Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE

Date

1935

Materials

INK, PAPER, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

56.3

Length

48.6

Description

ETCHING PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE. FRAMED AND MATTED. LABEL ON FRAME HAS TEXT THAT READS " PRESENTED BY DR. J.R. STEWART M.P JULY 16TH 1935". PAPER IS OFF WHT EMBOSSED WITH TEXT MARKED IN BLK. TEXT READS "1825-1901 OF...AFTER WHOM LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA WAS NAMED. PORTRAIT OF MR LETHBRIDGE DISPLAYS HIM WEARING A SUIT. WATER DAMAGE TO TOP EDGE OF FRAME IS RESULT OF A FLOOD AT CITY HALL.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

DECORATIVE ARTS

History

THIS PAINTING AND OTHERS COLLECTED FROM BASEMENT OF CITY HALL IN 2006. AN EARLIER WEATHER-RELATED, BASEMENT FLOOD MOTIVATED AUTHORITIES IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO OFFER THE ARTWORK TO THE GALT. LETHBRIDGE WAS NAMED AFTER WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE. HE WAS AN ORIGINAL SHAREHOLDER IN THE NORTH WESTERN COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY, LTD. THIS COMPANY BEGAN TO EXTRACT COAL FROM THE COULEES IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1882. HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE COAL COMPANY AND THE NAMESAKE OF THE PRAIRIE CITY THAT HE NEVER ONCE SEEN IN HIS LIFE (1825 - 1901). *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM A BROCHURE ON HIS LIFE PRODUCED BY THE GALT MUSEUM. WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 10, 1825 NEAR DEVON, ENGLAND. HE RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF ARTS FROM ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE IN CAMBRIDGE, AND WAS CALLED TO THE BAR IN 1861. HE BECAME A MANAGING PARTNER WITH THE NEWS AGENCY AND PUBLISHING FIRM OF W.H. SMITH AND SON. LETHBRIDGE WAS A FRIEND OF SIR ALEXANDER GALT, THE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO LONDON WHO CREATED THE NORTH WESTERN COAL AND NAIGATION COMPANY, IN WHICH LETHBRIDGE WAS A SHAREHOLDER, TO ESTABLISH A LARGE SCALE COAL INDUSTRY ALONG THE OLDMAN RIVER IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. GALT WAS KNOWN FOR COURTING POTENTIAL OR ACTUAL INVESTORS BY NAMING STREETS OR TOWNS IN THEIR HONOUR, AND THE EARLIEST RIVER BOTTOM COMMUNITY WAS UNOFFICIALLY CALLED LETHBRIDGE AS EARLY AS MAY 1884. THE NAME BECAME OFFICIAL ON OCTOBER 15, 1885, BY WHICH TIME THE COMMUNITY HAD MOVED UP TO THE PRAIRIE LEVEL. IN 1890 LETHBRIDGE WAS INCORPORATED AS A TOWN OF THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES, AND ON JANUARY 15, 1891 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOSEPH ROYAL SIGNED THE OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION. LETHBRIDGE WAS INCORPORATED AS A CITY BY AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE ON MAY 9, 1906. WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS AS A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND A SHERRIF, AND NEVER SET FOOT IN THE TOWN NAMED AFTER HIM. HE DIED IN ENGLAND ON MARCH 31, 1901.

Catalogue Number

P20060025004

Acquisition Date

2006-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail