BLACK RECTANGULAR CASE WITH LEATHERETTE COVERING. HINGED AT BACK, WITH PULL-OUT PIN AT FRONT RIGHT TO SECURE CASE. INTERIOR LINED WITH BLACK FLANNEL; BASE PARTITIONED TO HOLD CONTENTS. INCLUDES: (1) STEEL HALF-SET COMPASS WITH SCREW ON ONE LEG TO SECURE INTERCHANGEABLE WRITING ATTACHMENTS. STAMPED NEAR TOP "GRAMERCY IMPORT COMPANY GERMANY"; (1) COMPASS POINT WITH FOUNTAIN-STYLE NIB. INCLUDES ALUMINUM SHAFT, STAMPED "GERMANY CCO"; AND (2) FOUNTAIN-STYLE NIB COMPASS ATTACHMENTS. THREADED DISC STAMPED "GRAMERCY IMPORT COMPANY GERMANY". CASE IS QUITE WORN, WITH SPOTS OF VARNISH AND UNKNOWN RESIDUE ON SURFACE. PIN ON CLOSURE OF CASE IS BENT.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.
REVOLVER, 6 SHOT, .455 CALIBRE, SILVER FINISH ON STEEL (?), BRONZE GRIPS CAST IN A LEAF PATTERN, MARKED, “…1972” CYLINDER MARKED, “27” RIGHT SIDE OF GUN MARKED WITH A CROWN OVER “R, O” IN FRONT OF CYLINDER, METAL LANYARD LOOP AT BOTTOM OF GRIP. GRIPS NOT ORIGINAL TO REVOLVER.
BARBARA MARTENS CONSULTED WITH HER HUSBAND, DONOR CORNIE MARTENS (WHO WAS THEN IN THE HOSPITAL) AT TIME OF DONATION. THE DONOR PURCHASED THE REVOLVER TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR WESTERN SCULPTURES. HE PURCHASED IT FROM A GUN SHOP IN VANCOUVER IN THE EARLY 1970S. CORNIE MARTENS, A BRONZE SCULPTOR, COLLECTED ABOUT FIVE OR SIX GUNS IN ORDER TO USE THEM AS MODELS FOR HIS WESTERN SCULPTURES. WHILE HE HAD A SMALL COLLECTION OF FIREARMS, THIS WEBLEY MK1 REVOLVER WAS THE ONLY ONE HE EVER ALTERED. HE REPLACED THE GRIPS WITH ONES HE HAD SCULPTED SOME TIME IN THE LATE 1970S. ACCORDING TO HIS WIFE, HE SCULPTED THE GRIPS "JUST FOR INTEREST."
THE DONOR WAS BORN IN THE UKRAINE AND MOVED TO SASKATCHEWAN AT A YOUNG AGE. NOT LONG AFTER THAT, HIS FAMILY RELOCATED TO COALDALE, WHERE MARTENS RESIDED FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE. THE DONOR BECAME INTERESTED IN ART WHEN HE WAS A BOY. ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING, MUCH OF HIS ARTWORK WAS SCULPTURAL. HE WORKED IN BRONZE, WAX, PLASTICINE, ALUMINUM, TIN, CLAY, FIBREGLASS AND MORE. WESTERN MOTIFS AND THE RODEO WERE THEMES FOUND THROUGHOUT HIS ARTWORK. SOME OF HIS WORKS INCLUDE, A BRONZE MINER STATUE FOR THE "MINER'S LIBRARY", A STATUE OF JERRY POTTS (AWARDED TO OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTORS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA TOURISM) AND MORE.
CORNIE MARTENS PASSED AWAY ON JULY 29, 2009.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE.
CYLINDRICAL SHAFT OF DARK STAINED WOOD WITH HORSE HAIR BRUSH AT END AND COILED RED STRING AROUND GRIP END. JAPANESE CHARACTERS ARE CARVED DOWN LENGTH OF HANDLE WHICH IS SPLIT FROM END TO END.
BRUSH WAS USED BY DONOR'S FATHER, REV. G.G. NAKAYAMA, WHO CORRESPONDED REGULARLY WITH PARISHIONERS, MISSIONARIES AND OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD HE HAD MET. HE ALSO PUBLISHED NEWSLETTERS AND NEWSPAPERS FOR THE JAPANESE CANADIAN COMMUNITY. THIS IS ONE OF MANY ITEMS HE POSSESSED TO PERFORM THESE TASKS. THE NAKAYAMA FAMILY WAS ORIGINALLY FROM VANCOUVER BUT MOVED TO COALDALE FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR WHEN THEY WERE INTERNED AT SLOCAN CITY IN THE INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. THE DONOR'S FATHER, REV. CANON G.G. NAKAYAMA, WAS AN ANGLICAN MINISTER IN VANCOUVER, AND THEN ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION IN COALDALE IN 1945 WHERE HE SERVED UNTIL 1970.
SEE RECORD P19970041001 FOR EXPANDED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER HISTORY.
THE FOLLOWING MEMORIES WERE PROVIDED BY REVEREND TIM NAKAYAMA IN A LETTER TO THE GALT ON 16 AUGUST, 2007. HE WROTE: “JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY IS A MANUAL ART IN WHICH JAPANESE IDEOGRAPHS ARE EXECUTED BY THE USE OF A “FUDE” BRUSH. THE INK IS PREPARED ON A BLACK RECESSED SMOOTH STONE ON WHICH BLACK “SUMI” (A SPECIAL CHARCOAL SUBSTANCE) IS RUBBED AND MIXED WITH A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER. THE BRUSH IS DIPPED IN THE PREPARED “SUMI” AND THE IDEOGRAPHS ARE ARTISTICALLY “PAINTED” ON JAPANESE “WASHI” PAPER IF AVAILABLE. IT’S ABSORBENCY TAKES THE BRUSH STROKES THAT ARE BOLDLY MADE IN A GIVEN REGULAR SEQUENCE AND ORDER FOR EACH IDEOGRAPH.”