Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1980

Materials

BAKELITE, LEATHER, VELVET

No. Pieces

11

Height

27

Length

38

Width

11.5

Description

A: CASE: GREEN AND OFF-WHITE LEATHER CASE. BLACK PLASTIC/SILVER METAL LABEL THAT READS “CONN” ON FRONT OF CASE. GREEN HANDLE AT TOP WITH TWO METAL LATCHES ON EITHER SIDE. HINGES ON THE BOTTOM OF CASE TO OPEN. FOUR METAL FEET ON BOTTOM. CORK EDGES AROUND THE SIDES, STITCHED ON AND PAINTED OFF-WHITE COLOUR. INSIDE IS LINED WITH A GREEN VELVET. TOP FOLDS DOWN AND IS FASTENED WITH LEATHER STRAP AND METAL SNAP BUTTON. “CONN” LABEL IN TOP LEFT CORNER OF CASE THAT IS GOLD WITH BLACK AND RED PAINT INSIDE. THREE PEOPLE OF A MARCHING BAND IN IMAGE ON LABEL. THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE INSIDE OF CASE HAS EIGHT SECTIONS FOR INSTRUMENT PIECES AND ACCESSORIES. FAIR CONDITION: MODERATE TO SEVERE SURFACE DIRT OVERALL. VARIOUS GREEN STAINS AT TOP OF CASE. METAL COMPONENTS SCUFFED. SOME STITCHING AS SIDES COMING LOOSE. LOSS OF PAINT IN SEVERAL PLACES ALONG CORK EDGE. INSIDE FABRIC WORN. B: BLACK BAKELITE CLARINET BELL WITH SILVER AROUND BOTH EDGES. “CONN DIRECTOR U.S.A.” ETCHED ON OUTER SURFACE. 11 CM LENGTH. 8 CM BELL DIAMETER. C: BLACK BAKELITE LOWER JOINT WITH SILVER KEYS. CORK EDGE ON BOTTOM AND SILVER RIM AROUND TOP. “721800” ETCHED ON BACK NEAR CORK. PADDED THUMB REST ON BACK OF THIS JOINT. 25.5 CM X 2.5 CM. D: BLACK BAKELITE UPPER JOINT WITH SILVER KEYS. BOTH ENDS COVERED IN CORK. LOGO WITH THREE MARCHING BAND FIGURES ETCHED ON FRONT NEAR THE TOP. 22.5 CM X 2.3 CM (TOP DIAMETER SLIGHTLY WIDER). E: BLACK BAKELITE BARREL JOINT WITH SILVER EDGES. 6 CM X 3 CM (BOTTOM DIAMETER) 2.8 CM (TOP DIAMETER). F: BLACK BAKELITE MOUTHPIECE WITH CORK AT BOTTOM. METAL LIGATURE WITH ITS TWO SCREWS ATTACHED SECURING A REED TO THE MOUTHPIECE. 9 CM LONG WITH 2.1 CM DIAMETER AT BOTTOM. VERY GOOD CONDITION FOR B-F: SLIGHT SCUFFS OF SURFACE G: SILVER METAL MARCHING LYRE. CIRCULAR BAND WITH ADJUSTABLE SCREW FOR ATTACHMENT TO INSTRUMENT. THIS SCREWS ONTO A STEM, WHICH EXTENDS TO CONNECT TO A LYRIFORM SPRING CLAMP THAT IS MEANT TO HOLD MUSIC. FAIR CONDITION: SEVERE GREEN STAINING IN MANY AREAS OF SURFACE. METAL SLIGHTLY SCRATCHED OVERALL. H: BLACK PLASTIC REED HOLDER WITH SLOTS FOR TWO REEDS (ONE ON FRONT AND ONE ON). “LAVOZ” ETCHED IN PLASTIC ON FRONT AND BACK AND “USA” ABOVE THAT.7.7 CM X 2 CM. I: CLARINET REED ENCASED IN REED HOLDER (H).”RICO” IN MUSIC STAFF STAMPED ON BACKSIDE AND SIZE “V-2 ½” STAMPED BELOW THE LOGO. GOOD TO VERY GOOD CONDITION FOR H-I: SOME WEAR TO SIDE OF REED HOLDER WITH REED. REED SHOWS SIGNS OF USE. J: WHITE ENVELOPE THAT READS, “CONN EXCLUSIVE TUNING RING” WITH TEXT BELOW AND DIAGRAM OF THE TUNING RING PRINTED ALL IN BLACK INK ON THE FRONT OF THE ENVELOPE. THE BACK HAS SCOTCH TAPE SECURING THE RIGHT SIDE ENVELOPE FLAP. CAN FEEL ONE TUNING RING INSIDE ENVELOPE. 14 CM X 7.9 CM. FAIR TO GOOD CONDITION: PAPER OF ENVELOPE HAS SEVERELY YELLOWED. K-N: TWO IDENTICAL TUBES OF CORK GREASE WITH CAPS. WHITE PLASTIC TUBE THAT READS, “PARAMOUNT MUSIC “PREMIUM” CORK GREASE” AND AN ADDRESS BELOW ALL IN RED FONT. TWISTABLE END TO EXTEND THE GREASE IN TUBE. GREASE STILL PRESENT IN TUBES. RED PLASTIC CAPS. ONE READS “B 7 ETHYL” (K) ON INSIDE OF CAP AND THE OTHER READS “B 87 ETHYL” (N). 6.8 CM X 1,7 CM. GOOD TO VERY GOOD CONDITION: SLIGHT SURFACE DIRT ON LABEL. DISCOLOURING OF PLASTIC AROUND BOTTOM EDGES. GREASE IS CRYSTALIZING. O-P: SMALL, BLACK PLASTIC GREASE CONTAINER IN CUBE WITH GOLD METALLIC LETTERS ON LID “YAMAHA CORK GREASE”. HINGE ATTACHING LID TO CONTAINER, SO LID COMPLETE DETACHES. GREASE INSIDE OF THE CONTAINER. 2.7 CM X 2.7 CM X 2 CM. GOOD CONDITION: SLIGHT SCRATCHING ON SURFACE. BROKEN HINGE. Q: CLARINET CLEANING SWAB WAND WITH TWISTED WIRE WAND/HANDLE AND MULTICOLOURED (BLUES AND PINKS), FABRIC SWAB. THE SWAB IS SHAGGED. 29 CM X 2.5 CM. GOOD TO VERY GOOD CONDITION: WIRE IS SLIGHTLY BENT. R: CLOTH CLEANING SWAB WITH NATURAL-COLOURED TAN SUEDE CLOTH (APPROX. 12.5 CM X 6.3 CM) THAT HAS ROUGH EDGES. ONE CORNER OF SUEDE IS PINCHED TOGETHER WITH A SILVER METAL CLASP (TOOTHED), WHICH SECURES IT AROUND A BLACK STRING (57 CM IN LENGTH) WITH A SILVER-COLOURED WEIGHT AT THE END. FAIR CONDITION: STRING IS FRAYING MODERATELY IN ONE PLACE AND SLIGHTLY IN OTHERS. SUEDE FABRIC SHOWS DIRT. WEIGHT’S METAL IS SCUFFED.

