Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

THE BLADE

Date

1955

Materials

OIL ON MASONITE

No. Pieces

1

Length

76.2 (EXCLUDING FRAME)

Width

67.3 (EXCLUDING FRAME)

Description

ABSTRACT DEPICTION OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA FARMING SCENE & TILLAGE BLADES. CRYSTAL BALL AT RIGHT SIDE. SIGNED: "REGEHR 55" BR . 2 NAIL HOLES & SOME SPOT STAINS ALONG UPPER EDGED. FRAMED.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PAINTED IN 1955 AS AN ALBERTA JUBILEE PROJECT, & FEATURED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD JUBILEE EDITION, JUNE 25/55, P. NO. 1, 3RD SECTION. PAINTING INSPIRED BY SUCH DEVELOPMENTS AS THE NOBLE TILLAGE BLADE, & REPRESENTS AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT & ITS EFFECTS ON A BALANCED ECOLOGY IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. PAINTING HAS BEEN EXHIBITED IN LETHBRIDGE, CALGARY, & VANCOUVER B.C. DONOR/ARTIST WORKED AT RESEARCH STATION AS A DAIRY RESEARCH SCIENTIST. CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1927 & MOVED TO B.C. IN 1956. MEMBER OF LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB 1951-56. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE FOUND THE FOLLOWING BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTING'S CONCEPT IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD'S JUBILEE FEATURE ON JUNE 25, 1955: "DURING THE YEARS 1905 TO 1955 AGRICULTURE IS THE ONE SINGLE FACTOR WHICH HAS DOMINATED OUR WAY OF LIFE IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. THE PAINTING IS THE ARTIST'S EXPRESSION OF THE TIME IN COMPOSITE, SHOWN IN SIMPLE ABSTRACT FORMS (PURPOSELY AVOIDING DETAIL AND CONFUSION) - THE 'BLADE', ITS CONQUESTS AND STRUGGLES WITH THE ELEMENTS IN BRINGING ABOUT THE BALANCED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES WE ENJOY TODAY IN THIS FAVOURED LAND, OUR RICH HERITAGE - ALBERTA." THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE ARTIST, PETER HENRY REGEHR, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY. PETER REGEHR WAS BORN IN RUSSIA IN 1883, AND CAME TO CANADA IN 1926 WITH HIS WIFE ANNA AND THEIR EIGHT CHILDREN. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE FAMILY SETTLED ON A FARM IN THE COALDALE DISTRICT. REGEHR WAS ACTIVE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CO-OP COALDALE MENNONITE CHEESE FACTORY. IN HIS RETIREMENT REGEHR WAS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. PETER REGEHR DIED IN COALDALE ON MAY 7, 1973. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF PETER REGEHR'S OBITUARY. 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

P19800191000

Acquisition Date

1980-09

Collection

Museum

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