Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NEEDLEPOINT

Date

1986

Materials

LINEN, COTTON, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

35.9

Length

29.8

Width

2.6

Description

GOLD FRAME WITH CRACKLED FINISH, WHITE AND GOLD MATTING. WHITE DOUBLE WEAVE NEEDLEPOINT CANVAS WITH FLAG, COMPASS, AND CROWN DESIGN STITCHED IN CENTER USING RED, WHITE BLUE AND GOLD COLOURED YARN. BELOW CREST IS STITCHED, “IODE.” BROWN PAPER BACK WITH TYPEWRITTEN TEXT FIXED TO PAPER WITH SCOTCH TAPE. TEXT READS, “THIS PIECE OF NEEDLEPOINT WAS DONE BY MARGARET SOMERVILLE, LONG TIME MEMBER OF SIR ALEXANDER GALT CHAPTER, IODE, OF LETHBRIDGE. IT WAS HER WISH THAT IT BE PRESENTED TO EACH REGENT AND BE KEPT IN HER POSSESSION DURING HER TERM OF OFFICE. MRS. A.G. LYNCH-STAUNTON WAS THE FIRST TO RECEIVE IT IN 1986. IF IODE SHOULD CEASE TO EXIST IN LETHBRIDGE THIS ITEM IS TO BE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF MRS. W.A. NELSON (MARGARET) FOR DISPOSITION.” STAMPED UPSIDE DOWN AT TOP, “HANG ON TWO HOOKS WHICH SHOULD BE 10” APART.” STAMPED AT BOTTOM, “THE ART STUDIO ON FIFTH AVENUE LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA.”

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

DECORATIVE ARTS

History

*NOTE* OBJECT WAS ORIGINALLY DONATED TO THE ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT ON JULY 20, 2009. IT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT ON JULY 20, 2011.

ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “MARGARET MAY SOMERVILLE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1937. SOMERVILLE PASSED AWAY ON MAY 31, 1986.” EVIDENCE OF HER ACTIVITY WITHIN THE IMPERIAL ORDER DAUGHTERS OF THE EMPIRE ORGANIZATION CAN BE SEEN IN ARTICLES FROM THE HERALD BETWEEN 1960 AND 1986. SOMERVILLE HELD THE RANKS OF: ECHOES SECRETARY IN 1960, STAND BEARER IN 1967 AND 1970, SERVICES IN 1971, CITIZENSHIP CONVENER IN 1975, AND HONORARY VICE-REGENT FOR THE I.O.D.E. IN 1983. THE BACK OF THE FRAME HAS WRITTEN THAT IT WAS FIRST PRESENTED TO MRS. A.G. LYNCH-STAUNTON IN THE SAME YEAR THAT MARGARET SOMERVILLE PASSED AWAY (1986). AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE PIECE WAS IN THE ESTATE OF MRS. MARGARET NELSON AND DONATED BY HER DAUGHTER KATHY HINMAN.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF THE I.O.D.E. AND ITS LETHBRIDGE CHAPTERS WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE I.O.D.E. WEBSITE, GALT ARCHIVES, AND AN ARTICLE FROM THE APRIL 21, 2014 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. THE IMPERIAL ORDER DAUGHTERS OF THE EMPIRE (IODE) WAS FOUNDED IN 1900 BY MARGARET POLSON MURRAY OF MONTREAL WHO WANTED TO INCREASE HOMELAND SUPPORT FOR CANADIANS FIGHTING WITH THE EMPIRE FORCES IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE SECOND BOER WAR. MURRAY INITIATED THE FORMATION OF A FEDERATION OF WOMEN TO PROMOTE PATRIOTISM, LOYALTY AND SERVICE TO OTHERS BY SENDING TELEGRAMS TO THE MAYORS OF CANADA'S MAJOR CITIES ASKING THEM TO CALL TOGETHER THE PROMINENT WOMEN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS FORMED IN FREDRICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK IN JANUARY 1900. THE FOLLOWING MONTH A CONSTITUTION AND LIST OF OBJECTIVES WERE DRAFTED IN MONTREAL. IN 1901 THE HEAD OFFICE MOVED TO TORONTO AND THE FEDERATION WAS INCORPORATED. CHAPTERS WERE QUICKLY STARTED ACROSS CANADA AND IN INDIA AND THE BAHAMAS. FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN PROJECTS MOUNTED BY VARIOUS I.O.D.E. CHAPTERS HAVE INCLUDED A MONUMENT TO CANADIAN SOLIDERS KILLED IN BATTLE IN SOUTH AFRICA, A GATEWAY IN TORONTO TO COMMEMORATE THE 1901 VISIT OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK, INCREASED BEDS IN A TUBERCULOSIS SANITORIUM IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO, NUMEROUS CHILD WELFARE PROJECTS, VARIOUS WAR MEMORIAL FUNDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHILDREN OF VETERANS, THE PURCHASE OF HOSPITALS, AMBULANCES, SHIPS, AND AIRCRAFT IN BOTH WORLD WARS TO PROVIDE AID TO CANADIAN SOLDIERS, COMMEMORATIVE GARDENS, INTERNATIONAL RELIEF FOR PERSONS DISPLACED BY WAR, AND DOMESTIC RELIEF FOR CANADIANS DISPLACED BY NATURAL DISASTERS. LETHBRIDGE'S FIRST I.O.D.E. CHAPTER WAS THE SIR ALEXANDER GALT CHAPTER, FORMED IN 1914. AT ITS PEAK OF ACTIVITY, THE I.O.D.E. HAD FIVE CHAPTERS IN LETHBRIDGE, INCLUDING THE DR. FRANK H. MEWBURN CHAPTER AND THE MAJOR JACK ROSS CHAPTER. LOCAL I.O.D.E. EFFORTS INCLUDED THE WROUGHT-IRON GATEWAY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY, THE SOLIDER'S PLOT IN THE CEMEMTERY, AND PLAQUES AT BATTERY POINT IN HENDERSON LAKE PARK. IN 1989 THE TWO REMAINING LETHBRIDGE CHAPTERS MERGED, AND BY 2014 THERE WERE NO CHAPTERS OPERATING LOCALLY. THE CALGARY MUNICIPAL CHAPTER STILL RAISES FUNDS FOR A VARIETY OF CHARITABLE CAUSES THROUGH HOTDOG SALES AND A THRIFT STORE. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19900051000 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIAL.

Catalogue Number

P20110024000

Acquisition Date

2011-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail