Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

N.T. (PARK LAKE POW HOSTEL)

Date

1945

Materials

PAPER, WATERCOLOUR, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

47.2

Length

62.5

Width

1.5

Description

WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER. WOODEN FRAME, PAINTED GOLD. OFF-WHITE/TAN MATTING BEHIND GLASS. UNTITLED. FOREGROUND OF PAINTING IS A BODY OF WATER, STARTING IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND EXTENDING DIAGONALLY TO THE LEFT, ENDING IN THE MID-GROUND. RIGHT SIDE OF HORIZON IS A STAND OF GREEN PINE TREES, WITH FOUR TAN CANVAS TENTS VISIBLE. MOUNTAINS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF PAINTING AT HORIZON. BACKGROUND IS A BLUE SKY WITH A FEW CLOUDS. SIGNED IN PENCIL BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER “K. SUCHT. 45.” MEASUREMENTS ARE OF FRAME. OPENING OF MAT IS 31.5CM X 47.0CM. REVERSE IS SEALED WITH BROWN PAPER. FRAMERS MARK IN CENTRE TOP: “PORTRAITS, PICTURE FRAMING, PRINTING, AND DEVELOPING. A.E. CROSS & SONS. 3RD AVE. SO. LETHBRIDGE.” WIRE ON THE BACK FOR HANGING. VERY GOOD CONDITION. PAINTING IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. FRAME IS SCUFFED, WORN, AND A LITTLE DIRTY. MATTING IS DISCOLOURED. PAPER BACKING IS TORN IN THE UPPER CORNERS AND ALONG THE TOP OF FRAME.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

MILITARY

History

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH TRACY BATHGATE AND KEVIN SOUTHWELL, CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN ON FEBRUARY 2016. TRACY IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER FREDERICK CECIL “CECIL” WOOLDRIDGE, WHO ACQUIRED THE PAINTING FROM A PRISONER OF WAR. TRACY CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE PAINTING IN ABOUT 1991 WHEN HER PARENTS, FRANK AND KATHLEEN BATHGATE, WERE DOWNSIZING FROM THEIR HOUSE TO A CONDO. ASKED WHY THIS PAINTING WAS WANTED, KEVIN SOUTHWELL REPLIED THAT BOTH TRACY’S FATHER AND GRANDFATHER HAD “ACTUALLY PLANTED TREES IN THIS PARK, AND THAT’S WHAT I LIKED. I’VE ALWAYS LIKED ART, AND THE STORY WAS GREAT.” HE CONTINUED, SAYING THAT THE PRISONERS “USED EGG YOLKS AND STUFF THEY FOUND TO MAKE THE PIGMENTS, WHICH IS COOL… I HEARD FROM HER GRANDFATHER AND HER FATHER … THEY USED THE MINERALS AROUND THE AREA TO GET THE COLOURS.” TRACY RECALLED THAT THIS PAINTING HUNG IN HER GRANDPARENTS HOUSE AND EXPLAINED THAT HER “GRANDFATHER MADE LOTS OF FRIENDS AT THE PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP, AND THEY GAVE HIM GIFTS BACK, OF WHAT THEY COULD.” TRACY SHARED THAT THERE ARE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE P.O.W.S AT HER GRANDPARENTS’ HOUSE: “THERE ARE PICTURES OF [MY GRANDFATHER] WITH THE WORK CREW. HE BROUGHT THEM HOME. GRANDMA WOULD MAKE A MEAL. THERE’S LETTERS AFTER THE WAR. THEY KEPT A FRIENDSHIP, AND THEY THANKED HIM FOR HIS KINDNESS, AND BEING A FAIR AND DECENT PERSON, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT CAMP OUT THERE WAS RUN QUITE NICELY. YOU KNOW HOW SOME WAR CAMPS WERE GOOD, AND SOME WERE BAD. I DO BELIEVE IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD CAMP. IT WAS A FAIR CAMP.” THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES AND CECIL’S ATTESTATION PAPERS FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, FREDERICK CECIL “CECIL” WOOLDRIDGE WAS BORN ON AUGUST 11, 1989 IN CORNWALL COUNTY, ENGLAND. HE MOVED TO CANADA IN 1913 WITH HIS PARENTS AT THE AGE OF 15, INITIALLY SETTLING IN MANITOBA AND LATER MOVING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1943. HE SERVED IN BOTH WORLD WARS AND IS THE GRANDFATHER OF THE DONOR. CECIL PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 96 IN NOVEMBER 1994. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON MAY 5, 1945 GIVES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRISONER OF WAR HOSTEL AT PARK LAKE, AB: “GREATER USE OF GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR WILL BE MADE ON FARMS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA THIS YEAR … THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCED THAT NINE HOSTELS WOULD BE OPERATED IN THE LETHBRIDGE DISTRICT SHORTLY TO SUPPLY FARMERS WITH PRISONERS OF WAR LABOR WHEN AND AS NEEDED… THE HOSTELS ARE TO BE ESTABLISHED DURING THIS MONTH AND WILL CONTINUE IN OPERATION UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER, ADDED COLONEL [E.S.] DOUGHTY. HE EXPLAINED THAT HOSTELS WILL LIKELY BE ESTABLISHED AT BARNWELL, COALDALE, IRON SPRINGS, PARK LAKE, MAGRATH, STIRLING, GLENWOOD, WELLING AND WHITE SIDE (SOUTH OF LETHBRIDGE). THIS IS THE THIRD SUMMER THAT GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR WILL WORK ON ALBERTA SUGAR BEET FARMS. THE FIRST YEAR THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A CONVOY SYSTEM OPERATED FROM THE LARGE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP HERE, WHILE LAST YEAR LABOR WAS SECURED FROM THE LOCAL CAMP AND FROM FOUR HOSTELS ESTABLISHED AT DISTRICT POINTS.” IT CONTINUED, SAYING: “PRISONERS OF WAR WILL BE CAREFULLY HANDPICKED FROM THE THOUSANDS OF CAPTIVES IN THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP HERE BY MEMBERS OF THE VETERANS GUARD OF CANADA AND ONLY THOSE ABOVE SUSPICION WILL BE PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE CAMP FOR MANPOWER POOLS. NONE OF THIS CLASS OF PRISONERS WILL BE PERMITTED TO LIVE ON FARMS. THEY WILL BE TAKEN FROM HOSTELS EACH MORNING, PUT IN A FULL EIGHT-HOUR WORK DAY, AND THEN BE RETURNED TO THE HOSTELS.” ANOTHER ARTICLE, PUBLISHED MAY 30, 1945 GAVE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS: “ESTABLISHMENT OF PRISONER OF WAR HOSTELS IN IRRIGATED AREAS ABOUT LETHBRIDGE HAS STARTED AND EXPECTATIONS ARE THAT IN ANOTHER WEEK OR 10 DAYS MORE THAN A THOUSAND GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR FROM THE LARGE CAMP HERE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO FARMERS FROM EIGHT MANPOWER POOLS … CAPT C.E. WILLIAMS, A LABOR SUPERVISOR IN THIS REGION ... EXPLAINED THAT A HOSTEL WILL BE OPENED AT PARK LAKE ON THURSDAY … EACH HOSTEL WILL CONTAIN BETWEEN 100 AND 140 WORKERS, IN ADDITION TO GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR REQUIRED FOR THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF HOSTELS … BEFORE THE FIRST HOSTELS WERE ESTABLISHED MANY GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR WERE TAKEN FROM THE LARGE CAMP HERE TO WORK ON FARMS, DEMAND FOR WORKS BEING SO GREAT THAT ALL ORDERS COULD NOT BE READILY FILLED.” A JUNE 18, 1945 ARTICLE INDICATES THAT P.O.W. LABOUR FROM PARK LAKE WAS BEING USED AT COMMERCE, AB: “BEET THINNING IS IN PROGRESS BETWEEN RAINS, WITH MANY GROWERS USING PRISONERS OF WAR FROM THE CAMP AT PARK LAKE.” P.O.W. LABOUR WAS ALSO USED AT DIAMOND CITY, AB: “POW LABOR FOR BEET THINNING IS BEING USED QUITE EXTENSIVELY, SUPPLIED BY THE HOSTEL AT PARK LAKE.” ON JUNE 19, 1945, THE HERALD REPORTED THAT P.O.W.S WERE ALSO BEING USED IN NEWLANDS, AB: “GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR ARE BEING USED BY MANY FARMERS IN THIS DISTRICT, AND THE HOSTEL AT PARK LAKE IS PROVING A GREAT CONVENIENCE FOR FARMERS.” A JUNE 30, 1945 ARTICLE FOCUSES ON DIAMOND CITY AGAIN: “THINNING OPERATIONS ARE ALMOST COMPLETED BY POW HELP HAS BEEN IN STRONG DEMAND TO HELP FINISH UP THINNING AND GROWERS ARE EXPRESSING SATISFACTION WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF HAVING A HOSTEL AT PARK LAKE RATHER THAN TO MAKE DAILY TRIPS TO THE INTERNMENT CAMP.” THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 133 WAS DEVELOPED BY JANE EDMUNDSON WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT MUSEUM BROCHURE "LETHBRDGE'S INTERNMENT CAMPS" AND THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA WEBSITE. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR THERE WERE 40 PRISONER OF WAR (P.O.W.) CAMPS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS CANADA TO HOUSE THE LARGE NUMBER OF INCOMING POWS - ENEMY MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT WERE CAPTURED IN COMBAT. CAMPS WERE BUILT IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC, THE MARITIMES AND ALBERTA. THE CAMPS IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEDICINE HAT WERE THE LARGEST, TOGETHER HOUSING 22,000 MEN. THE LETHBRIDGE CAMP, NO. 133, WAS BUILT IN THE SUMMER OF 1942, AND BY NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR HOUSED 13,341 PRISONERS. THE CAMP WAS DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTIONS, EACH WITH SIX DORMITORIES, MESS HALLS, KITCHENS, AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES. MEALS WERE IN SHIFTS WITH PRISONERS SERVING AS COOKS. TAILOR, BARBER AND SHOE REPAIR SHOPS WERE ALSO STAFFED BY PRISONERS, AND NON-COMBAT POWS PRACTICED THEIR PRE-WAR PROFESSIONS AS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS. HOUSING AND RATIONS WERE THE SAME STANDARD AS FOR THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, WHICH SOMETIMES CAUSED RESENTMENT AMONG LETHBRIDGE CIVILIAN RESIDENTS, WHO WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN MANY OF THE SAME SUPPLIES ON THEIR STRICT WARTIME RATION ALLOWANCES. WITH MANY YOUNG LOCAL MEN AWAY AT WAR, LOCAL FARMERS BEGAN TO REQUEST LABOUR ASSISTANCE FROM THE CAMP, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. BY 1943 AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AND SOME OF THE PRISONERS WORKED ON FARMS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA. MOST OF THESE PRISONERS WENT FROM THE CAMP TO THE FARMS DAILY, BUT SOME WERE KEPT AT 'LODGES' AT THE MORE DISTANT FARMS FOR DAYS AT A TIME, WITH MINIMAL GUARDING. FOR THEIR LABOUR, THE PRISONERS WERE PAID 50 CENTS PER DAY. WITH WAR'S END, CAMP 133 CLOSED IN DECEMBER 1946 AND ITS PRISONERS WERE SENT BACK TO GERMANY. THE AREA WHERE THE CAMP STOOD EVENTUALLY BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND PART OF THE FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES AND FOR A TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW.

Catalogue Number

P20160004000

Acquisition Date

2016-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail