Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FRAMED PRINT, WILFRED LAURIER

Date Range From

1910

Date Range To

1915

Materials

WOOD, PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Length

65.5

Width

56.5

Description

1. PRINT 54 (L) X 44.5 PAPER, 1 PCE. DISPLAYS IMAGE OF PM WILFRED LAURIER FROM CHEST UP. PM WEARING BLUE SUIT WITH GOLD TIE PIN, SPECTACLES AND WHITE COLLAR. PRINT IS DAMAGED, SHOWING CREASES AND CRACKS IN SURFACE. EDGES WORN. 2. FRAME, 1 PCE, OAK. TIERED INSIDE EDGE. RAISED LAUREL LEAF DESIGN IN PAINTED IN GOLD FINISH. EXTREME INSIDE EDGE FEATURES RED VELVET BORDER

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PRINT GIVEN TO GEORGE HARPER IN 1910 BY PRIME MINISTER WILFRED LAURIER ON HIS VISIT TO LETHBRIDGE THAT YEAR. HARPER WAS A NOTED MUSICIAN AND RAN A MUSIC SCHOOL IN CITY. HARPER'S BRASS BAND PLAYED ON THE OCCASION OF THE PM'S VISIT. HARPER LEFT THE PRINT TO HIS WIFE'S FAMILY (THE DAVIES') AND MR. SEAL DAVIES WHO IN TURN, GAVE IT TO MR. THOMAS BERNIER (DONOR'S GRANDFATHER), OF LETHBRIDGE. THOMAS LEFT PRINT TO HIS SON EDWARD (DONOR'S FATHER). THE PICTURE HAD BEEN HANGING IN THE HOME OF THE DONOR'S AUNT, YVONNE BERNIER HARRIS, WHEN IT'S WIRE BROKE AND THE PRINT CRASHED TO THE FLOOR, BREAKING THE GLASS, AND PROMPTING THE DECISION TO DONATE IT TO THE MUSEUM. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. ACCORDING TO HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND GALT ARCHIVES RECORD 19851012001, JAMES GEORGE HARPER, ORIGINAL RECIPIENT OF THIS PRINT, WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE LETHBRIDGE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND LEADER OF THE LETHBRIDGE CITIZENS BAND. HE DIED IN 1953 AT AGE 86. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE BERNIER FAMILY, THE INHERITORS OF THIS ARTIFACT, WAS PROVIDED BY THE DONOR, VIVIAN CALDER, AT THE TIME OF DONATION: "THOMAS EDWARD BERNIER WAS BORN IN CAP ST. IGNACE, QUEBEC IN 1874. HE LEFT HOME TO LOOK FOR WORK AS A YOUNG MAN AND EVENTUALLY SETTLED IN LETHBRIDGE [WHERE HE MET] CASSIE BARDET... THEY WERE MARRIED IN ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1902. A SON, EDWARD THOMAS [THE DONOR'S FATHER] WAS BORN IN 1903 AND A DAUGHTER, YVONNE [THE DONOR'S AUNT] IN 1904. BERNIER BUILT A TWO-STOREY HOUSE ON THE HILL WHERE PART OF THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY [WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT] AND WORKED FOR THE RAILROAD AS FOREMAN OF A WORK CREW... AT AGE 41 HE JOINED THE 113TH BATTALION CEF IN JANUARY 1916. HE WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN FRANCE AND DID NOT RETURN HOME TO LETHBRIDGE UNTIL DECEMBER 1919. WHEN EDWARD LEFT SCHOOL HE WORKED IN THE MINE AND MARRIED MY MOTHER, ANNIE MAY REASON, IN TABER IN 1923... IN 1926 MY GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS, MY BROTHER AND I MOVED TO POWELL RIVER, B.C. WHERE THERE WAS MORE CHANCE OF WORK... THOMAS BERNIER DIED IN 1958, CASSIE IN 1965, EDWARD IN 1985. YVONNE MARRIED HAROLD 'BABE' HARRIS OF TABER." ACCORDING TO HER LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, YVONNE BERNIER HARRIS PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 18, 2009, AT THE AGE OF 105. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT SIR WILFRID LAURIER'S 1910 VISIT TO LETHBRIDGE WAS DEVELOPED WITH LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM THAT YEAR. AFTER THE ENTRY OF ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN INTO CONFEDERATION IN 1905, PRIME MINISTER LAURIER PLANNED A TWO-MONTH TOUR OF WESTERN CANADA, TAKING PLACE IN THE SUMMER OF 1910. LETHBRIDGE WAS THE LAST STOP OF THE TOUR, WITH LAURIER ARRIVING ON AUGUST 31 AND DEPARTING ON SEPTEMBER 1. A LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1910 DESCRIBES LAURIER'S RECEPTION IN LETHBRIDGE: "WHEN THE SPECIAL TRAIN CARRYING SIR WILFRID AND PARTY PULLED INTO THE DEPOT A LARGE CROWD OF CITIZENS HAD ASSEMBLED TO WELCOME THE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. THE LOCAL CORPS OF MOUNTED POLICE WAS ON HAND TO ACT AS A GUARD OF HONOR AND THE CITIZENS' BAND [LED BY GEORGE HARPER] AND MINERS' BAND WERE OUT IN FULL FORCE. AS SIR WILFRID WAS ESCORTED TO THE PLATFORM WHICH HAD BEEN ERECTED TO FACILITATE THE READING OF THE ADDRESSES OF WELCOME, THE BAND STRUCK UP 'THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER'... THE DAY WAS NOT PROPITIOUS; IT WAS RAW AND CHILLY AND THREATENED RAIN... THE MEETING BEING IN THE OPEN AIR MADE IT UNCOMFORTABLE FOR SPEAKERS AND CROWD ALIKE BUT AT LEAST THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE LISTENED TO THE SPEECHES FROM START TO FINISH... SIR WILFRID'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A PSOT OFFICE WOULD BE BUILT WAS A FEATURE OF THE DAY AND NATURALLY WAS ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED... HIS HIGH AND LOFTY SENTIMENTS, HIS PATRIOTISM, HIS STRONG ARGUMENT ON BEHALF OF BRITISH CONNECTION, HIS APPEAL TO NEW CITIZENS FROM OTHER LANDS TO BECOME CANADIAN CITIZENS, MADE MEN WHO HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD HIM BEFORE ADMIRE AND RESPECT HIM AS A GREAT STATESMAN AND A GREAT CANADIAN." SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF DONOR'S FAMILY HISTORY, OBITUARIES OF GEORGE HARPER AND YVONNE HARRIS, AND ARTICLES ON LAURIER'S VISIT.

Catalogue Number

P20020013000

Acquisition Date

2002-07

Collection

Museum

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