Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

UNTITLED- PRAIRIE SCENE WITH CHIEF MOUNTAIN E.F. KIRK

Date Range From

1919

Date Range To

1953

Materials

WATERCOLOUR, PAPER, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

5.0

Length

53.5

Width

38.0

Description

WATERCOLOUR PAINTING ON PAPER WITH DECORATIVE MATTING AND BRONZE-COLOURED FRAME. LANDSCAPE SCENE DEPICTING PRAIRIE LANDSCAPE WITH WATER, CHIEF MOUNTAIN VISIBLE IN BACKGROUND. SIGNATURE “E. F. KIRK” IN BOTTOM LEFT OF PAPER. PALLET IS VARIOUS SHADES OF GREENS, BLUES, AND BROWNS. TWO STICKERS ON BACK OF FRAME, BOTTOM LEFT, FIRST RED STICKER READS, “BURLINGTON ART SHOP LEONARD B. HIGGINS EDMONTON. ALTA.” SECOND SCROLL-SHAPED STICKER READS, “REFERENCE NUMBER 38248.” PAINTING AND MATBOARD ARE HEAVILY YELLOWED ALONG EDGES, SLIGHT MARKINGS GLASS OF FRAME, PAPER BACKING ON BACK OF FRAME IS YELLOWED WITH TEARS IN PAPER. OVERALL GOOD CONDITION.

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 ARTISTS’ 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… 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..." 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE UNTITLED (PRAIRIE SCENE WITH CHIEF MOUNTAIN) WATERCOLOUR PAINTING SIGNED “E.F. KIRK,” PLEASE SEE THE DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20220016002

Acquisition Date

2022-07

Collection

Museum

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