Material Type

Artifact

Date

1925

Materials

WOOD, LEATHER, HAIR

No. Pieces

9

Height

10

Length

66

Width

19

Description

BLACK CASE CONTAINING VIOLIN, BOW, SHOULDER REST, BRIDGE, ROSIN WITH LID AND STRING - 8 PIECES 3/4 SIZE VIOLIN AND BOW IN BLACK LEATHER CASE. CASE HAS BEEN REPAIRED WITH BLACK TAPE. ONE LEATHER STRAP AND BUCKLE AND ONE STEEL CLASP FORM CLOSURE. INSIDE LID IS MARKED IN FELT MARKER "S HORT M.K." INTERIOR OF WORN CASE IS FADED PALE BLUE COTTON. WOOD BOW WITH HORSE HAIR AND MOTHER OF PEARL INLAY. VIOLIN HAS THREE STRINGS AND THE BRIDGE IS NOT ATTACHED, BUT CAN BE FOUND IN CASE. INSIDE MARKED " COPY OF ANTONIUOS STRADIVARIUS MADE IN GERMANY." BACK OF VIOLIN HAS HAND CARVED MARKING, "BUD PULLAN, JUNE 28TH, 1925." CASE ALSO INCLUDES A SHOULDER REST - SMALL BLK VELVET CUSHION WITH METAL ATTACHMENT, AND ROSIN - IN CORK WITH RED CASE. A THICK WHITE COTTON STRING IS ALSO ENCLOSED WITHIN THE CASE. *UPDATE* AS OF 2011 INVENTORY A FINE TUNING PEG (SMALL SILVER SCREW) IS LOOSE IN THE CASE. NO. OF PIECES HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM 8 TO 9 TO REFLECT THIS.

Subjects

MUSICAL T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

ACCORDING TO THE DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, THE VIOLIN WAS PURCHASED FROM AN EATON'S CATALOGUE IN THE 1920S BY HIS GRANDFATHER, MICHAEL JOHN BENNETT. THE VIOLIN WAS WELL USED BY M.J. BENNETT, A SELF TAUGHT VIOLINIST. THE DONOR BELIEVED THAT HIS GRANDFATHER MAY HAVE LEARNED SOME BASICS AS A TEENAGER WHEN HE SERVED IN THE BOER WAR. M.J. BENNETT ENJOYED POPULAR SONGS, BUT AT SOME POINT GAVE UP PLAYING AND HID THE VIOLIN BETWEEN THE WALL STUDS OF A BARN ON HIS SON-IN-LAW TOM CRAWFORD'S FARM. CRAWFORD DISCOVERED THE VIOLIN AROUND 1970, AFTER M.J. BENNETT HAD RELOCATED TO SALMON ARM, BC. CRAWFORD'S PROPERTY WAS EVENTUALLY PURCHASED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE. THE DONOR HAS NO RECOLLECTION OF HIS GRANDFATHER PLAYING ANY INSTRUMENT, BUT DID RECALL HIM FREQUENTLY SINGING FIRST WORLD WAR SONGS. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE DONATED BY M.J. BENNETT, GRANDFATHER OF DONOR TREVOR BENNETT, AND ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VIOLIN. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS FOUND IN BENNETT'S ATTESTATION PAPERS AND RECORDS FROM THE GLENBOW ARCHIVES. MICHAEL JOHN BENNETT WAS BORN IN 1881 IN WHITNEY, ENGLAND AND SERVED IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN BOER WAR BEFORE IMMIGRATING TO CANADA IN 1910 WITH HIS WIFE, ALICE MAY BENNETT (NEE EDWARDS). THEY WERE LIVING IN MEDICINE HAT WHERE BENNETT WORKED AS A CARPENTER WHEN HE ENLISTED WITH THE 175TH BATTALION CEF ON JANUARY 26, 1916. BENNETT SURVIVED THE WAR AND HE AND ALICE HAD SIX CHILDREN. THE FAMILY LIVED IN SHAUNESSEY AND LETHBRIDGE AND BENNETT WORKED AS A STREETCAR DRIVER, CARPENTER AND HOTEL OPERATOR. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE KIWANIS CLUB AND LETHBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. BENNETT DIED IN 1982. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19672995000 FOR HARDCOPIES OF BENNETT'S ATTESTATION PAPERS AND GLENBOW ARCHIVES FONDS DESCRIPTION. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: ON THE VIOLIN BENNET SAID, “I DIDN’T KNOW MY GRANDFATHER HAD SOME MUSICAL TRAINING. ONE SUMMER HIS DAUGHTER, WHO IS MY AUNT DORIS, DECIDED THAT THIS WRETCHED BARN ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT KEPT HAVING SECTIONS THAT FELL DOWN, TO BE PULLED DOWN. SO THEY PULLED IT DOWN AND IN THE WALLS OF THE BARN THEY FOUND THIS VIOLIN. … IT WAS THE CRAWFORD FARM. UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE IS BUILT ON THE LAND THAT WAS THE CRAWFORD’S.” “SO IT SPENT WHO KNOWS HOW MANY YEARS, 30 YEARS, 40 YEARS IN THE WALL. IT WAS CLOSED IN AND IT HAS SURVIVED EXCEPT THE CASE WAS FALLING APART AS Y0U CAN SEE BUT THE VIOLIN IS FINE. MY GRANDFATHER IN A FIT OF TEMPER COULD HAVE PUT IT IN THE WALL. HE WAS THAT KIND OF PERSON.” “DORIS SAVED IT AND ASKED ME IF I WANTED IT. I ASKED HER WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO WITH AND SHE SAID. ”I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT EXCEPT THROW IT OUT. I CAN’T PLAY AND I DON’T KNOW ANYONE WHO CAN. I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT KNOW SOMEBODY”. SO I TOOK IT IN TO LEISTER’S MUSIC AND MR. LEISTER PUT NEW STRINGS ON IT. HE SAID IT WASN’T A VERY GOOD VIOLIN BUT A BEGINNER MIGHT BE HAPPY WITH IT.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060032017

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail