Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PRINT, QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Date

2012

Materials

PAPER, GLASS, COMPOSITE

No. Pieces

1

Height

46.8

Length

46.8

Width

1.3

Description

PHOTOGRAPH MATTED AND FRAMED. DARK BROWN FAUX WOOD FRAME WITH GLASS. OUTERMOST MATT IS WHITE, INNER MATT IS GREY. PHOTOGRAPH DEPICTS QUEEN ELIZABETH II STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CANADIAN FLAG AND A DARK WOOD PANELED WALL. BLACK TEXT IN WHITE BOARDER OF PRINT READS, “HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II QUEEN OF CANADA WEARING HER CANADIAN INSIGNIA AS SOVERIGN OF THE ORDER OF CANADA AND THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT. SA MAJESTÉ LA REINE ELIZABETH II REINE DU CANADA PORTANT SES INSIGNES CANADIENS, Á TITRE DE SOUVERAINE DE L’ORDRE DU CANADA ET DE L’ORDRE DU MÉRITE MILITAIRE.” REVERSE HAS RIGID BLACK BOARD FIXED IN PLACE BY BLACK METAL TABS ON FRAME. BOARD HAS THREE METAL HOOKS. FRAME HAS INSCRIPTION HANDWRITTEN IN PERMANENT MARKER ON TOP EDGE THAT READS, “(MONARCHIST LEAGUE OF CANADA LETHBRIDGE CHAIR JANE HARRIS ZSOVAN PRESENTED THIS PORTRAIT TO THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES 27, MAY 2012 IN HONOUR OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S DIAMOND JUBILEE.”

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

COMMEMORATIVE

History

ON MAY 27, 2012 THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES HELD A CELEBRATION FOR THE DIAMOND JUBILEE INCLUDING A ‘ROYAL TEA’ WHERE THE PORTRAIT WAS PRESENTED TO THE GALT BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MONARCHIST LEAGUE OF CANADA. ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS THE OFFICIAL (2005) CANADIAN PORTRAIT OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II WEARING HER CANADIAN INSIGNIA AS SOVEREIGN OF THE ORDER OF CANADA AND THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT. REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MONARCHIST LEAGUE OF CANADA (LETHBRIDGE/MEDICINE HAT CHAPTER) AND DONOR JANE HARRIS-ZSOVAN SAID AT TIME OF DONATION, “WE RECEIVED FIVE OF THE 2005 PORTRAITS FROM THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION. THREE WERE DISTRIBUTED IN LETHBRIDGE: ONE TO THE GALT, ONE TO THE LETHBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY DOWNTOWN BRANCH, AND ONE TO ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH. ONE WENT TO WATERTON FOR THEIR TOWN HALL, AND ONE WAS SENT TO MEDICINE HAT WHERE IT WAS GIFTED TO MR. BILL COCKS, A LOCAL LAWYER FOR HIS WORK ON HIS DIAMOND JUBILEE/60TH BIRTHDAY GARDEN PARTY THERE. (ED. NOTE 2 APRIL 2014, WATERTON PARK HISTORIAN AND RESIDENT CHRIS MORRISON STATED, “THERE IS NO TOWN HALL IN WATERTON AND NEVER HAS BEEN”, RECOMMENDING THAT THE LOCATION REFERRED TO BY THE DONOR BE REFERENCED AS THE WATERTON PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE (AKA. “THE OLD SCHOOL”).) I BELIEVE BILL IS DISPLAYING HIS PORTRAIT IN HIS LAW OFFICE. IT IS PART OF OUR MANDATE TO DONATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, SUCH AS THE CROWN IN CANADA BOOKLET, AND PORTRAITS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN THE NEW YEAR, I WILL BE LOOKING FOR PLACES FOR THE 2012 PORTRAITS. ONE OF OUR MANDATES IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON THE CANADIAN CROWN, MAKE PRESENTATIONS ON THE TOPIC, AND TO PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATION THROUGH LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AND MARKING DATES SUCH AS ACCESSION DAY, VICTORIAL DAY, CANADA DAY. WE ARE NON-PARTISAN AND WELCOME PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, INCOME LEVELS, ETHNICITIES, FAITHS AND LIFESTYLES.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW THE LEAGUE CHOSE TO DONATE THE PORTRAIT TO THE GALT, HARRIS-ZSOVAN RESPONDED BY SAYING, “THE GALT MUSEUM HAS A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP TO THE CROWN AS THE MAN WHO COMMISSIONED THE ORIGINAL HOSPITAL, SIR ALEXANDER GALT WAS KNIGHTED TWICE BY QUEEN VICTORIA. AS WELL AS BEING A FATHER OF CONFEDERATION, HIS LAST YEARS WERE SPENT REFORMING THE BRITISH EMPIRE INTO WHAT HE CAME TO BELIEVE WOULD BECOME AN IMPERIAL FEDERATION. LETHBRIDGE WAS PART OF THAT GRAND VISION, AND HE RISKED HIS FORTUNE TO ENSURE THAT THIS REGION WOULD BE SETTLED BY FARMERS AND MINERS. GALT IS A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING PERSON IN THAT HE CONSIDERED QUITE OPENLY ALL CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT, FROM ANNEXATION, TO CONTINUED COLONIAL STATUS, TO REPUBLICANISM TO IMPERIAL FEDERATION (WHICH IS QUITE CLOSE TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY (EG. A CANADIAN CROWN, MAKING OUR COUNTRY EQUAL AND INDEPENDENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, BUT RETAINING THE SAME MONARCH AND OUR BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY TRADITIONS. THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE MUCH MORE THAN POLITICAL, THEY ARE CULTURAL. WHILE WE DON’T THINK ABOUT THEM, THE FACT THAT CANADA IS A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH, AFFECTS EVERYTHING FROM HOW WE SEE THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, TO HOW CANADIANS VIEW INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (USUALLY MORE INTERDEPENDENT AND LESS ISOLATIONIST THAN REPUBLICS LIKE THE US OR EIRE)., TO HOW OUR ARMED FORCES OPERATE. THE GALT IS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL, HISTORIC, AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTION, NOT JUST IN THE LOCAL SENSE, BUT IN THE NATIONAL AND COMMONWEALTH SENSE. IT WAS PART OF THE VISION OF THIS AMAZING FATHER OF CONFEDERATION, WHO SAW FAR INTO THE FUTURE AS TO HOW CANADA COULD ACTUALLY GROW STRONGER WITHIN THE EMPIRE AND TRANSFORM THAT EMPIRE. AND INDEED IT HAS. THE BRITS EVEN LOOK TO US NOW FOR THINGS LIKE ALBERTA’S EDUCATION POLICIES AND CANADA’S MONETARY POLICIES.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LETHBRIDGE BRANCH, HARRIS-ZSOVAN EXPLAINED, “OUR BRANCH IS A NEW BRANCH. OUR FIRST MEETING WAS IN MARCH AT MY HOUSE. (WE HAD 3 IN ATTENDANCE, 1 CONVERSING WITH US FROM MEDICINE HAT VIA E-MAIL, AND WE HAD OUR WATERTON MEMBER JOIN US IN A CONFERENCE CALL. TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE SURVIVAL OF OUR BRANCH.) LAST JANUARY, I WAS ASKED TO TRY TO FORM A LETHBRIDGE/MEDICINE HAT BRANCH FROM OUR LONG-TERM MEMBERSHIP IN THIS REGION. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD 23 MEMBERS SPARED THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE, SOUTH OF NANTON. MANY OF THESE LONG-TERM MEMBERS, WHO SIMPLY WANTED TO SUPPORT THE CROWN THROUGH THEIR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE. THESE PEOPLE REMAIN ON OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST, BUT SINCE FORMING OUR BRANCHES WE HAVE GAINED SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS IN BOTH LETHBRIDGE AND MEDICINE HAT AS WELL PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND/OR RECEIVE NEWSLETTERS. WE HAVE ABOUT 35 MEMBERS NOW, INCLUDING A LIFE MEMBER LIVING IN LETHBRIDGE. WE HAVE A SMALLER NETWORK OF ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS, PEOPLE WHO WOULD FORM THE NUCLEUS OF AN EXECUTIVE IN MANY ORGANIZATIONS. OUR ORGANIZATION DOES NOT OPERATE USING TRADITIONAL BOARD STRUCTURES. WE ARE APPOINTED TO OUR POSITIONS TO DO PARTICULAR TASKS BY THE DOMINION CHAIR OR THE LOCAL BRANCH CHAIR. IN THAT WAY, IT’S ACTUALLY MORE EQUALITARIAN AS WHEN IT COMES TO ANNUAL BRANCH CHAIR’S CHRISTMAS BRUNCH, GUESS WHO DOES THE COOKING? A BRANCH CHAIR IS PRIMARILY THE CHIEF ORGANIZER AND SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GROUP, BUT IN SUCH A LARGE TERRITORY, SUCH AS OUR BRANCH IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FIND KEY VOLUNTEERS IN EACH COMMUNITY, SUCH AS BILL COCKS IN MEDICINE HAT, AYNSELEY BAKER IN WATERTON, AND THE BUDDS IN LETHBRIDGE. MY GOAL AS BRANCH CHAIR IS TO EVENTUALLY SEE EACH OF THESE LOCAL GROUPS GROWING STRONG ENOUGH THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY SURVIVE AS INDEPENDENT BRANCHES. OUR CURRENT MEMBERSHIP RANGES FROM 20 SOMETHINGS TO 80 SOMETHINGS. THERE ARE PROBABLY TWICE AS MANY SUPPORTERS WHO HAVEN’T PAID DUES, BUT WANT TO BE KEPT ABREAST OF WHAT OUR GROUP IS DOING. I EXPECT THAT THIS WILL ALWAYS BE THE CASE. MANY PEOPLE WANT TO ATTEND EVENTS, SUCH AS PUBLIC TALKS, OR ACCESS OUR MATERIALS FOR RESEARCH AND SCHOOL PAPERS. NOT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO JOIN OUR GROUP OR BE IN A POSITION TO VOLUNTEER COME OUT TO EVENTS. THAT IS JUST FINE. WE ARE HERE TO BE A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING A NETWORK WITH MANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKING ON PROJECTS TOGETHER. FOR EXAMPLE, WE MIGHT PARTNER WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION FOR A VICTORIA DAY IN THE FUTURE.”

Catalogue Number

P20120039000

Acquisition Date

2012-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail