Material Type

Artifact

Date

1875

Materials

WOOD, IVORY, EBONY, COTTON TWILL, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

115.5

Length

61.9

Width

138.0

Description

"AWARDED THE FIRST CLASS PRIZE MEDALS 1851, 1855, 1862, 1825 & 1872 THE BIJOU WITH F. & F. HOPKINSON, 235 REGENT STREET, LONDON" ON INSIDE OF LID. COLLAPSABLE MUSIC RACK. CLOTH BACK. CLOTH GRILL APPEARS TO BE TURNABLE. VINE-LIKE FRIEZE PATTERN ON RED CLOTH. TWO BRASS FOOT PEDALS. BRASS HINGES; WHITE CASTORS. WATER DAMAGE ON FRONT. FRONT LEGS ARE OCTAGONAL SPINDLES.

Subjects

MUSICAL T&E

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

A NOTE PROVIDED AT THE TIME OF DONATION BY THE DONOR, DAVE FORSTER, READS: "BUILT IN ENGLAND ABOUT 1875, THIS PIANO WAS OWNED BY MR. W.J. SAVAGE, LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF LETHBRIDGE AND FORMER ENGINEER AT #6 & #8 COAL MINES. THE PIANO IS SAID TO HAVE BELONGED TO ONE OF THE SERVICE CLUBS IN LETHBRIDGE PRIOR TO BEING ACQUIRED BY MR. SAVAGE." *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PIANO'S OWNER PRIOR TO ITS DONATION TO THE GALT MUSEUM, W. J. SAVAGE, WAS FOUND IN HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY. WILLIAM JOHN SAVAGE WAS BORN IN ENGLAND IN 1882, IMMIGRATED TO CANADA IN 1909. HE WAS EMPLOYED AS A POWER HOUSE ENGINEER IN CRESTON, FARMED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1926, WHERE HE WORKED AS AN ENGINEER FOR NORTHERN LIGHT REFINERIES. IN 1930 SAVAGE BEGAN WORK AT THE NO. 6 MINE, AND FROM 1949 UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1952 HE WORKED AS A STEAM ENGINEER AT THE SICKS LETHBRIDGE BREWERY. SAVAGE AND HIS WIFE ADA MINNIE HAD A SON, WILLIAM, AND DAUGHTER, MARGARET, AND WERE PARISHIONERS OF ST. MARY'S ANGLICAN CHURCH. HE WAS A MASTER OF THE MASONIC NORTH STAR LODGE NO. 4, AND PAST PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS NO. 885. WILLIAM JOHN SAVAGE DIED ON MARCH 11, 1970. IN ADDITION TO BEING A MEMBER OF THE MASONIC NORTH STAR LODGE NO. 4, SEVERAL HERALD ARTICLES FROM THE 1950S AND 60S LIST WILLIAM SAVAGE AS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE OLD TIME DANCE CLUB AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA SQUARE DANCE ASSOCIATION. HOWEVER, NO INFORMATION WAS FOUND TO DEFINITIVELY IDENTIFY WHAT CLUB SAVAGE MAY HAVE ACQUIRED THE PIANO FROM. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P19693685000

Acquisition Date

1969-04

Collection

Museum

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