Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SHEET MUSIC

Date

1916

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

34

Width

25.9

Description

TWO PAGE BOOKLET WITH MUSIC ON INSIDE. COVER IS BLUE AND RED SCENE OF YOUNG GIRL DESCENDING STAIR WITH HER MOTHER SITTING BY THE FIRE AND A SCENE OF WAR IN THE FIRE'S SMOKE. ACROSS TOP READS "THE SWEETEST CHILD SONG EVER WRITTEN" WITH TITLE BENEATH "I WANT TO KISS DADDY GOOD NIGHT". AT BOTTOM OF COVER IS "BY GORDON V. THOMPSON" WITH HIS PHOTO TO THE LEFT AND "WRITER OF `WHEN YOUR BOY COMES BACK TO YOU', `KHAKI' - `WHEN JACK COMES BACK' ETC.". AT BOTTOM OF COVER READS "THOMPSON PUBLISHING CO. 75 BAY ST. TORONTO.". ON BOTTOM OF INSIDE COVER IS "COPYRIGHT, CANADA MCMXVI BY THOMPSON PUB. CO., TORONTO" AND "COPYRIGHT, U.S.A. MCMXVI BY THOMPSON PUB. CO., TORONTO BRITISH COPYRIGHT SECURED" ON BACK COVER ARE A NUMBER OF ADVERTISEMENTS FOR OTHER MUSIC. EDGES OF BOOKLET ARE WORN AND BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IS CREASED.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

MUSICAL T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

ARTIFACT WAS DISCOVERED IN CONSERVATION LAB WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION OR OTHER ASSOCIATIONS. IT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO PERMANENT COLLECTION BY ACCESSION COMMITTEE WITHOUT HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT. SHE NOTED THAT OF THE 21 BOOKS/SHEET MUSIC THAT WERE ACQUIRED IN 1996 WITH UNKNOWN ASSOCIATIONS OR DONORS, FIVE HAD THE NAME "ESTHER SPONHOLZ" WRITTEN IN PENCIL ON THEIR COVERS. SEARCHING FOR THAT NAME IN THE DIGITIZED LETHBRIDGE HERALD LED TO THE OBITUARIES OF ESTHER GROSE (NEE SPONHOLZ), HER BROTHER EARL, AND HER HUSBAND HARRY. GIVEN THAT ALL 21 OF THE MUSIC BOOKS WERE ACQUIRED AT THE SAME TIME AND ARE OF SIMILAR VINTAGE, IT IS LIKELY THAT THEY ALL BELONGED TO ESTHER SPONHOLZ PRIOR TO HER MARRIAGE TO HARRY GROSE IN 1937. IT REMAINS UNKNOWN HOW THE BOOKS ARRIVED AT THE GALT MUSEUM, AND WHO DONATED THEM. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF ESTHER SPONHOLZ GROSE WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED OBITUARIES. ESTHER DOROTHY SPONHOLZ WAS BORN IN 1917 NEAR MEDICINE HAT AND GREW UP IN THE AREA. SHE MET HARRY JAMES GROSE IN CALGARY AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN 1937. THEY LIVED IN MEDICINE HAT UNTIL 1949, WHEN THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE, WHERE HARRY WAS A PARTNER IN NORRIE AND FAWCETT FARM EQUIPMENT. ESTHER WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, AND AN ACCOMPLISHED PIANIST. WHEN HARRY DIED IN 1990, ESTHER MOVED TO CALGARY TO BE NEAR THEIR SON GLEN. ESTHER GROSE DIED ON JANUARY 10, 1996. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF OBITUARIES.

Catalogue Number

P19960000022

Acquisition Date

1996-01

Collection

Museum

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