Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WEDGE CAP, "ANDERSON SISTERS"

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1970

Materials

FELT, THREAD, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

11

Length

30

Width

1.7

Description

BLACK FELT WEDGE CAP WITH RED ACCENTS STITCHING. TWO RED AND GOLD PLASTIC BEADS ON THE FRONT EDGE. CURSIVE “ANDERSON SISTERS” EMBROIDERED IN RED ON ONE SIDE AND “ALICE” ON THE OTHER. VERY GOOD CONDITION: MAKEUP STAINS PRESENT OF THE INSIDE BRIM OF THE HAT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

LEISURE

PERSONAL CARE

History

THE LATE ALICE PEARL HUMMEL (13 JUNE 1922 – 7 APRIL 2016) PERFORMED AS PART OF THE “ANDERSON SISTERS ORCHESTRA” ALONGSIDE HER SISTERS – FLORENCE JEANNETTE MCINTOSH (MAY 1917 – 18 MARCH 1999), MARIE EVELYN POPSON (C.1921 - 8 MARCH 2008) AND RUTH GINZER (C. 1926 - D. 2016). THE FOUR DAUGHTERS WERE BORN TO PARENTS, MARTIN EDWARD ANDERSON AND IDA JOHANNA ANDERSON (NEE JOHNSON). THE BAND WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR THAT SAW GREAT SUCCESS IN THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA REGION. ALICE’S DAUGHTERS, ELEANOR SMITH AND RUTH HUMMEL, HONOURED THEIR MOTHER’S WISHES TO DONATE A NUMBER OF HER EFFECTS FROM HER TIME WITH LETHBRIDGE BAND TO THE MUSEUM. THIS WEDGE CAP WAS A COMPONENT OF THE UNIFORM THE SISTERS WORE WHEN THEY PERFORMED AT PLACES SUCH AS ARMY BASES AND DANCE HALLS. THIS CAP BELONGED TO ALICE, THE SECOND YOUNGEST OF THE SISTERS. IN 16 DECEMBER 2016, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE DAUGHTERS ABOUT THE DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT EXCHANGE: RUTH STATES, “THE HAT WOULD BE AT LEAST FROM 1940 - ’41… ALL OF THE SISTERS HAD [A CAP AND] THEY WERE SPECIAL MADE FOR THEM. ‘ANDERSON SISTERS’ WAS EMBROIDERED ON ONE SIDE AND THEN THEIR NAMES ON THE OTHER. THEY WERE MADE TO GO WITH THESE MILITARY LOOKING DRESSES THAT THEY HAD. THEY TYPICALLY ALWAYS DRESSED ALIKE FOR THE PERFORMANCES. THE HATS WERE MADE TO GO ALONG WITH THEM WHEN THEY WERE DOING PERFORMANCES AT THE MILITARY BASES.” “[THE SISTERS] USUALLY CAME UP WITH [THE UNIFORM] COLLECTIVELY,” RUTH EXPLAINED, “AND THEY WORKED WITH A TAILOR IN TOWN WHO ACTUALLY DID SOME OF THEIR SUITS. THERE MIGHT BE A LABEL THAT I COULD FIND WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THAT COMPANY WAS….THERE WERE USUALLY ALWAYS TAILORS INVOLVED, AND WHEN THEY CAME UP WITH AN IDEA OR CONCEPT, THEY’D HAVE IT DONE AT THE SAME PLACE, BUT I DON’T HAVE THE DETAILS ON THAT.” MANY OF THE ARTIFACTS DONATED TO THE MUSEUM, INCLUDING THIS CAP, WERE KEPT TOGETHER IN ONE OF ALICE’S TRUNKS. WHEN RUTH AND ELEANOR WERE HELPING THEIR MOTHER SORT HER THINGS, SHE EXPLAINED THE ITEMS IN THE TRUNK TO THEM. THE WEDGE CAP CAME TO THE MUSEUM ENCLOSED IN A SHADOW BOX COMPLETE WITH ARTICLE CLIPPINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, WHICH WAS ASSEMBLED FOR A COMMUNITY DISPLAY. PERMISSION WAS GRANTED BY THE DONOR TO REMOVE THE CAP FROM THE BOX. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE BOX. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANDERSON SISTERS AS TOLD BY DONORS ELEANOR SMITH AND RUTH HUMMEL IN THE 2016 INTERVIEW: “[THE ANDERSON SISTERS ORCHESTRA WAS] THE LONGEST RUNNING GROUP AT WATERTON LAKES PAVILION … [WHERE THEY PLAYED] FOR FIVE YEARS STRAIGHT,” ELEANOR EXPLAINED, “IN ADDITION TO DOING ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS, THEY WERE CONSTANTLY TRAVELLING [AND] WE HAVE THE RECORDINGS OF THAT.” RUTH ADDED, “THEY WERE ORIGINALLY FROM MONITOR (SASK). IN THE DIRTY 30S, WHEN THINGS GOT BAD FOR A LOT OF FARMS, THEY FOUND A WAY TO HAVE MUSIC LESSONS AND…PLAY FOR LOCAL DANCES. [ULTIMATELY, THE FAMILY] DECIDED TO LEAVE THE FARM AND HEADED OUT IN THE DIRECTION OF LETHBRIDGE (VIA DRUMHELLER). IT WAS TOUGH TIMES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE 30S IN ALBERTA, BUT THE GIRLS, WITH THE TALENT THEY HAD, … HAD A WAY OUT…THEY COULD DO A LOT WHEN THEY STUCK TOGETHER AS A FAMILY. AND THEN THE ORCHESTRA REALLY CAME OUT OF THAT...” THE OBITUARY OF DONORS’ GRANDFATHER, MARTIN ANDERSON, (PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, 1981) STATES THE FAMILY ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1940. “THEY WERE SERIOUS MUSICIANS - VERY HUMBLE AND VERY QUIET,” RUTH CONTINUED, “[AS FAR AS PROMOTING THE BAND,] THAT WAS MORE GRANDPA’S JOB. WHEN IT CAME TO MUSIC, IT WAS A GIFT THEY PASSED ON - IN THE LATE ‘30S, ‘40S AND INTO THE ‘50S A BIT – [AND] IT WAS SOMETHING THEY FELT REALLY PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. [DURING] THE WAR YEARS, [THEY PLAYED FOR] THE ARMY BASES THAT WERE ALL CLOSE HERE AND [THEY WERE] A PART OF THAT HISTORY.” “[THEY WERE] ON THE ROAD 6 DAYS A WEEK [WITH THEIR CAR AND TRAILER]… PLAYING NOT JUST IN LETHBRIDGE [BUT] FAR REACHING OVER IN B.C., THE NORTHERN STATES, AND QUITE FAR NORTH IN ALBERTA. SO THEY WERE A REAL PART OF THINGS AND WORKED REAL HARD. I THINK IT’S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE MUSIC HISTORY IN ALBERTA. THEY WERE, AFTER THE ANDERSON SISTERS [BAND WAS FINISHED], PROUD TO TAKE [MUSIC] INTO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY WERE TEACHERS AND STILL PERFORMERS EVEN PAST THE FOUR OF THEM BEING TOGETHER.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL MEMORIES OF THE SISTERS PERFORMING TOGETHER, RUTH ANSWERED, “WELL ELEANOR WOULD HAVE BEEN A TODDLER, MYSELF AS WELL, THE LAST FEW TIMES THAT THEY PERFORMED AS THE ANDERSON SISTERS IN THAT ERA. BUT GROWING UP THROUGH THE YEARS, THERE WASN’T A TIME WHEN WE GOT TOGETHER AS A FAMILY WHERE WE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF MUSIC. THEY WOULD PLAY FOR US [AND] THEY WERE CALLED BACK SOMETIMES TO PERFORM AT COMMUNITY EVENTS… THE LAST ONE THAT I RECALL WAS SOMETHING IN GRANUM FOR AN ELKS 5OTH ANNIVERSARY IN GRANUM…THAT WAS THE LAST TIME PUBLICLY I REMEMBER.” THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM A HISTORY PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD IN 24 MAY 2003 TITLED, “SISTER ACT: SOUTHERN ALBERTA’S SWINGIN’ ANDERSON SISTERS WERE ALL THE RAGE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR.” “IT WAS THE ERA OF SWUNG, OF MUSIC WITH MEMORABLE LYRICS, AND OF DANCE. IT WAS ALSO THE TIME OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND THE HEYDAY OF THE ANDERSON SISTERS, AND LITERALLY EVERY TOWN IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA WAS SWINGING AND SWAYING TO THE SOUNDS OF FLORENCE, MARIE, ALICE, AND RUTH." "DUBBED THE FOUR MAIDS OF MELODY BY CJOC RADIO…" THE ARTICLE CONTINUED, "[THE SISTERS] WERE THE TOAST OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA’S DANCE HALLS." INTERVIEWED FOR THE ARTICLE WAS ONE OF THE SISTERS, MARIE POPSON. SHE WAS QUOTED, "WE PLAYED THE TRIANON A LOT, THE OLD BUCKET OF BLOOD. THEY CALLED IT THAT BECAUSE IT WAS DURING THE WAR AND THERE WERE A LOT OF FIGHTS. PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE TRIANON WAS OK, BUT IT WAS REAL LIVELY DURING THE WAR… THE CROWDS [THERE] WERE SO LARGE THEY WERE AFRAID THE FLOOR WOULD WEAKEN… THE DANCE FLOOR WAS ON THE SECOND STORY OF THE BUILDING." THE ARTICLE EXPLAINED, "FLORENCE WAS THE ELDEST OF THE ANDERSON SISTERS AND AS SUCH WAS THE BAND’S LEADER. [SHE] PLAYED THE SAXOPHONE AND THE PIANO. MARIE… PLAYED THE PIANO AND ALICE PLAYED THE SAXOPHONE AND CLARINET. RUTH, 'THE BABY,' … PLAYED THE DRUMS, CLARINET AND TRUMPET." THE ARTICLE READS, "'RUTH STARTED PLAYING THE DRUMS AT AGE 11 AND LATER SHE COULD HANDLE THE DRUMMING WITH HER FEET AND PLAY THE TRUMPET AT THE SAME TIME FOR SOME OF OUR NUMBERS,’ SAYS MARIE WITH A TWIRL OF THE HAND. ‘FLO AND ALICE WERE OUR MAIN SINGERS AND I MADE UP THE TRIO SOMETIMES. RUTH DIDN’T SING. WHEN WE SANG AS A TRIO RUTH WOULD PLAY THE PIANO. ALICE WOULD ALSO SING SOLO. WE PLAYED ALL THE POPULAR MUSIC OF THE DAY AND OLD-TIME MUSIC AS WELL… MY SISTERS COULD ALSO PLAY THAT FAST-PACED SQUARE DANCE MUSIC ON THE SAX, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING. WE PLAYED WALTZES, POLKAS AND EVERYTHING… YOU NAME IT, WE PLAYED IT... OUR THEME SONG WAS BREEZING ALONG WITH THE BREEZE BUT MY FAVOURITE HAD TO BE SIDE BY SIDE, WHICH WE WERE AS A GROUP. WE WERE VERY CLOSE.'" THAT ARTICLE STATES THAT MARTIN AND IDA HAD EIGHT DAUGHTERS, IN FACT, BUT ONLY FOUR LIVED TO BECOME TEENAGERS. THE FOUR SURVIVING SISTERS BEGAN THEIR MUSICAL EDUCATION AT AN EARLY AGE, ALL BEGINNING WITH PIANO. THEY BEGAN PLAYING FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF EVENTS NEAR MONITOR, WHERE THEY WERE BORN. WHILE FLORENCE WAS WITH THE ALL GIRLS BAND IN CALGARY, THE THREE YOUNGER SISTERS FORMED THEIR OWN ORCHESTRA, MAKING THEIR DEBUT IN 1937. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AFTER FLORENCE’S RETURN, THE ANDERSON SISTERS ORCHESTRA WAS FORMED. UPON ARRIVING IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1940, THEY AUDITIONED FOR THE CJOC RADIO STATION. THE ARTICLE STATES, “FOUR DAYS LATER THEY WERE ON THE AIR, LIVE, ON THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPER PROGRAM HEARD THREE TIMES A WEEK. THEY WERE ALSO ON THE AIR MONDAY NIGHTS FROM 9:15 TO 9:30 PM.” A NOTE THAT CAME WITH THE DONATION SAYS THE WEEKLY SHOW WITH CJOC WAS “BROADCAST LIVE ‘FROM HIGH ATOP THE MARQUIS HOTEL.’” BACK IN THE 2016 INTERVIEW AT THE MUSEUM, ALICE’S DAUGHTER ELEANOR COMMENTS ON THE BAND’S LEGACY. “I VOLUNTEER AT THE HOSPITAL [AND PLAY THE PIANO]. I USUALLY HAVE SENIORS INVOLVED THERE… AND WHEN I MENTION MY MOM’S NAME OR MY AUNT’S NAME, THEY REMEMBER DANCING TO THE ANDERSON SISTERS. SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN THIS DAY AND AGE, [PEOPLE] REMEMBER HOW MUCH FUN THEY HAD. [IT SHOWS] HOW RESPECTED THEY WERE AND I FIND THAT [BACKGROUND] JUST THRILLING.” “[MUSIC] WAS THEIR LIVELIHOOD,” RUTH ILLUMINATED, “SO [IT] WAS DRIVING THEM [THROUGH] TOUGH TIMES (SUCH AS THE DEPRESSION IN ALBERTA). THE GIRLS TOGETHER [WITH] THE TALENT THEY HAD, HAD A WAY OUT, WHERE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAD SOME BIGGER STRUGGLES. AND IT WAS THE TALENT IN THEM BEING TOGETHER. THEY COULD DO A LOT WHEN THEY STUCK TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES AND CLIPPINGS ABOUT THE ANDERSON SISTERS AND THEIR SHOWS, AND FAMILY OBITUARIES.

Catalogue Number

P20160044001

Acquisition Date

2016-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail