does the colour red taste like? Smell like?

Question: What would it be like to live for years in space?

Question: What would the world be like if money didn’t exist?

Question: What will the world be like 100 years from now?

Question: If you could make something from the movies real, what would it be?

Question: If you could meet one famous person (living or dead) and ask that person only one question, who would it be and what would be your question?

Question: If you were standing at the magnetic north pole, could you travel in a northerly direction?

Question: What if the world was invented five minutes ago and we all have fake memories of personal and community history?

Question: How do you know everyone else in the world isn’t a computer?

Question: How do you know you’re not dreaming right now? Or that you do not only exist as part of someone else’s dream?

Question: Say there's a ship made of 100 wooden planks. You take off plank #1, then replace it with a new plank. You do the same for all the planks, one by one. Is it still the "same ship" as the one you started out with? (More complex variant: while you're doing this, you also use the original planks and build them into a ship. Is that ship the "same" as the original one? It doesn't seem like both ships could be the same as the original ship, because that would mean that two ships are one ship!)

Question: Can God create a rock so heavy that God cannot lift it?"

Question: If you are the king/queen of a country would you rather be loved or feared?

Question: What would the world look like to a 2D person?

Question: Is anything completely impossible?

[This activity was inspired by Exploration #57 from the book How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith.]

Family Fun and Family History

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:42:00 +0000

Hope everyone has a fabulous Family Day long weekend.

Thought we would share some photographs of families and family fun from bygone days. And remind you that we're having Family History Day on Family Day (Monday, February 18) from 1 pm to 5 pm. Hope to see lots of you there.

James Dodge family shortly after arriving in Lethbridge in front of the train station. 1913. Galt Archives 19841022000

At the entrance to the Little Wonder Coal Mine, 1908-1923. Galt Archives 19881042016

Waterskiing on Henderson Lake, 1958. Galt Archives 19753500044

Fishing and canoeing on Henderson Lake, 1970. Galt Archives 19760219018

The skating rink at Lions Playground, 1951. Galt Archives 19851047006

Centennial Band Concert at Nicholas Sheran Park, 1985. Galt Archives 199310641340

Charles Magrath family, 1904. Galt Archives 19841008003.

Three unidentified young boys during the Great Depression, 1930s. Galt Archives 19752990123

Two unidentified children playing with a wagon, 1930s. Galt Archives 19752902006

Takeyasu Family, 1943. Galt Archives 19790284003

Happy 100th Galbraith School

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:20:00 +0000

Galbraith School is 100. The school is hosting an open house on Friday, February 8 from 1 pm to 3 pm with displays, live music and tours of the building. Open to the public. Reminisce, learn the history of the school and more.

In honour of the Centennial, here's a few pictures from Galbraith's past, starting with one of Dr. Galbraith, the school's namesake. Hope to see lots of people at the event.

Dr. Walter Stuart Galbraith on the steps of the Galt Hospital. Galt Archives 19760225003

Galbraith School, 1914. Galt Archives 19730033000

Galbraith School Football Team, 1924. Galt Archives 19754357000

Galbraith Staff, 1946. From let to right: Ethel Hawthorne, Bessie McCully, Marjorie Brown, Alice Gate, Clarence Larson (Principal), Mabel Luco, Marjorie Horn, Erla Sanderson (nee Keays) Galt Archives 19941011010

Galbraith Home and School Association in the 1950 Parade. Galt Archives 19752303016.

Ethel E. Hawthorne's Grade 2 class photo, 1952. Photo includes: Irene Bryce, Janie Buchan, Fay Brandle, George Hunter, Dan Service, Harold Wong, Dorothy Gooder, Richard Prestwich, Ki Yip, Marion Cooper, Anthony Afaganis, Barbara Short, Donna Dudley, Gail Fremstad (names not in order of photo)

Presentation from Mrs. Matilda Galbraith of the silver trowel used to set the cornerstone of Galbraith School to Jim Clark at the Galbraith 50th Anniversary celebrations. Galt Archives 19752314255.

50th Anniversary Ceremonies with Matilda Galbraith, Jean Galbraith, Jessie Watson and George Watson. Galt Archives 19871034035.

Assembly at Galbraith School during anniversary celebrations. Galt Archives 19752314252.

Group of teachers and students posed at the Galbraith 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Galt Archives 19752314261

Group of teachers holding a photograph of a football team at the Galbraith 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Galt Archives 19752314262

Galbraith School Staff 1968-1969. Galt Archives 20021003001.

Why is the bridge black?

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Lethbridge's High Level Bridge after snow, January 2013, photo by Belinda Crowson

Last week, on a break between classes, I had the Ipad with me in the Galt Viewing Gallery and was able to snap this photograph through the window. I often talk about this scene but don't usually have a photograph to highlight the answer.

Why is the High Level Bridge black? This is a question I pose virtually every week (and often several times a week) to the 1000+ grade 3 students who come every year for our Building Bridges school program.

I have heard some incredible whoppers over the years for why the bridge is black. It looks better that way. You can tell from the old photographs that they only had black and white paint. It was a coal mining town and they knew it was going to get dirty anyways so they painted it black so the dirt wouldn't show. Black paint was cheapest.

Black gets hot and melts snow. I took this photograph just after the snow quit falling (before it quit falling you couldn't see the bridge from the Viewing Gallery to my consternation as I tried to get a class to imagine the bridge that was out there). The coulees are covered with snow. Yet there's no snow on the bridge. The black paint melts the snow and with all of the angles of the bridge, the snow slides off. It's a way to use science to remove the weight of the snow from the bridge.

If you'd like another stumper, how many triangles are in the bridge? I don't honestly know the answer to this one but I always tease the grade 3 classes that if they are ever really bad their teacher can make them come back and count the number of triangles. Honestly I hope that never happens because I would have to then also count them to see whether or not they were right. Or make up the answer. Hmmm?

Construction of the High Level Bridge Galt Archives 19738126000

Construction of the High Level Bridge Galt Archives 19760234021

Good Intentions Spark Discrimination: “Disturbed” and “Troubled” Tenants at the YWCA, 1963

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:50:00 +0000

“Alcoholics and prostitutes … disturbed girls”!

These three terms were used in the November 9, 1963 issue of the Lethbridge Herald to describe the ‘types’ of women and girls who had been utilizing the YWCA’s lodging accommodations. The article referencing these “disturbed” tenants titled “Delegates Express Concern YWCA’s Concept is Being Hurt,” discussed the endangerment of the YWCA’s reputation brought on by the unwanted visitors.


The "troubled" tenants made the Lethbridge Herald on November 9, 1963.

The issue of the “troubled” visitors was first raised at the YWCA’s 70^th Annual Meeting in Toronto. The Herald article covers the delegates concern over what parents in their communities may think about the questionable tenants temporarily residing at the place that is supposed to act as “a home away from home for young daughters.”

The article continues to outline the concerns of the YWCA delegates such as, the decreasing age of their tenants, the increasing frequency that these “troubled” women were seeking shelter at the “Y”, and the “problem of the teenage mother.” The article and the YWCA’s meeting topic, while revealing the discrimination against the unwanted tenants, illuminates the YWCA’s focus on strengthening their community. For example, when investigating teen mothers the “Y” was concerned with how they could include these young women into the community, as they were outcast by their peers and too young for other parent groups.

The original YWCA building on 8th Street South was demolished
in the early 1980s to make room for a new YWCA building.
The new YWCA building is still in use today. Galt Archives - 19752203012

The YWCA’s focus on community (no matter how idealized it may have been) was celebrated by the City of Lethbridge frequently since its opening in 1949. Many times during the 1950s the City designated an entire week to celebrate the YWCA’s commitment to community. The Lethbridge Herald covered the proclamation of National YWCA week by the Mayor in 1957 and 1959.

The YWCA’s commitment to the community continues today through their many programs targeting women and girls issues in Lethbridge. Most recently the YWCA has started a project that will promote student safety on university and college campuses. The YWCA will be working closely with the Women’s Centre at the University of Lethbridge and will be soliciting student input at the U of L to develop a plan to prevent violence against women on campus. This YWCA received $195,892 in November, 2012 from the federal ministry of the Status of Women to fund this project. You can find more information about the YWCA's current programs here.

By Karissa Patton

Alberta's Suicide Prevention History Project

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Did you know that during the 1980’s Lethbridge was a leader in suicide prevention?? It is this fact that prompted Just Group, a group devoted to ‘innovative community development’, to begin ASPHP; the Alberta Suicide Prevention History Pilot Project in 2008. This is a project created for the purpose of collecting, recording, sharing and preserving Alberta’s rich history in suicide prevention. Just Group finished off the project by donating all of the physical papers collected and reports created to the Galt Archives, which is where we come in to the picture. The donation was received two years ago by the former archivist Greg Ellis who is in the picture below on the left. New acquisitions take a while to process, and now that this one has been, we thought we’d share a bit about it.

     It all began in 1973, when Dr. Menno Boldt, a professor in the University of Lethbridge’s Sociology Department, visited a First Nations reserve. The ASPHP report describes how he was working “with a student to develop a proposal for the development of a Native American Studies Department at the University of Lethbridge”. While he was there he noticed six fresh graves had been recently added to their cemetery. “He was concerned by a small community having 6 deaths in a few days and made inquiries. He found out that at least three of these deaths were suicides”. This information must have made an impact on Dr. Menno, because suicide prevention became forefront in his activities for many years to follow. Soon after this experience, he wrote the provincial government for funding for research on suicide rates, particularly in First Nations Peoples, and was granted permission to do just that.

     The social atmosphere at this time was quite different than it is now, when it came to suicide. Historically, suicide has been more of a taboo than a tragedy. Up until 1972, only a year before Boldt began his research, attempted suicide was still a crime. Whenever feasible, suicide was reported as a “misadventure”. Suicide rates from before the 1970s have always been assumed as lower than reality because of this. At the time Boldt began his research, suicide was only beginning to become something people could talk about rather than cover up, which made learning to prevent it more possible.

     This flame that had begun in Boldt grew to a blaze as many in Lethbridge joined the fight. Lethbridge Family Services created a help line through the Samaritans (a group that operates a help line throughout Europe). A help line statistically lowers the suicide rate in the area by at least 5%. It was only in 2003 that the Samaritans help line closed in Lethbridge to transform into a province-wide help line.

     Meanwhile, what had began as research for Boldt turned into the “Alberta Task Force on Suicides”; the first Albertan government supported group created to fight against the steadily growing rates of suicides. Boldt was chair. This group, located in Lethbridge, lobbied tirelessly for a more proactive government support. This lobbying transformed into the ‘Albertan Model’, a suicide prevention approach created with the help of Dr. Robert Arms, also a University of Lethbridge professor in the Psychology Department.

From left to right: Dr. Jean Collins, founder of the Samaritans; Dr. Menno Boldt, President; Dr. Robert Arms, UofL Psychologist; Tom Wickersham, City of Lethbridge Firefighter (future Fire Chief and Alderman); Mary Oordt,VicePresident, CMHA Board member; BobTarleck, teacher, Alderman and future Mayor of Lethbridge.

     The presence of other organizations to support suicide prevention rose, like the Canadian Suicide Prevention Foundation and the SPPAC. Lethbridge held the first suicide awareness week and the first door to door campaign in Canada in 1983. Suicide prevention has become a world wide effort. The public awareness and the social understanding have expanded exponentially. Lethbridge played a key role in this. As Alberta and Canada became more proactive in suicide prevention, Lethbridge’s role has decreased. But our role in the humble beginnings of suicide awareness and prevention in Alberta are remembered.

     The world has made huge steps in suicide prevention. However we still have a long way to go. Approximately 3,500 suicide deaths take place in Canada every year. Around every forty seconds someone in the world takes their life. The fight is not over, not even close.

     There is an excellent blog with every detail of the Alberta’s Suicide Prevention History Project at: http://www.suicidepreventionhistory.com/, if you are interested.

     The statistics are taken from StatCanada. The quotes are taken directly from The ASPHP report and/or their blog.

     By Steffi Reynolds.

November's Archives Program!!

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 22:21:00 +0000

Last Thursday we had another Archives Program! Unfortunately the evening coincided with a fairly heavy snow storm. So, for those of you that were hoping to make it and couldn’t, and for those that weren’t but would like to know anyways, here’s what you missed. A team came down from the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa to share some conservation techniques, as well as to answer any questions anyone might have as they applied to archival materials. The CCI makes training one of their top three priorities (along with prevention and treatment). Since not many people could make it, we had a question-answer type format for the night.

The most prevalent thing that I learned over the course of the night was that conservation is a science. Specialized chemists use their knowledge in conservation to find which chemicals are most stable, and therefore will not react with photographs, paintings, artifacts, files, and the like. It is desirable to use these stable compounds to reduce the chance of chemical reactions taking place. Less reactions minimizes changes in the chemical composition of the materials. For example, using stable compounds protects your photos from premature yellowing, or your CDs from corroding or scratching, or your paintings from flaking... that sort of thing.

So for the consumers, what we need to know is what products to use. Here are some tid-bits of information you may like to know.

For your digital files, if there is anything that you would feel sorry to lose, you should really be backing those things up. What the CCI shared with us is what types of media we should be backing up our memories onto. The average recordable CDs are plated with silver, which will eventually tarnish. Once that has tarnished, you’ve lost your information. However, there are gold plated recordable CDs (and DVDs for that matter) that have a life of over 100years. They are more expensive though (about five bucks each). If there is something you really don’t want to lose, they suggest making two to three copies, and storing them in different locations. That way, if something happens in one location (like a fire or flood) you’ve still got your records in the other location. Also, recording speed matters. This stuff was a little over my head, so all I know is that a recording speed of 4-12x is optimum. Memory sticks haven’t been fully researched as of yet, but so far, it seems that they last just as long as the gold plated CDs, and have a lot more storage capacity.

    The key to storing photos and files is avoiding these four things; heat, humidity, light and acid. You are looking for acid-free containers, whether that be file folders, albums, or some other kind of casing. These acid-free containers will actually absorb some of the acidity in your records and keep them safer and more stable. They also block out light. These acid free casings will also reduce the fluctuations in humidity and heat that your house goes through, for some bonus protection. Also, location is once again important. Heat from an attic will increase the chance of a reaction, (i.e. fading and such) taking place. Basements, on the other hand, can be humid and prone to flooding. The main level is the best place.

    Hope this was informative!

    Join us for our next archives program on the 13th of December for a look into how to preserve your family photographs, so they’ll be available for generations to come! -by Steffi Reynolds

Steffi Reynolds is a third-year English major at the University of Lethbridge whose passion is stories; reading stories, hearing stories and telling stories to others. This fall she is the archives assistant social media contributor for the Galt Museum & Archives, earning Applied Studies credit while sharing some of the stories uncovered in the Archives

The Long Lost Diary of Captain A.G. Virtue - Lest We Forget

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 23:49:00 +0000

Glenn Miller giving a lecture at the Archives Program!

Did you know that once every month the Galt holds an Archives Program? The Archives Program is a public lecture or a workshop that showcases archival resources and explains how they can be accessed and used. October’s event (which actually took place in November for Remembrance Day) took a look into the diary of Captain AG Virtue. It was a lecture given by Warrant Officer Glenn Miller. Glenn is a resident of Lethbridge and a retired artillery officer with a vast knowledge of Lethbridge’s war history. Thus, he was the perfect person to present the diary.

Captain A.G. Virtue

In March of this year, the Galt acquired the diary. This in itself is out of the ordinary. Most things the Galt Archives has are donations: family papers, city records, Henderson Directories, history books pertaining to our region, and the like. It is a rare and exciting occasion when something is found that the Galt Archives would like to and can afford to buy. These materials also need to be relevant to the history of Southwestern Alberta. So it was quite exciting when a war journal written by a man who had lived in Lethbridge and was an officer in the 61st Battery in World War 1 was discovered early this year on eBay.

These are the sort of guns they hauled around. Pretty chunky.

Glenn began by giving the audience some context. Here are some things I learned. Lethbridge actually has a fair bit of war history, which was news to me. There are several publications on the topic such as “Lethbridge at War” by Major Christopher R. Kilford. This book describes a number of units that were formed in Lethbridge during WW1 including infantry battalions, cavalry, Royal Navy and artillery units. The Galt’s Collection also has a fair bit of significant military artifacts. Lethbridge had a 20th CFA Battery, 39th CFA Battery, 61st battery, and later a 68th battery, all made mostly of men from Lethbridge. Each battery had only 4-6 guns. Guns were apparently in a shortage at this time. Canada had ordered more from England, but they didn’t have much to spare. However, the guns were fairly huge. One thing Virtue spent some time doing was hauling the huge amounts of ammunition these guns used. They launched big projectiles that blew up and sprayed shrapnel. Shrapnel, I learned, does a fair bit more damage compared to a bullet, because it becomes misshaped and jagged.

Releasing a carrier pigeon.

This pigeon could take aerial photos of the opposition.

Another interesting tidbit; pigeons! Pigeons were often used to carry messages. They were surprisingly dependable; 90% accurate, whereas all it took was one cut or broken wire, and the telegraph or phone was disabled. There is the story of Cher Ami (Dear Friend), a pigeon that saved 194 men by successfully getting a message to Major Charles Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion" in France despite being shot in the breast and leg. The message was found dangling from what remained of his shattered foot. Other methods for communication included flags and rockets, whose colors had different meanings. With rockets, it could sometimes be difficult to tell which side the rocket was from, which caused confusion.

The diary is written by Abner Gladstone Virtue. He was a lawyer and a partner at a firm here in Lethbridge. He was known for his love of horses. He had two horses of his own, and he was very proud of them. During The First World War he became an officer in the 61st Battery. He received the Military Cross for keeping up with the need for ammunition during a tense onslaught. He survived the war, and soon after his return got married (in his uniform). He continued his career in law here in Lethbridge. While he served he wrote in a little German made diary, almost daily. Somehow this diary ended up in a man’s military collection, who’s son sold it to a military attic shop when his father passed away (The Command Post in Victoria, BC), who put it up for sale on eBay. Through some strange coincidences it has ended up nearly back to where it began!

Virtue's Uniform

Now, onto the diary itself. Because the diary is hand written, it required transcribing. There were also a few small sections of short hand that required translating. The first thing most people notice after reading it, is how he could write so little and yet express so much. Virtue was a devoted writer. He wrote most days. However, he usually only wrote little fragments of script, capturing the essence of his day in only a few words. “Took 1,700 shells up to the guns today.” “Ugh.” “Got notice going on leave. Slept in a real bed for the first time in a year.” “Wordy war between Steele and Maj. Greene, the latter winning.” These are all separate entries in his journal, capturing what he thought or what stuck out to him to that day. By reading his diary, we get an insight into the war experience. War is one of those things that no one who has not been there can truly understand, but this diary brings the reader closer. His brief snippets provide us with little windows to peer into what life was like as a Canadian soldier in the First World War.

The Diary.

This journal provides us with another way to remember the sacrifice given by so many for our freedom. This is the reason we have Remembrance Day every year, to set aside one day to do just that. This diary also reminds us that war has affected the lives of people from our own home town.

I can hardly scratch the surface of this diary or of the evening in one little blog post. There is also an excellent article (front page!) in the Sun Times, if you’d like to read it click here.

This program happens every month, and I would really encourage you to come to any you might be interested in. The next program will be about preserving your family photographs on December 13th at 7:00PM. Hope to see you there! -by Steffi Reynolds

Steffi Reynolds is a third-year English major at the University of Lethbridge whose passion is stories; reading stories, hearing stories and telling stories to others. This fall she is the archives assistant social media contributor for the Galt Museum & Archives, earning Applied Studies credit while sharing some of the stories uncovered in the Archives.

The Sweet Beets of Southern Alberta

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:22:00 +0000

Once upon a time in Lethbridge, there were beets. Sugar beets. And guess what, they’re still here!

The sugar beet industry has shaped southern Alberta from day one. The Galt Archives even has a photo from Southern Alberta's first sugar beet harvest in 1902 (below). That same year the first Albertan sugar beet company was born; the Knight Sugar Factory, located in Raymond. This was only three years before Alberta officially became a province. We’ve been sugar beet growers longer than we’ve been Albertans!

Raymond Sugar Beet And Flour Milling Industries. - 1902

However, despite its early beginnings, beet sugar was not an immediate success. An article in the Lethbridge Herald dated September 30th, 1950, says that there used to be a prejudice against beet sugar. Despite the fact that both cane sugar and beet sugar are essentially the same product – sucrose – beet sugar was not initially accepted in southern Alberta grocery stores. As a result, most of the sugar was shipped to Winnipeg. Meanwhile, wheat was growing and selling very well. Wheat did not require such an expensive process of refinement as sugar beets did (boilers, for example). Also, sugar beets were quite labour intensive, and workers were not an abundant resource at the time. For the farmers, it was just much easier to grow wheat. Consequently, in 1914, the Knight Sugar Factory ended its “pioneer business venture”.

Ten years later, in 1924, sugar beets began to regain popularity. After the war, the proceeds from wheat had decreased, while irrigation techniques had been much improved. This provided a perfect window for sugar beets. An idle factory from Idaho was dismantled and set up in Raymond the next year under the governance of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company.

But, would you believe it, the next two years turned out to be “terribly discouraging”. The weather was far colder than usual, and many beets froze, which caused them to go bad faster than they could process them. However, despite a rough start, the venture turned out to be a huge success. The entire produce those first few years was easily sold in Alberta and gobbled right up. It was a much different reception than the first time around. The Alberta Sugar Beet Growers’ Association emerged that year, and with it the co-operation between the farmers and the sugar company proceeded without a hitch.

In 1930 things were going so well that they expanded with a second factory, so that they could handle 120,000 tons of beets. This, unfortunately, coincided with another cold summer. The company took a big hit. This summer also marked the year when the Great Depression began to take its toll in Canada. As a result the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company decided to drop their Canadian enterprise. The factory was eventually bought by B.C. Sugar Refining Co. Ltd., directed by Ernest T. Rogers (i. e. Rogers Sugar, ring any bells?). This company had previously only produced cane sugar, and there was a great apprehension amongst the Albertan farmers that the owners meant to shut the factory down. Happily, this wasn’t the case. The Utah-Idaho Sugar Company made the sale on the condition that the factory be run for a certain amount of years after purchase. The company became successful again, and grew steadily. It was soon time to build a third factory in 1936, located in Picture Butte. During World War II, when the Canadian government provided incentives to maximize the production, Alberta produced the largest amount of sugar beets it has ever produced to date.

Sugar Beet Harvest Picture Butte District. - 28 September 1961

B.C. Sugar Refining Co. Ltd.’s fourth factory was built in 1949 in Taber. It still runs today. Since then, the sugar beet has been an ever present industry to our farmers (except in 1985 when farmers and owners could not agree on a selling price which resulted in no beet sugar that year, just like the NHL this season).

Roger's Factory in Taber: Copyright Pat Kavanagh: http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_kav/5245351467/

Today, according to the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, sugar beets provide the “only domestic source of sugar in Canada”, as it is much too cold for the sugar cane plant. Canada is currently the 31st largest producer of sugar beets in the world. We have never produced as much as we did during World War II, however in 2006 “314 farms in Canada seeded 19,488 hectares, according to the Census of Agriculture”. Alberta is the biggest player in the sugar beet scene in Canada, with the 80% share of the domestic production. Statistics Canada has an excellent picture of the distribution of beet farms and refineries in Canada at this link: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/96-325-x/2007000/m/5022669-eng.pdf

Alberta’s weather can be a little on the cooler side, with shorter growing seasons, which creates a smaller beet. However, because we can have long hours of direct sunlight, our beets tend to have an “unusually high sugar concentration” which is why we are still successful in growing them. The sugar beet industry has left an important mark on Southern Alberta’s history. There are over 300 farmers involved in growing sugar beets in Alberta. It has been around for exactly 110 years, despite many weather hardships. It takes strength to be dependent on something so unreliable as the weather. But patience in the bad years and hard work in the good ones has created a rare Canadian industry that has stood the test of time. And the result benefits us all; the farmers, the business owners, and the consumers.

(The Lethbridge Herald article (March 30th 1962) that inspired this article.)

I found numerous articles in the online Lethbridge Herald database (throughout the entire history of the paper) about the sugar beets industry, which gave me the information to write this article. You can gain access to this valuable resource by visiting us here at The Galt Archives.

–by Steffi Reynolds

The Silver Screens of Lethbridge Past

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:47:00 +0000

I love movies! I love them at home when I’m taking a deserved break. I love them at the theatre when I’m with friends crunching on over-priced popcorn. I love leaving my life behind for an hour and a half and diving head first into a fictional and more exciting one. I love watching chick flicks when I’m feeling lonely, action movies when I’m feeling weak, and comedies when I’m feeling grouchy. I love what movies sometimes teach me. It’s possible I love movies a little too much.

Furthermore, I love (tired of that word yet?) the idea of movies back in the “old days”. And the epic old theatres they were watched in. It was the early 1900’s. Movies were a new, exciting, and even controversial thing. It was a treat to see a film; something special. Now days there are so many movies being released at all times that we can’t even hear about them all, let alone see them. We are actually in quite a transitional period in the movie industry right now. Everything is becoming digitized. I find this loss of the physical a little depressing. The smell of a book, for example; it’s just not same as the digital (and less expensive) version. Or the experience of the theatre: the smell of popcorn, the feel of the weird carpet walls, or the sound of that one laugh amongst the many that is extremely distinctive and loud. When I saw Seven Pounds, there was more than one moment I could hear everyone around me sobbing. I love that uniting feeling. Movies can feel like a personal experience, but I think that what makes movies so great is how they bring people together. The build up before the release and the endless discussion as to the degree of success or failure afterwards is all a communal experience.

At least we are not anywhere close to losing theatres just yet. So I started looking up information about movie theatres in Lethbridge’s history at the Galt. For my last article I researched Irma Dogterom, and lo-and-behold, it was her book Where Was It?: A Guide to Early Lethbridge Buildings where I found a great deal of my information. The Galt Archives has a little library with this and other similar books based on Lethbridge history (check it out). The Galt also has files of newspaper clipping by subject which was very informative. I thought I’d share some of my findings with you.

It was August, 1897 when the first examples of moving pictures were shown in Lethbridge (that we know of). They used a Theatrograph (the first commercially produced projector), later called the Animatograph. This was quite soon after it had been invented; apparently Lethbridge embraced them quite quickly. In 1898 they also used a Kinetoscope, a newer better version of the Animatograph. They were shown in the “Building Company Hall”, later known as The Opera House. It was sort of a town hall/entertainment center located around where Express Coffee now is.

Oliver’s Hall, in April 1901, became the first site for the Cinematograph. Here were held “the first crude moving picture” shows, says Dogterom. It still stands, empty I believe, right across from the King of Trade. It even has OLIVER still written in stone on top.

The movie business caught fire fast. The first movie theatre was the Bijou (meaning The Jewel) Theatre, later called the Variety Theatre, in 1907. Burnt to a crisp in 1917. The second was The Lyceum (meaning hall, who knew?) in 1908, which changed names and owners many times. It became Starland, then The Star, then The Phoenix, then King’s, and then just Kings. It closed in 1925. It was in a little building to the right of the (now) Alec Arms Hotel. That same year the Eureka Theatre opened, later called the Orpheum (derived from the Greek God Orpheus, whose poetic and musical skills could charm anything). It closed 1918.

Another was born in 1910, the Griffith Theatre, quickly changed to the Majestic Theatre. It only started showing moving pictures in the late twenties. This theatre was the largest for quite some time, seating 1000 people. It was the first theatre in Lethbridge to show a talkie; The Singing Fool with Al Jolson. This movie was “credited with helping to cement the popularity of both sound and the musical genre” (Wiki).

The Grand Electric Theatre opened only for a few months (a shame, cause the name is awesome) in 1910 while The Morris Theatre was being built. The Morris and the Monarch Theatre both opened in 1911. The Morris Theatre changed its name five times: from Sherman Theatre to The Orpheum (different from the other Orpheum) to Colonial Theatre to The Palace to Capitol Theatre. When it opened it had a very unique and elegant canopy on the front. It also opened with very ‘modern’ padded seats, but students kept swiping the cushions for padding for roller skate straps. Some believe the manager’s pleading at the school, says Irma Dogterom in her book, only hastened the pinching. Soon the seats were just wood again. Meanwhile, the Monarch Theatre (later called The Regent and then Lealta (meaning loyalty)) was the first theatre on the Northside, on the corner of Third Avenue and Thirteenth Street in what used to be a bank. At this time the rest of the theatres were all very near to each other, some even neighbours, on fifth street on the Southside. It was also one of the first theatres to show foreign films and experimental films. The owner, when it was the Lealta, used the old bank vault as a developing dark room for his photography. It closed around 1962.

It’s really curious that Lethbridge felt the need for so many theatres. Granted these theatres often didn’t limit themselves to just films but showed other things like plays, magicians, boxing etc. But still. Movies are as popular as ever these days and we only have two. Interesting.

The last theatre to emerge during what I have deemed as the Lethbridge’s theatre boom is the Empress Theatre, which later became Roxy Theatre in 1913. It is remembered as the first theatre with air conditioning. In closed in 1959.

Our theatres since then may still be in some of your memories.

Around 1950, the Western Drive-In, later known as the Green Acres Drive-In, and Paramount (later ‘Cinemas’ was attached to the end) emerged. The drive in closed around 1986. I saw one show in Paramount before it closed in 2007. It was the first theatre in Lethbridge with more than one screen. It is now a bank and some offices, which is a little sad, but they have kept the outer structure unchanged. They have also posted pictures along the walls of the interior of what the inside of the theatre used to look like. I really like that they have kept that connection to its original use.

In 1969 College Cinema opened in the College Mall and closed in 1994. In 1975 the Twin Cinemas, later called the Lethbridge Center Cinema opened. It closed in 2005.

Currently we have two theatres in Lethbridge; Galaxy Cineplex at the mall and The Movie Mill. We are actually quite lucky to have this contrasting balance. Galaxy shows the new releases on larger screens. The Movie Mill shows either movies Galaxy did not show or the big hits around a month after they are shown in Galaxy, at a reduced cost. I like being able to go to my must-see movies on the big big screen (does the fact that they have two sizes of screens costing the same amount annoy no one else?), like Batman or Inception, but not missing out on the less mainstream movies. Like Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (I whole heartedly recommend this movie!!). Or if there is a movie I want to see mostly for interests’ sake, I’ll wait for it to come to the Mill and save some money.

I was really surprised at how many movie theatres Lethbridge has had since motion pictures were invented. At one time there must have been at least five all running at the same time. With the birth of TV and internet, I wonder if the need for theatres has decreased. I do hope they’ll stick around though. They remind me that even though I could live an increasing large portion of my life without any human contact, it’s not as good that way. Being with people counts for something, it enhances the experience of life.

What about you? Any favorite movie theatre experiences you’d like to share?? I would really love to hear them!

-BY Steffi Reynolds

The Legacy of Irma Dogterom

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Irma Dogterom is a woman who has discovered a passion for history and pursues it to the fullest extent. She is also whole heartedly a Lethbridge woman. She grew up, she was married, and has lived in Lethbridge since she could walk. She has combined her passion for historical stories with her love for her home town through countless hours of volunteering at The Galt Museum and The Historical Society. She is a true member of the Lethbridge community. And that is no small feat, to be honest. Few of us make the betterment of our community a goal or priority. But there truely is something special about community; coming together, all having at least one thing in common; our lives’ setting. Irma has made this her mission. One of her most remembered contributions to Lethbridge is also a perfect example of her devoted efforts to preserve history for future generations in the context of her much-loved community.

This example is the Legacy Ridge Project that Irma headed. Irma herself has written an essay on the subject, which I cannot do justice to. You should read it; it’s available at the archives. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to shed light on the subject. As she says, “it started with a question asked by a man.” Yet the whole project’s purpose was for Lethbridge's historical woman to have a chance to shine. The city developers had inquired at the Galt, while Irma was volunteering, for a name to use for the new planned housing development on the North side of Lethbridge. And there the idea was born. What if a woman’s name was used? There were hardly any streets or parks in Lethbridge named after women at this time in 1995, only 17 years ago. The more she thought about, the more exciting the idea became. It was high time woman were recognized! But all of her letters and phone calls met with evasive answers that got her nowhere. So, she decided to strategize. That’s the sign that something special is brewing, isn’t it? When it is important enough that the person is brave enough to try again. So she decided to form a committee with eventually about 8 members. These 8 women banded together and insisted on creating an area that honored woman of Lethbridge’s past. They got a list of 145 names and narrowed it down, painfully, to 36 women. For example, one woman that was chosen was Edith Coe, who gave up a “lucrative position” in Paris to be Lethbridge’s first school teacher and later open a private school.
Eventually, after 10 years of hard work, research, and lots of letters, the request was approved. This was August, 2005; only 7 years ago. The area is now called Legacy Ridge.

Irma leaves a legacy where ever she goes. She empowers those forgotten, by bringing them to our attention. Irma has donated much of her research files (and that’s a lot of files) as well as personal files to the Galt. This means that the legacy she has left and the legacies of those she has researched can be preserved and hopefully remembered. To be remembered, though, requires someone taking the time to look at them. Go check out the Galt archives online to learn more about Irma’s and other’s stories. They are meant to be shared and learned from, after all. By Steffi Reynolds.

Once Upon A Time In Lethbridge... There Was Land

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Archives) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:09:00 +0000

This blog post is inspired by an article found in the online Lethbridge Herald archives dated May 1st, 1912. There is tons to find there, you should check it out.

Once upon a time in Lethbridge there was land. Lots of land. It was 1912. Canada was full of potential and promise. Canada had been advertising for 20 years worldwide to attract settlers to this ‘most progressive of colonies’. But the time of free farms was running out. It was Alberta’s last great land rush.

Have you ever seen a land rush depicted in a movie? It was probably American style. Hundreds of horses and carriages—personally, I don’t know why anyone would burden themselves with a carriage—lined up, anxious to begin the race of a life time. Then with the boom of the cannon, each man (it was mostly men) burst forth, their faces set with determination. They each have a chance to provide security for their families for generations to come. With the stakes this high, the race would also involve, inevitably, some bloodshed. Needless to say, this system did not exactly foster neighbourly friendships. But it was a heck of a good show.

For this very reason on May 1st, 1912, hundreds of people gathered in Lethbridge to file for a homestead in “The Lease Country” – a 90,000 acre tract of land between the Milk River and U.S. border, previously sub-leased by the McIntyre Ranching Company. Most of the people came for the land, but many came simply to watch. As it turned out, this assembled crowd of onlookers left a little disappointed. Not because of a lack of success for the landless; over 300 people were given plots of land that day. The disappointment stemmed from boredom. You see, the Lethbridge authorities had made it their mission to avoid the chaos and violence involved in the customary land rush. Canada had previously employed the line method. This involved getting in a line and waiting and waiting and waiting—not unlike the iPhone 5 lineups earlier this month. But even this had potential for mishap, like budging, and the fistfight that would unavoidably follow. To prevent this, they allotted each person a square of the side walk, which was numbered with chalk. The result was a day that passed with no incidents; “neither jostling nor dispute”.

Not exactly the competitive yet romantic thing one might imagine from Alberta’s last great land rush, yet grand all the same in the opportunity it afforded so many. This even included two women, which was still fairly cutting edge back then. Despite its flawless performance, it is still a tale of adventure; an internal adventure. Imagine after weeks of hoping and waiting, being practically given a piece of land; all your fears turned to relief. It was a chance at fresh start.

It is hard imagine a time when land was so available it was free. One hundred years ago, the world was still an unfilled and unexplored thing to be conquered. Our mentality is now so different. The world is delicate, that we cannot continue to mistreat. And rather than expansion being the goal, it must be something else; to sustain it. This last great land rush in Alberta was anti-climactic in its sensibility. It was called “humane, sanitary, and in every way acceptable”. As funny as that line is, it’s true. They chose the safer (humane) route over the more entertaining and easier one. They chose the future consequences over their present ease or enjoyment. The question is, what are we—today—going to choose, when it comes to how we treat our planet? What is easier or what is better for our future?

To find out more about land rushes (and so many other things), a visit to the archives is a must! Check us out online or visit us here at the Galt Museum Archives.

(Posted by Steffi Reynolds)

An Enchant Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:07:00 +0000

We often get requests from researchers around community celebrations and centennials. But it's even more fun when it's your own hometown that's having the centennial.

A week or so ago I was approached by someone from Enchant who was looking for information related to the founding of the community in 1914. I am very much looking forward to spending some time seeing what I can find. But I also see this as an opportunity to collect some historical information from the community when they're in a historical way of mind.

In our Collection we have a few items from Enchant. One is a fabulous homemade fabric device designed to cover a horse's ears so sand flies could not enter. It's from the 1920s and is a very fun item with a great story.

We also have a quilt made in 1919 by the Sion's Ladies Aid. This group was part of the Zion Luthern Church which later amalgamated with the Ibbestad Luthern Church. This quilt is signed by several women. Some information on the quilt came in from the donor (Myrtle Brodie) whose mother, sister and grandmother all have thier names on the quilt. Some more information came to light when Lethbridge living magazine did an article on the quilt. (Lethbridge living was also gracious enough to send me a photograph of the quilt so we did not need to unroll and photograph it again.) But virtually nothing had been collected on the other ladies whose names appear on the quilt.

Enchant Sions Ladies Aid Quilt, 1919. Photograph from Lethbridge living archives, Spring 2005.

Last fall, Lucie Heins from the Royal Alberta Museum was down as part of a quilting program and this quilt was one of two out on display for the program participants. I became intrigued because of the connection of the quilt with Enchant and I recognized several of the last names. I spoke with Kevin MacLean, our Collections Manager, and asked if he would like me to find out what I could.

Through the Enchant history book and various other documents I have found short biographies of 75% of the names but have not been able to find everyone. So I've made the deal that I will come out to the planning meeting for the Centennial and help with whatever research I can if people help me with the quilt research. Should be fun to see what all of us together can find about the quilt and the women who signed it.

The quilt is also connected to another object we have in our collection. A couple of years ago in our Treasures and Curiosities exhibit, some people might have been surprised that I chose as my object a bed pan. I chose it because of the story attached to it. In 1920 a mother gave birth to twins. Because of an infection in the hospital, she was sent home and was told to take the bed pan with her. Unfortunately, the bed pan had not been properly cleaned and she acquired an infection from the bedpan. The mother died. The twins were then raised by their grandparents. How are the quilt and bedpan connected? Both came from the same donor and the mother, grandmother and older sister of the twins all have their names on the quilt. A date of 1919 is on the quilt which suggests it was made 1 year prior to the mother's death. The two objects together tell an even more incredible story about women and motherhood and life on the prairies 100 years ago.

I'll keep you updated on anything else interesting that I find.

Tribute to Senator Joyce Fairbairn

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:52:00 +0000

On August 23 we first learned via twitter.com/GaltMuseum that Lethbridge Senator Joyce Fairbairn was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia and would be taking a leave of absence from her duties.

Our subsequent message on facebook.com/GaltMuseum received 25 likes in very short order. Then came this tribute from former Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck, who gave us permission to share it, in which he describes how Senator Fairbairn was instrumental in creating an expanded community gathering place for the Galt Museum & Archives:

"In the flood of tributes to my good friend, Senator Joyce Fairbairn, there is one important contribution to southern Alberta that might have been overlooked. I am referring to her pivotal role in securing funding for the major expansion of the Galt Museum in Lethbridge, which was officially opened on May 6, 2006.

While everyone in southern Alberta is aware of Senator Fairbairn’s commitment to literacy and culture, not everyone is aware that without her passionate persistence the funding for this project would probably not have been put in place. This is the unlikely story.

When Senator Fairbairn learned that federal funding had been allocated for the performing arts centre in Medicine Hat, she immediately began a campaign to secure a funding commitment for the Galt Museum and Archives addition and renovation project in her home town.

In fairness to the federal bureaucrats, there was a reasonable explanation for the Medicine Hat project receiving priority over the Galt. Whereas the Medicine Hat project had received a prior funding guarantee from the Government of Alberta, the Galt project had received no such assurance. In fact, Lethbridge was subsequently advised that its request for cultural funding from the Province of Alberta was denied.

But if any officials in Ottawa thought Senator Fairbairn would allow the fine print in a federal policy to get in the way of a project she thought important to her community, they were dead wrong. Just how she accomplished this is a secret hidden in some dark corner of Parliament, but she did secure the funding commitment. With the federal part of the funding agreement in place, then Lethbridge East MLA Clint Dunford renewed his efforts to secure the needed provincial funding. That he was ultimately successful was in large part because Senator Fairbairn had already secured the federal funding commitment.

Given Senator Fairbairn’s long and distinguished record of service to southern Alberta and to Canada, it is not surprising some people have suggested there should be some permanent recognition for her. In my mind we already have it. It is called the Galt Museum and Archives."

Robert (Bob) Tarleck, Immediate Past Mayor, City of Lethbridge
August 28, 2012

TOP: 100 Anniversary celebration of Galt Hospital building, 2010. Visible L-R: Senator Joyce Fairbairn, Galt Museum & Archives Board of Directors Chair Chris Epplett, Mayor Bob Tarleck

Why Museum School Trips Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:25:00 +0000

A friend and I were at Montana's having supper last night. We were both thoroughly checking our bill when the waitress came back (she had forgot to charge me for a lemonade and my conscience wouldn't allow that so we were seeing if anything else was wrong).

The waitress seemed to find it a bit odd that we were so concerned about the bill. To explain why we were so analyzing our bills, I said we were critical thinkers because of our jobs. She asked me what I did and I said historian.

That's when she said "oh, yes, you work at the Galt. I went there years back and you did a talk on the Holocaust. You said that no one knew all of the reasons behind the Holocaust [or something like that]."

She further said that (as a teenager at that time) she thought, "of course we know what it was. They were just bad, mean people" and she determined right then that she was going to become a lawyer and work for the United Nations.

She then very proudly told us that she is now in law school. She contributed that moment during an education program at the Galt in discussion with me to her decision regarding her career path.

I am SO glad that I had the opportunity to meet her and hear that story. Some people may wonder why museums put so much effort into their education programs. Some critics are looking for immediate impact -- are these visits contributing to increased museum attendance and, more importantly to many of the critics, to increased revenue? How, they ask, can 90 minutes at a museum have any impact?

The reality is that we rarely see an immediate impact of these visits. In fact, the effect may not be visible for decades.

But isn't the important thing to remember that a visit to a museum during an education program may change a life? Even if we don't always know how?

Note: This is the Galt exhibit that started it all:

Diamond City, Royal View and four depressions in the river bottom

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:34:00 +0000

It's funny how connected things sometimes are.

Diamond City. Galt Archives 19730023014

A few months ago a friend who lives in Diamond City had a bit of a puzzle for me. She asked me about the steamboats that used to travel on the river and whether or not they had ever docked at Diamond City. Down by the river at Diamond City were four square depressions that, according to a neighbour, had been the steamboat dock for Diamond City. My friend wanted to know if that's what they really were.

Diamond City, 1905-1980 postcard. Galt Archives 19841061000

I thought about it for a while. Certainly steamboats did travel along the Oldman River (or the Belly River as it was known then). When the Galts realized the railroad was going from Medicine Hat to Calgary rather than through Lethbridge, they had to think of a way to get their coal from Lethbridge (or Coalbanks) to Medicine Hat. Their idea? Steamboats down the river. Three boats were made. The Alberta and Baroness were steamboats while the Minnow was a barge. Unfortunately the river was only navigable for a short season and proved an unreliable way of transporting coal. So the Galt company instead built its own narrow gauge railway from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat (actually Dunmore) in 1885.

Steamboat on the Belly River. Galt Archives 19760238103

This was not the end of river travel. There are a few reports of boats on the river until approximately 1907 though very little comes of it.

So certainly there had been docks in Lethbridge but at Diamond City? The timing didn't seem right to me. Diamond City came along after river travel was proven unreliable. It had to be something else.

Then it hit me what those depressions really were. They were the docks/supports for the ferry. People forget how incredibly importants ferries were in the development of southern Alberta. There was a ferry that ran in Lethbridge across what is now Whoop Up Drive. There was another ferry that ran from Diamond City across to what was then the coal mining community of Royal View. People did not want to take the time or effort to go miles around on the highway bridge and it was simpler to go across. (There were also several suspension, walking bridges but that's a subject for another time.) When my friend went back to take a closer look the old roads down the coulees to the ferry were also still visible.

So the ferry went from Diamond City to where? To Royal View, of course.

Well, as luck would have it I've been spending quite a bit of time on Royal View history this year, with the new cemetery development. When I was putting together an information package on Royal View for artists working on ideas for the Royal View Memorial Cemtery art project/main gates, I took the opportunity to learn more about the ferry and the connections between Diamond City and Royal View. And then just last night I had a wonderful conversation with a gentleman whose family ran the ferry and whose parents were married in Royal View.

Miners in front of Royal View Mine. Galt Archives 20021054000

While it was neat to see how all of these strings of the story came together, it also makes me realize that while buildings may be gone for those with a keen eye and a questioning mind, there are all sorts of clues out there that reveal pieces of the past.

A hockey playing canoeist and Cow men from the South

noreply@blogger.com (Belinda Crowson) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:08:00 +0000

A random assortment of headlines from the 10 August 1912 Lethbridge Daily Herald.

Mr. Monk says Post Office Contract Will Be Awarded
-- the post office would soon be under construction

Raymond May Have a Beet Palace
-- this would be their exhibit for the Dry Farming Congress taking place in Lethbridge in October

Fine Crops on the Demonstration Farm

Bruce Ridpath a Visitor in the City -- Famous Hockey Player and Canoeist -- to Give Performance at Lake
-- put on a demonstration of his canoeing abilities at Henderson Lake

Alberta Leads in Automobiles -- In Comparison to Population Other Provinces are in the Rear
-- there were 3000 cars or one for every 124 persons; followed by Manitoba, BC and then Saskatchewan; PEI only province that prohibited use of automobiles on highways or in public places in 1912

Big Hay Crop at Cardston

Old Timer Dead -- Exhibit at Lethbridge -- Raymond Locals
-- these were 3 separate stories but you had to read the article to understand that

Cow Men From South

-- easiest for this one to just include the article which is below
'When the old "round-up" of cow punchers and cattle wrestlers hits the trail for Calgary about the last day
of this month, to be there when the Stampede is put onby the Big Four during the first week in September,
they will have with them some celebrities whose names are history in the cattle business in the country between Red Deer'and the Boundary, and even across the Boundary. It will be a modern galaxy of famous old-timers. But they are not going to Calgary just to see what's doing. They are taking along a couple of performers who have had many a wild journey on the "'hurricane deck of the wildest broncs that ever felt the pull of the rope. Jim Austin, of Cardston fame will be there, and he has boarded the best of them. Up in the High River country, where critters of the Bar U are legion, there is a puncher styling himself Mike Herman. Mike is fancy with the rope, and can ride too on occasion. He'll be there. So will RayKnight, the dictator of the Knight outfit. He has taken part in roping contestsin this country when sugar beets were an unknown quantity, and for roping and tying, he set a mark which few of the best men can eoual. This trio will represent the south, and they will be heard from before the big stampede is broken up.

Caring for a 120 year old painting

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Aitkens) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:51:00 +0000

Recently the Galt Museum & Archives purchased a water colour painting created by Miss Edith Fanny Kirk in 1892. The museum has another painting Kirk made of Banff and Miss Kirk's mother's Victorian workbox or sewing box in its collections.

Miss Kirk painted the street scene in York, England when she was 34 years old, 13 years before she immigrated to Canada. After living in many locations in British Columbia and New Brunswick, Kirk moved to Lethbridge in 1918. There she taught sketching and painting to young students, sold landscapes created in the area, attended Alpine Club of Canada camps, spoke about art at the Mathesis Club and inspired artists in the Lethbridge Sketch Club.

The York painting arrived at the museum framed with a gold mat. Paper Conservator Juliet Graham was asked to examine the piece and recommend some treatment to stablize the artwork. Juliet noted the colours and paper had been negatively impacted by tape used to attach the painting to the mat so it was decided to remove both.

When Juliet carefully removed the loosened tape, she discovered the remains of many insects which had been attracted to the adhesive. None of the insects were alive but they and the tape were immediately removed from the museum. In the future, more conservation will be directed to recovering some of Kirk's original colours from the now acidic paper.

The University of Lethbridge Art Gallery was kind enough to allow Juliet to work on the Kirk painting at their cost.