Subjects

MUSICAL T&E

Historical Association

MILITARY

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 CLARINET WAS PLAYED BY THREE GENERATIONS OF THE DONORS’ FAMILY. IN 2016 DECEMBER 16, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE DAUGHTERS ABOUT THE DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT EXCHANGE. RUTH EXPLAINED, “IT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW [IN THE] EARLY ‘50S WITH THE INTENT THAT HER FIRST SON, BERNIE (BORN IN 1950) WOULD PLAY THE CLARINET, WHICH HE DID. MOM DID USE IT FOR SOME LATER PERFORMANCES WITH THE ANDERSON SISTERS, BUT IT WAS PURCHASED [FOR HIM]. AND HIS DAUGHTER, CONNIE, ALSO PLAYED THE CLARINET.” SPEAKING OF WHY THEY SELECTED THIS OBJECT TO BE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM, RUTH SAID, “WHEN WE WERE GATHERING THINGS TOGETHER, WE THOUGHT [OF] WHAT INSTRUMENTS WE HAD THAT HAVE A CONNECTION. SO IT WAS DECIDED [ON THE CLARINET]. CONNIE WAS QUITE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT IT WAS COMING IN THIS DIRECTION, SINCE IT WAS GRANDMA’S CLARINET, IT SHOULD GO WITH GRANDMA’S THINGS.” OF ALL THE INSTRUMENTS ALICE KNEW HOW TO PLAY, THE CLARINET “WAS THE MAIN ONE,” RUTH CONTINUED, “BUT SHE PLAYED THE SAXOPHONE AS WELL. AND ALSO TAUGHT PIANO FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. [ALL THE SISTERS] PLAYED PIANO REALLY WELL. SHE PLAYED OTHER INSTRUMENTS LIKE THE ORGAN, AND THERE WERE ACTUALLY INSTANCES TOO WHERE SOMEONE WOULD CALL ON HER TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, AND SHE WOULD TEACH THEM HOW TO PLAY IT WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO PLAY IT HERSELF, BECAUSE SHE KNEW THE TECHNIQUE [OR] WOULD LEARN THE TECHNIQUE. BUT THE CLARINET WAS HER MAIN THING WITH, AS I SAID, SAXOPHONE AND PIANO PROBABLY THE NEXT CLOSEST IN LINE.” THE SISTERS STATE THAT THEY REMEMBER THEIR MOTHER PLAYING THIS SPECIFIC CLARINET. ELEANOR SAID, “SHE DIDN’T PASS IT [ON] UNTIL CONNIE WANTED TO USE IT, BECAUSE BERNIE DIDN’T TAKE IT WITH HIM [FROM HOME].” RUTH ADDED, “YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. I THINK IT’S REALLY ALWAYS BEEN HERS.” THE LAST TIME THEY REMEMBER HER PLAYING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LAST TIME THE ANDERSON SISTERS ORCHESTRA PERFORMED, WHICH WAS A PERFORMANCE FOR THE ELKS IN GRANUM IN THE 1970S. 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

P20160044003

Acquisition Date

2016-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail