Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BLUEBIRD IN FLIGHT

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

WOOD, GLASS, FOIL

No. Pieces

1

Length

18.7

Width

18.0

Description

DEPICTS 4 BLUEBIRDS IN FLIGHT. TECHNIQUE: PAINTED ON UNDERSIDE OF GLASS WITH FOIL SHOWING THROUGH. UNSIGNED.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

ATTRIBUTED TO THYRZA YOUNG (T.Y.) BURKITT OF LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST, THYRZA YOUNG BURKITT, WITH INFORMATION FROM ARCHIVES CANADA AND THE MEDICINE HAT ESPLANADE ARCHIVES. THYRZA YOUNG BURKITT (NEE HOLMES), WAS BORN IN HULL, ENGLAND IN 1884. SHE EMIGRATED TO CANADA WITH HER FAMILY AT A YOUNG AGE, SETTLING IN THE CARDSTON AREA. HER FAMILY WERE MEMBERS OF THE MORMON CHURCH. HER FATHER WAS A MAGISTRATE IN CARDSTON, BUT ALSO OWNED A STORE WHICH WAS PATRONIZED BY MANY OF THE LOCAL NATIVE POPULATION. THYRZA DEVELOPED A KEEN INTEREST IN NATIVE CULTURE, AND BEGAN TO BUILD A PERSONAL COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE NEIGHBOURING KAINAI, PIIKANI AND NORTHERN MONTANA BLACKFOOT TRIBES. IN ADDITION, SHE ALSO DEVELOPED A KEEN INTEREST IN NATIVE HANDICRAFTS AND ARTS. ABOUT 1926, THYRZA TOOK UP PAINTING AND LATER STUDIED AT LOS ANGELES AND AT BANFF. HER SUBJECT MATTER WAS ALSO A REFLECTION OF HER INTEREST IN NATIVE AND HISTORIC THEMES. HER MOST FAMOUS WORK, ENTITLED "AN INDIAN ENCAMPMENT", HUNG IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN OTTAWA. ALTHOUGH UNCLEAR, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THYRZA FIRST MARRIED GEORGE YOUNG. TWO SONS WERE BORN OF THEIR MARRIAGE; CLISBY AND WALDO. IT APPEARS THE MRS. YOUNG WAS LATER REMARRIED TO CHARLES BURKITT, WHO HAD A SON FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE. HIS NAME WAS ALSO CHARLES. WHEN THYRZA'S FAMILY HAD GROWN, SHE BEGAN WRITING, AUTHORING MANY ARTICLES ON HISTORICAL THEMES, AS WELL AS PLAYS AND BIOGRAPHIES. THYRZA ALSO COMPILED A DICTIONARY OF BLACKFOOT TERMS. THYRZA WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE WRITERS CLUB, A MEMBER OF THE WOMEN'S PRESS CLUB, THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB, AND THE CANADIAN AUTHOR'S ASSOCIATION. THYRZA BURKITT PASSED AWAY IN 1954, AND WAS WELL KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITIES OF LETHBRIDGE, CARDSTON AND MEDICINE HAT. MOST OF HER PERSONAL RECORDS AND COLLECTION OF OVER 200 FIRST NATIONS ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING MIKE MOUNTAIN HORSE’S WARRIOR ROBE WERE PURCHASED BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE HAT AND DISTRICT IN 1951, AND NOW RESIDE IN THE COLLECTION OF THE ESPLANADE MUSEUM. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19672488000 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ESPLANADE MUSEUM’S BURKITT FONDS.

Catalogue Number

P19738753000

Acquisition Date

1973-06

Collection

Museum

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