Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"TOUCHING THE INVISIBLE"

Date Range From

1946

Date Range To

1953

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Height

.5

Length

18

Width

12.5

Description

BOOKLET WITH ENCLOSED HANDWRITTEN PAPER NOTE, 2 PCE. BLUE SOFT COVER BOOKLET TITLED “TOUCHING THE INVISIBLE” BY “NORMAN GRUBB”, “FIRST PUBLISHED 1940”, HANDWRITTEN IN BOOKLET’S INSIDE COVER, “E.F. KIRK 204 9TH ST. S. LETHBRIDGE”. PAPER NOTE, 12.6 CM (L) X 6.6 CM (W), HANDWRITTEN IN INK “6TH DAY – READ ALL OF IT AGAIN TO …. AS THEY ARE VITAL”, TYPED IN TR CORNER “LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA CANADA”.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

RELIGION

History

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE P20090016001 AND PERMANENT FILE. THIS BOOKLET AND NOTE WERE DONATED TO THE GALT THREE YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL WORK BOX AND CONTENTS DONATION. THE ITEMS WERE OFFERED TO GALT CURATOR WENDY AITKENS WHO, ON 20 JUNE 2012, BROUGHT THE ITEMS TO COLLECTIONS SAYING, “ARLENE STEELE (DONOR’S DAUGHTER) DROPPED THE BOOKLET OFF AT THE FRONT DESK. SHE PHONED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER TO CHECK THAT I HAD RECEIVED IT. SHE TOLD ME SHE FOUND IT IN HER HOUSE BUT DOESN’T REMEMBER HOW IT GOT SEPARATED FROM THE MAUGHAM WORK BOX. ARLENE WAS FASCINATED BY THE CONTENTS OF THE BOX AS A CHILD AND REMEMBERS THE BOOKLET BEING IN IT. SHE ALSO REMEMBERS HER MOTHER, KATHERINE TWISS TELLING HER THAT MISS KIRK WAS A VERY RELIGIOUS PERSON.” *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING SOME ASSOCIATED WITH EDITH KIRK. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON KIRK, THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS BOOKLET, WAS DEVELOPED BY GALT CURATOR WENDY AITKENS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2015 KIRK EXHIBIT AT THE GALT MUSEUM: "FOR 35 YEARS, LETHBRIDGE WAS THE HOME OF AN ACCOMPLISHED AND WELL KNOWN ARTIST AND ART TEACHER. EDITH FANNY KIRK, OR MISS KIRK AS MOST PEOPLE CALLED HER, CREATED WATER COLOUR LANDSCAPES OF ENGLAND, VANCOUVER, LETHBRIDGE, WATERTON, BANFF, AND JASPER. SHE TAUGHT MANY CHILDREN AND ADULTS THE SKILLS OF PAINTING. SHE ALSO SPOKE AT THE MATHESIS CLUB PERSENTING PAPERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ART, THE EVOLUTION OF ART AND ART APPRECIATION. JOAN STEBBINS, PAST CURATOR AT THE SAAG, CREDITS THE INFLUENCE OF MISS KIRK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH (NOW ARTISTS') CLUB IN THE 1930S. WHEN MISS KIRK ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1918, SHE WAS 60 YEARS OLD. SHE WAS BORN IN 1858 AND WAS RAISED IN YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND. HER MOTHER, FANNY (NEE MAUGHAM) PASSED AWAY WHEN EDITH WAS A YOUNG GIRL AND HER FATHER REMARRIED. THE STORY, FROM SECOND HAND SOURCES, WAS THAT SHE AND HER STEP MOTHER DID NOT LIKE ONE ANOTHER. THIS PROVIDED TO BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE BECAUSE EDITH WAS SENT AWAY TO STUDY ART. EDITH STUDIED IN SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON AND PARIS. DURING HER SUMMERS SHE JOINED ARTIST'S COLONIES IN CORNWALL, WALES AND YORKSHIRE. SHE WROTE OF IMPRESSIONIST PAUL CEZANNE BEING HER "MODEL AND INSPIRATION" AND SHE GREATLY ADMIRED ROMANTIC ARTIST JOHN SELL COTMAN. KIRK NEVER MARRIED AND, FOR SOME REASON, SHE DECIDED TO IMMIGRATE TO CANADA AT THE AGE OF 46. SHE ARRIVED IN HALIFAX ABOARD THE HMS CANADA IN APRIL 1905. THE PASSENGER LIST INDICATED SHE WAS TRAVELING ON TO VANCOUVER AND HER OCCUPATION WAS LISTED AS A GOVERNESS. IT SEEMS SHE DIDN'T STAY LONG IN VANCOUVER BUT SOON TRAVELLED TO ATLIN, B.C. TO GET TO ATLIN, KIRK WOULD HAVE TAKEN A SHIP TO SKAGWAY, THE WHITE PASS RAILWAY TO CARCROSS AND THEN AN OVERLAND AND BOAT TRIP TO ATLIN. IT IS A MYSTERY WHY SHE CHOSE TO GO TO A REMOTE GOLD RUSH TOWN IN NORTH WESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. NEXT WE FIND KIRK, IN 1911, BOARDING WITH THE WOODS FAMILY IN LILLOOET, NORTHWEST OF KAMLOOPS, B.C. THERE SHE IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER. SEVEN YEARS LATER EDITH KIRK IS IN LETHBRIDGE. IT SEEMS SHE KNEW PEOPLE LIVING IN TABER, DR. ALFRED HAMMAN AND HIS SISTER MRS. SYLVIA GIDMAN, WHO CAME FROM HER HOMELAND IN ENGLAND SO CHOSE VISIT. THE CHARM OF THE PRAIRIE AND MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA ENTICED HER TO STAY. MISS KIRK LIVED IN THE VICTORIA MANSION AND THE TRAVELLER'S AID SOCIETY BUILDING AND SHE TAUGHT ART CLASSES AT THE YMCA FOR A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH." EDITH KIRK PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1953. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE OTHER KIRK DONATIONS, INCLUDING: P19820004000, P19960095000, P20090016*, P20140012*, P20140020*, P20140021000, P20150008000, P20150019000, P20150024000, P20150029000, AND P20150030000. SEE ALSO, "A LEGACY OF ADVENTURE AND ART: THE LIFE OF MISS EDITH FANNY KIRCK" BY WENDY AITKENS. ALSO SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20090016045

Acquisition Date

2012-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail