- Other Name
- OBSIDIAN CORE
- Date Range From
- 4000BP
- Date Range To
- 1700
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- OBSIDIAN
- Catalogue Number
- P20150027000
2 images
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- OBSIDIAN CORE
- Date Range From
- 4000BP
- Date Range To
- 1700
- Materials
- OBSIDIAN
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 8.5
- Length
- 32.7
- Width
- 24.7
- Description
- SHINY, BLACK OBSIDIAN ROCK. VARIOUS GROOVES AND FLAKE SCARS ON THE OVERALL SURFACE OF THE ROCK.
- Subjects
- MASONRY & STONEWORKING T&E
- INDIGENOUS
- Historical Association
- ETHNOGRAPHIC
- ARCHAEOLOGY
- History
- THIS OBSIDIAN ROCK WAS DONATED ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 BY NANCY BIGGERS IN MEMORY OF HER LATE PARENTS, BOYD AND MARY BIGGERS. IT WAS LOCATED ON THE FAMILY FARM BY BOYD BIGGERS. ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT GIVEN BY NANCY AT THE TIME OF DONATION, "... FARMERS NEED TO CLEAR THEIR LAND OF ... ROCKS IN ORDER TO PLANT AND HARVEST THEIR FIELDS. BOYD WAS DOING THIS ONE DAY (IN THE EARLY 1980S) AND CAME ACROSS A BEAUTIFUL SHINY BLACK ROCK. HE WAS IMPRESSED BY [ITS] COLOURING AND THE VARIOUS GROOVES, SO RATHER THAN THROWING IT ON TO THE PILE WITH THE OTHER ROCKS, HE DECIDED TO TAKE IT HOME. ... MARY, BEING A SCHOOL TEACHER, TOLD HIM THAT IT APPEARED TO BE OBSIDIAN, WHICH THE ABORIGINALS USED TO MAKE ARROWHEADS AND TOOLS. MARY RETIRED FROM TEACHING IN 1986 AND THUS BOYD DECIDED TO SELL THE FARM. THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE ... [AND] THE OBSIDIAN CAME WITH THEM ... AS IT WAS A REMINDER OF THEIR FARM LIFE. IT WAS USED AS A DECORATIVE PIECE IN BOTH OF THE HOMES IN WHICH THEY LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE." ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2015, ARCHEOLOGIST, NEIL MIRAU, OF ARROW ARCHAEOLOGY LIMITED STATED VIA EMAIL THAT THE ROCK HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE AREA BY HUMANS AND THAT IT WAS RELATIVELY EASY TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE OBSIDIAN FROM ITS GENERAL APPEARANCE. HE WAS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THIS PIECE OF OBSIDIAN CAME FROM THE OBSIDIAN CLIFFS IN WHAT IS NOW YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING. HE WROTE, “OBSIDIAN DOES NOT OCCUR NATURALLY IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND REALLY THE ONLY WAY FOR IT TO GET HERE, ESPECIALLY THIS TYPE OF ROCK IS TO BE CARRIED BY HUMANS. OBSIDIAN ... WAS PRIZED BY PAST CULTURES AND IT MAKES VERY ATTRACTIVE AND VERY SHARP TOOLS AND PROJECTILE POINTS. THIS PARTICULAR PIECE HAS FLAKE SCARS SHOWING THAT IT WAS WORKED BY HUMANS. IT WAS LIKELY, GIVEN ITS ‘VALUE,’ CARRIED BY ITS OWNER TO FLAKE PIECES OFF EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE TO MAKE A NEW TOOL. OBSIDIAN IS ONE OF THE RARE TYPES OF STONE THAT IS CURATED BY PAST HUMANS, THAT IS, ALTHOUGH HEAVY, THEY WOULD HAVE CARRIED IT WITH THEM TO MAKE TOOLS WITH.” HE ALSO WROTE THAT OBSIDIAN FROM WYOMING THAT HAS BEEN FOUND IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA HAS ARRIVED “EITHER THROUGH TRADE OR BY LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL OF PEOPLE FROM HERE TO THERE AND RETURN," AND THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF BOTH METHODS. MIRAU INFERS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DROPPED THERE THREE OR FOUR CENTURIES AGO, OR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPY OF THE NANCY BIGGER’S INFORMATION, EMAIL TRANSCRIPTS, MAPS OF THE LOCATION OF THE BIGGERS’ FARM WHERE ARTIFACT WAS FOUND, AND A PHOTOGRAPH OF BOYD AND MARY BIGGERS. 22 OCTOBER 2021 UPDATE: THE LABEL TEXT QUOTED BELOW WAS DEVELOPED WITH KAINAI ELDERS FOR A SUB-THEME WITHIN THE EXHIBIT ‘MADE IN’, TITLED ‘NIITSITAPISSKSAHKOYI’ AND INSTALLED WITHIN THE GALT IN 2021. ELDERS WHO PROVIDED MUSEUM CURATOR AIMEE BENOIT WITH DIRECTION ON SUBTHEME’S CONTENT INCLUDED: AAGOHH GISS STSISTIIGIIAAKII (MANY OFFERINGS WOMAN, GRETA MANY BEARS), GUUYII STAA BAAMUUGHKAA (WALKING ON TOP, RAYMOND MANY BEARS), NIINAA PIIKSII (CHIEF BIRD, MIKE BRUISED HEAD), MO’TOKAANII’PO (WALKING WITH A SCALP, HARRISON RED CROW) AND MIINIIPOKA (SACRED BERRY CHILD, PETER WEASEL MOCCASIN). THE GALT APPRECIATED THE GENEROSITY OF THE ELDERS WHO SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS EXHIBIT PROJECT. “AAPAOOKI (OBSIDIAN CORE): PRIZED FOR THE SHARP TOOLS AND PROJECTILE POINTS IT CAN PRODUCE, OBSIDIAN DOES NOT OCCUR NATURALLY IN WHAT IS NOW SOUTHERN ALBERTA. THIS LARGE PIECE LIKELY CAME FROM THE OBSIDIAN CLIFFS IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND WAS CARRIED OR TRADED NORTH. ‘NIITSITAPISSKSAHKOYI (REAL PEOPLE TERRITORY) WENT AS FAR AS OTAHKOITAH’TAYI (YELLOWSTONE RIVER). SOME OBSIDIAN WAS TRADED, BUT A LOT OF IT, THEY ACTUALLY PICKED IT AND BROUGHT IT HERE. THAT’S HOW FAR NIITSITAPI TRAVELLED.’ – NIINAA PIIKSII”
- Catalogue Number
- P20150027000
- Acquisition Date
- 2015-09
- Collection
- Museum
Images
- Other Name
- FRAMED SLIDE PHOTOGRAPH
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1870
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- LEATHER?, WOOD, GLASS
- Catalogue Number
- P19970006000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- FRAMED SLIDE PHOTOGRAPH
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1870
- Materials
- LEATHER?, WOOD, GLASS
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 1.6
- Length
- 12.3
- Width
- 9.1
- Description
- DARK BROWN WOOD FRAME WITH LID AND COVERED IN PAPER?, WITH A STITCH UP THE SIDE OF THE FRONT COVER. COVER CLOSED WITH TWO TINY HINGED CLASPS, ONE IS BROKEN. INSIDE OF FRAME ON LEFT SIDE IS PADDED WITH A PIECE OF PATTERNED VELVET AND OTHER SIDE HAS A BRASS FRAME WITH A GLASS SLIDE OF A YOUNG MAN PAINTED ACCESSORIES ON THE PHOTO. FRAME IS VERY FRAGILE AS THE PAPER IS TEARING AT THE HINGE? OF THE FRAME AND COVER.
- Subjects
- DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT
- Historical Association
- COMMEMORATIVE
- History
- DONOR PURCHASED AMBROTYPE AROUND 1985 FROM HURLEBURT AUCTION, CONTAINED IN A LARGER LOT. DONOR IS A PRIVATE COLLECTOR WHO HAS LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE SINCE 1963, AND HE BELIEVES PERSON IN PHOTO IS A SOCIETY MEMBER, PRE-CIVIL WAR.
- Catalogue Number
- P19970006000
- Acquisition Date
- 1997-02
- Collection
- Museum
- Other Name
- OIL PAINTING "ST. MICHAEL, ARCHANGEL"
- Date Range From
- 1700
- Date Range To
- 1750
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- WOOD, CANVAS
- Catalogue Number
- P19960116259
1 image
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- OIL PAINTING "ST. MICHAEL, ARCHANGEL"
- Date Range From
- 1700
- Date Range To
- 1750
- Materials
- WOOD, CANVAS
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 5.5
- Length
- 161.5
- Width
- 119.5
- Description
- PAINTING HAS DARK FINISHED FRAME WITH INVERSED BEVELED EDGE. AROUND INSIDE OF FRAME IS GOLD COLORED EDGING. CANVAS HAS OIL PAINTING OF ST. MICHAEL BATTLING SATAN. ST. MICHAEL IS WEARING A BLUE TUNIC AND RED CLOAK WITH WINGS BEHIND. SWORD IN HIS RIGHT HAND IS READY TO STRIKE. IN LEFT ARE THE CHAINS WHICH HOLD SATAN. SATAN IS BEARDED FIGURE BENEATH MICHAEL'S LEFT FOOT AND HAS SERPENTINE BODY. BRASS PLAQUE 15.2 X 2.5CM IN SIZE IS RIVETED TO BOTTOM OF FRAME AND HAS "ST. MICHAEL, ARCHANGEL" ENGRAVED ON IT. BACK OF PAINTING IS UNFINISHED PLYWOOD. ON BACK AT MIDDLE LEFT IS "ST. MICHAEl TAKEN FROM FRONT ENTRANCE MAY 14/85" HAND PRINTED IN PENCIL. CANVAS IS WARPED AND BUBBLED SLIGHTLY.
- Subjects
- ART
- Historical Association
- RELIGION
- FINE ARTS
- HEALTH SERVICES
- History
- SISTER AGNES BEATON OF THE SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA RELATES THAT THE PAINTING'S HISTORY (UNCONFIRMED) WAS PASSED ON TO HER BY DR. JOHN MORGAN M.D. OF LETHBRIDGE. THE PAINTING IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT WEST BY FATHER LACOMBE FROM A MONESTARY IN QUEBEC WHERE IT HAD BEEN FOR PERHAPS MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS. FATHER LACOMBE BROUGHT IT TO HIS MISSION IN NORTHERN ALBERTA AND WHEN HE DIED THE PAINTING WAS GIVEN TO THE OBLATE PARISH OF ST. PATRICK'S IN LETHBRIDGE. THE PAINTING WAS THEN GIVEN TO THE SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA FOR ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL. IT HUNG IN VARIOUS PLACES AROUND THE HOSPITAL, MOST RECENTLY IN THE ENTRANCE WAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE. IT WAS TAKEN DOWN IN 1985 AND PUT INTO STORAGE. IT SURFACED AGAIN IN 1992 WHEN SISTER AGNES HUNG IT FOR THE FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL AND IT STAYED UP UNTIL THE HOSPITAL CLOSED IN 1995. THE PAINTING WAS REMOVED BY MUSEUM STAFF IN 1996 PRIOR TO DESTRUCTION OF THE HOSPITAL. ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE PAINTING IS NOT VERIFIED. FOR MORE HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL SEE P19960116001-GA.
- Catalogue Number
- P19960116259
- Acquisition Date
- 1996-01
- Collection
- Museum
Images
- Date Range From
- 1850
- Date Range To
- 1860
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- GLASS
- Catalogue Number
- P19840021000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Date Range From
- 1850
- Date Range To
- 1860
- Materials
- GLASS
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 9.0
- Diameter
- 3.5
- Description
- AQUA. TWO PIECE MOLD. APPLIED LIP AND NECK. AIR BUBBLES THROUGHOUT GLASS. WATER STAINED.
- Subjects
- CONTAINER
- FOOD SERVICE T&E
- Historical Association
- INDUSTRY
- History
- DONOR FOUND BOTTLE IN 1979 APPROX. 3/4 MILE SE OF FORT MACLEOD IN ABANDONED BASEMENT.
- Catalogue Number
- P19840021000
- Acquisition Date
- 1984-10
- Collection
- Museum
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- GLASS
- Catalogue Number
- P19840022000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Materials
- GLASS
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 6.4
- Diameter
- 2.5
- Description
- LIGHT AMETHYST. TWO PART MOLD APPLIED LIP. "396" ON BASE. MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DRUG STORE BOTTLE.
- Subjects
- CONTAINER
- Historical Association
- HEALTH SERVICES
- History
- DONOR FOUND BOTTLE IN 1979 APPROX. 3/4 MILE SE OF FORT MACLEOD IN ABANDONED BASEMENT.
- Catalogue Number
- P19840022000
- Acquisition Date
- 1984-10
- Collection
- Museum
- Other Name
- MAN'S BEADED VEST
- Date Range From
- 1850
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- BEADWORK, VELVET, COTTON, PLASTIC
- Catalogue Number
- P19672432000
2 images
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- MAN'S BEADED VEST
- Date Range From
- 1850
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Materials
- BEADWORK, VELVET, COTTON, PLASTIC
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Length
- 59.7
- Width
- 49.0
- Description
- SIZE: 384 PLASTIC BUTTONS. LINED WITH COTTON, POSSIBLY FROM FLOUR SACK. RED COTTON BACK WITH 2 RED TIE STRINGS. CUT IN CONVENTIONAL WHITE MAN'S VEST STYLE - 3 BLACK & 1 BROWN BUTTON FRONT. FRONT PANELS ARE BLACK VELVET WITH FLORAL BEADWORK DESIGN IN RED, BLUE, GOLD, BROWN, CLEAR (OPAQUE & CLEAR BEADS). SOME PORTIONS OF BEADWORK MISSING; ESPECIALLY ON RIGHT FRONT SIDE. HANDMADE.
- Subjects
- CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR
- Historical Association
- PERSONAL CARE
- ETHNOGRAPHIC
- History
- CHIPPEWA OR METIS.
- Catalogue Number
- P19672432000
- Acquisition Date
- 1967-01
- Collection
- Museum
Images
- Other Name
- HAND DRILL
- Date Range From
- 1800
- Date Range To
- 1850
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- STEEL
- Catalogue Number
- P19662068000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- HAND DRILL
- Date Range From
- 1800
- Date Range To
- 1850
- Materials
- STEEL
- No. Pieces
- 3
- Length
- 17.8
- Diameter
- 1.3
- Description
- COMPLETE WITH STAINLESS STEEL BIT (A NEW REPLACEMENT). DIAMOND INCISED HANDLE. SLIGHTLY RUSTED.
- Subjects
- MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E
- Historical Association
- HEALTH SERVICES
- Catalogue Number
- P19662068000
- Acquisition Date
- 1966-10
- Collection
- Museum
- Other Name
- ENGLISH TYPE GUN FLINT
- Date Range From
- 1750
- Date Range To
- 1870
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- CHALCEDONY
- Catalogue Number
- P19738044000
1 image
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Other Name
- ENGLISH TYPE GUN FLINT
- Date Range From
- 1750
- Date Range To
- 1870
- Materials
- CHALCEDONY
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 0.9
- Length
- 3.3
- Width
- 3.0
- Description
- LARGE SPALL OFF STRIKING EDGE. BUFF COLOURED.
- Subjects
- ARMAMENT-ACCESSORY
- Historical Association
- ARCHAEOLOGY
- Catalogue Number
- P19738044000
- Acquisition Date
- 1973-07
- Collection
- Museum
Images
CAP, PERCUSSION
https://collections.galtmuseum.com/en/permalink/artifact1435
- Date Range From
- 1840
- Date Range To
- 1895
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- TIN
- Catalogue Number
- P19738062000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Date Range From
- 1840
- Date Range To
- 1895
- Materials
- TIN
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 1.3
- Diameter
- 3.8
- Description
- GREEN PAINTED LID, PRINTED ON LID, "PERCUSSION CAPS, CENTRAL FIRE SHEFFIELD, XL, FOIL LINED, WATERPROOF". BOX IS EMPTY. RUSTED SHUT. RUST HOLES IN BOTTOM. CONSERVATION REPORT ON FILE.
- Subjects
- ARMAMENT-ACCESSORY
- Historical Association
- LEISURE
- Catalogue Number
- P19738062000
- Acquisition Date
- 1973-07
- Collection
- Museum
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Materials
- STEEL
- Catalogue Number
- P19738189000
- Material Type
- Artifact
- Date Range From
- 1860
- Date Range To
- 1900
- Materials
- STEEL
- No. Pieces
- 1
- Height
- 3.2
- Length
- 21.5
- Width
- 2.7
- Description
- SIZE: .44 W.C.F.. STAMPED ON HANDLE "44 WCF". USED FOR MOULDING SINGLE .44 CAL. LEAD BULLETS. SWING GATE ON TOP OF MOULD HEAD. SURFACE CORRODED.
- Subjects
- ARMAMENT-ACCESSORY
- Historical Association
- AGRICULTURE
- LEISURE
- History
- REF: MONTGOMERY WARD CATALOG 1894, PERHAPS USED EARLY AS 1866
- Catalogue Number
- P19738189000
- Acquisition Date
- 1973-04
- Collection
- Museum