Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

UNTITLED (TREE-LINED ROAD) - EDITH KIRK

Date

1946

Materials

WATERCOLOUR, PAPER, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

25

Length

35

Width

2

Description

WATERCOLOUR PAINTING DEPICTING A RECEEDING ROAD LINED WITH FENCE POSTS AND TREES ON BOTH SIDES. PALETTE IS BROWN, RED AND GREEN. SIGNED “E.F. KIRK” AT BOTTOM RIGHT. PAINTING AND MATBOARD ARE YELLOWED. WOOD FRAME HAS MINIMAL DECORATIVE CARVING AROUND OUTER EDGE, PAINTED GOLD. THE FRAME’S BROWN BACKING PAPER HAS A HANDWRITTEN INSCRIPTION READING “TO MY DEAR MRS. IVES, A GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF A HAPPY DAY – MAY 15, 1946”. THE FRAMER’S STICKER ON THE BACKING PAPER READS “PORTRAITS, PICTURE FRAMING, PRINTING & DEVELOPING – A.E. CROSS & SON, 3RD AVE. SO. LETHBRDGE, ALTA”. FRAME HAS WIRE HANGER, AND AREAS OF PAINT LOSS AT CORNERS. GOOD CONDITION OVERALL.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON EDITH KIRK, THE ARTIST, 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 PRESENTING 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 TO 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. K.A. STEEL, THE NIECE OF THE DONOR BRUCE IVES (DAUGHTER OF HIS SISTER, KATHARINE), PROVIDED INFORMATION TO THE GALT MUSEUM IN 2009 ABOUT HER FAMILY’S CONNECTION TO EDITH KIRK. STEEL WROTE: " [WHEN KIRK CAME TO LETHBRIDGE] SHE MET MRS. MARGARET (ETTA) HENDERSON IVES, WHO HAD BEEN BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1890, AND THEY BECAME FRIENDS. MISS KIRK GOT SET UP IN A SMALL APARTMENT AND TAUGHT ART LESSONS. MRS. ETTA IVES HAD BOTH OF HER DAUGHTERS, MARGARET AND KATHARINE, TAKE ART LESSONS FROM MISS KIRK. MRS. IVES ALSO BOUGHT A NUMBER OF PAINTINGS FROM MISS KIRK. MISS KIRK WAS A LOVELY, DECENT WOMAN. MARGARET TOOK LESSONS BUT DIDN'T LOVE ART. KATHARINE LOVED ART AND WAS GIVEN MANY, MANY LESSONS. WHEN SHE LOOKS BACK SHE THINKS SHE WAS GIVEN SO MANY LESSONS NOT ONLY TO LEARN TO PAINT, BUT ALSO TO HELP MISS KIRK MAKE A LIVING. MISS KIRK HAD A TINY APARTMENT WHERE KATHARINE TOOK HER LESSONS. KATHARINE REMEMBERS THAT MISS KIRK ONLY HAD A HOT PLATE TO COOK HER MEALS ON. SHE REMEMBERS THAT MISS KIRK ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE COOKING AN EGG FOR HER MEAL. KATHARINE AND MISS KIRK ALSO SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TOGETHER IN THE COUNTRYSIDE SKETCHING... KATHARINE JUST LIKED MISS KIRK VERY MUCH AND REALLY LIKED THE ART LESSONS. SHE SAID THAT MISS KIRK REALLY KNEW HER COLOURS. MISS KIRK KNEW HOW TO MIX THE PAINTS TO GET JUST THE RIGHT COLOUR... AN ART LESSON COST 25 CENTS PER LESSON. ART SUPPLIES WERE EXPENSIVE AND GETTING ONE NEW COLOUR OF PAINT WAS AN EXCITING ADVENTURE. IT MUST HAVE BEEN HARD FOR MISS KIRK TO PURCHASE ALL THE MATERIALS SHE NEEDED FOR HER PAINTINGS... KATHARINE GREW UP, MOVED AWAY... AND THEN MARRIED [ROBERT TWISS]. MISS KIRK WANTED TO GIVE KATHARINE ONE OF HER PAINTINGS AS A WEDDING GIFT. MISS KIRK WROTE A LETTER TELLING KATHARINE TO COME AND PICK WHICHEVER PAINTING SHE LIKED THE BEST FOR HER WEDDING GIFT. KATHARINE DID PICK A PAINTING AND THAT PAINTING HAS BEEN ON HER WALL ALL OF THESE YEARS..." SEE PERMANENT FILE P20090016001 FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A HARDCOPY OF STEEL’S LETTER REGARDING HER FAMILY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARTIST. SEE RECORD P20140012002 FOR HISTORY OF THE HENDERSON/IVES FAMILIES. 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

P20140012001

Acquisition Date

2014-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail