BOOKEND

Description: 1. RIGHT BOOKEND. 30.5 x 20.0 x 8.6. 3 PIECES. CARVED FROM WOOD. BASE OF BOOKEND IS AN L-SHAPE. FEATURES A COAL-MINER STANDING ON BASE. MINER IS CARVED FROM ONE PIECE OF WOOD (EXCEPT LAMP AND PICK). MINER'S HEAD IS TURNED UP SLIGHTLY, AND IS WEARING HELMET WITH LAMP AND A BELT WITH BATTERY PACK IN THE BACK. IN LEFT HAND IS HOLDING A LAMP, ALSO CARVED FROM WOOD, WITH A STEEL EYE IN THE TOP THROUGH WHICH IS A BRASS WIRE WHICH FITS IN MINER'S HAND. RIGHT HAND HOLDS A CARVED PICK. BOTH LAMP AND PICK ARE REMOVABLE. BACK SIDE OF BASE HAS A TREE CARVED INTO IT WITH "1984" BELOW. BOTTOM OF BOOKEND HAS BROWN FELT ON IT. MAJORITY OF SURFACES HAVE VISIBLE CUT MARKS AND PURPOSELY HAVE A ROUGH TEXTURE. SURFACES HAVE BURNED EFFECT. 2. LEFT BOOKEND. 23.2 X 20.0 X 8.6. 2 PIECES. CARVED FROM WOOD. BASE OF BOOKEND FORMS A REVERSE L-SHAPE. MOUNTED ON BASE IS THE FIGURE OF A MINER, DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND HOLDING A PICK AXE OVER ONE SHOULDER. MINER IS CARVED FROM ONE PIECE OF WOOD (EXCEPT AXE). PICK AXE IS ALSO CARVED FROM WOOD AND IS REMOVABLE. FIGURE IS WEARING A MINER'S HELMET WITH LAMP. BOTTOM OF BOOKEND IS COVERED WITH BROWN FELT. CARVED INTO BACK OF BOOKEND IS A TREE WITH "RG" IN THE LEAVES AND "1985" TO THE RIGHT. THERE IS ALSO A GOLD LABEL TAPED TO BACK OF BOOKEND THAT READS "AN ORIGINAL WORK BY ROSEMARIE GASCOYNE BOX 159, COLEMAN, CROWSNEST PASS ALBERTA, CANADA T0K 0M0".

History: BOOKENDS CREATED BY ARTIST ROSEMARIE GASCOYNE OF THE CROWSNEST PASS (COLEMAN). DONOR WAS ACQUAINTED WITH ARTIST THROUGH A COMMON FRIEND AND WAS ATTRACTED TO HER COAL MINING RELATED WORK AS HE LIVED IN AN AREA OF ENGLAND SOUTH OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER THAT WAS AFFILIATED WITH COAL. DONOR COMMISSIONED ARTIST TO MAKE THE BOOKENDS IN 1984/85. THROUGH THE DONOR'S WORK AS A PHYSIO THERAPIST HE HAD HAD CONTACT WITH COAL MINERS IN THE PAST. DONOR USED BOOKENDS UNTIL AROUND THE TIME THEY WERE DONATED TO MUSEUM. DONOR EMMIGRATED TO CANADA FROM ENGLAND IN 1957. DONOR FIRST WENT TO ESTEVAN/REGINA AREA. BEGAN WORKING IN ESTEVAN HOSPITAL AT THAT TIME. MOVED TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA IN 1973 AND WORKED IN THE TABER HOSPITAL. HE RETIRED FROM PRACTICE IN 1988 AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE. NOW RESIDES IN PEMMICAN LODGE.