Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OLD FORT MACLEOD

Date

1967

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

76.2

Width

53.0

Description

WATERCOLOUR, WHITE MATTE. MOUNTED BEHIND WHITE MATTE. DEPICTS OLD FORT WITH RIVER AND TREES IN BACKGROUND. COLOURS: BLUE, GREEN, GREY, YELLOW, BROWN, PINK, WHITE.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

"ONE OF TWO FORTS ERECTED OUTSIDE NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE BARRACKS AT THE TIME OF THE RIEL REBELLION IN 1885. UNDER THE GREAT CHIEF CROWFOOT, BLACKFOOT, BLOOD, AND PIEGAN INDIANS DID NOT JOIN THE CREES AND METIS. SO THERE NEVER WAS A SHOT FIRED OUT OF THIS OR INTO IT". "THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB EXHIBITION 1967. ARTIST: ELSIE MURDOCK, FORT MACLEOD, ONE OF THE TWO FORTS ERECTED IN FORT MACLEOD 1885. MEDIUM WATER COLOUR. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSURANCE OF ENTRIES NOR FOR THEIR LOSS OR DAMAGE". WON FIRST PLACE IN THIS EXHIBITION. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE ONLY PIECE OF BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SHE WAS ABLE TO FIND ON THE ARTIST, ELSIE MURDOCK, WAS A LISTING OF AN INTERVIEW WITH MURDOCK FROM THE GLENBOW MUSEUM ARCHIVES THAT CREDITS HER AS "ELSIE MURDOCH, THE DAUGHTER OF NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE INSPECTOR E.J. CAMIES OF FORT MACLEOD". SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR A HARDCOPY OF THIS ENTRY IN THE GLENBOW ONLINE DATABASE. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB HELD THEIR FIRST MEETING AT THE HOME OF MISS ANNA MACKENZIE ON OCTOBER 7, 1936. EDITH FANNY KIRK WAS THE FIRST ART TEACHER IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE CAME FROM BRITAIN WITH CLASSICAL TRAINING AND IT WAS KIRK WHO SET THE STAGE FOR THE SKETCH CLUB TO COME INTO BEING. THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FORMATION BY PROVIDING RECOGNITION OF ARTISTIC MERIT THROUGH DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. ANNA MACKENZIE AND P.J. COLLINS CONCEIVED OF THE CLUB AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE IN BANFF. THE GROUP WAS FORMED OUT OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC INTEREST IN ART AND SOON AFTER THE GROUP BEGAN MEETING, THERE WERE REGULAR EXHIBITIONS. THE GROUP WAS PRIVY TO THE ATTENTION OF GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST A.Y.JACKSON WHEN HE MADE HIS FREQUENT SKETCHING TRIPS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE REGULARLY ACCOMPANIED THE SKETCH CLUB AND HIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN MUCH OF THEIR WORK. ANOTHER GUEST OF THE GROUP WAS ANNORA BROWN WHO WAS AN ARTIST WHO HAD TRAINED IN TORONTO, BUT RESIDED IN FORT MACLEOD AND BEGAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE GROUP IN 1939. HER INTEREST IN FLOWER STUDIES IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE INSPIRED MANY OF THE WORKS BY CLUB MEMBERS. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED SUMMER CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUT OF TOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS: H.G.GLYDE, WALTER J. PHILIPS AND A.C. LEIGHTON. ACCORDING TO A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB WRITTEN BY JOAN STEBBINS IN JUNE, 1985, “THE PAINTINGS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB PORTRAY FAVOURITE SKETCHING AREAS IN THE REGION – THE COULEES PROVIDED ENDLESS MATERIAL, THE RIVERBOTTOM, THE OLD R.C.M.P. BARRACKS, THE WHITNEY FARM, HENDERSON LAKE, THE FELGER HUTTERITE COLONY, THE FOOTHILLS AND WATERTON LAKE WERE OFTEN REPEATED SUBJECTS.”

Catalogue Number

P19695001000

Acquisition Date

1969-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail