Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

57.4

Width

55.5

Description

CHILD'S DRAWING ON WHITE CONSTRUCTION PAPER. PENCIL-DRAWN TEEPEE ON GREEN GRASS, WITH THREE GREEN AND BROWN TREES. INDIGENOUS CHIEF IN UPPER LEFT CORNER WITH BOW. ONE ARROW IS IN FLIGHT OVER A TREE, AND A SECOND HAS HIT A FIGURE AT THE FAR RIGHT SIDE. GROUP OF BROWN ANIMAL FIGURES ARE ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE AT TOP, WITH "JEFF" IN GREEN PRINT IN TOP RIGHT CORNER. EDGES OF PAPER ARE WORN, WITH SMALL TEAR ABOVE NAME. CRUSHED IN SEVERAL PLACES FROM ROLLED STORAGE.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

EDUCATION

FINE ARTS

History

DRAWN BY STUDENT IN AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE, FROM GOODSTRIKER'S STORIES ON ONE OF HIS EARLY VISITS. DOROTHY GENTLEMAN, DONOR'S MOTHER, WAS BORN IN ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND IN 1905. HER FATHER WAS A SCOTTISH LAIRD (PARENTS: LAIRD PETER & JESSIE JAMIESON), WHO OWNED A GIRL'S SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL WAS USED AFTER WWI AS A HOSPITAL/RETREAT FOR INJURED BRITISH SOLDIERS TO GO TO RECUPERATE. THERE, DOROTHY WAS KNOWN AS 'LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD' BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS WORE A RED CAPE WHEN SHE WAS CALLED DOWN TO READ STORIES TO SOLDIERS AS THEY WERE DYING. IT WAS DOROTHY'S JOB TO HOLD THEIR HANDS UNTIL THEY DIED, AND TO WRITE TO SOLDIERS' FAMILIES (LETTERS DICTATED BY HER FATHER) ABOUT THEIR CONDITION. WHILE IN SCOTLAND, DOROTHY STUDIED JOURNALISM, PIANO, AND ORGAN. SHE CAME TO CANADA IN 1922 WITH HER PARENTS, TO RESIDE ON RODONO FARM NEAR ALIX, ALBERTA. SHE WAS MARRIED THERE IN 1928, TO WILLIAM DONALD "BILL" GENTLEMAN. SHE RESIDED MAINLY IN EDMONTON AND CALGARY, BEFORE HER 1944 MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE. AFTER HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY WITHOUT INSURANCE, LEAVING DOROTHY AND HER FOUR CHILDREN WITHOUT FUNDS, DOROTHY FOUNDED AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE IN 1948. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PRIVATE KINDERGARTENS IN THE CITY, MODELED AFTER THOSE IN THE 'OLD COUNTRY' (SCOTLAND). CHILDREN WORE UNIFORMS, AND HAD JACKETS WITH A SCHOOL CREST. DOROTHY TAUGHT FRENCH (INCLUDING FRENCH SONGS), GAVE TRAIN TRIPS, TAUGHT MUSIC (INCLUDING PIANO), SINGING AND DANCING, FINGER PAINTING, AND TOOK TRIPS AROUND THE TOWN. THE KINDERGARTEN WAS IN HER HOME AT 635-8TH STREET SOUTH. IT WAS INTERNATIONALLY REPUTED, AND REPRESENTED CANADA AT THE UNITED NATIONS (UNESCO) 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE FIRST PACIFIC AREA CONFERENCES OF THE WORLD ORGANIZATION ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. DOROTHY WAS CALLED IN AS AN OBSERVER-CONSULTANT OF THE U.S.A. HEADSTART MOVEMENT IN ITS FORMATIVE YEARS, WORKING MOSTLY IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. SHE WAS HONORED AS CANADA'S MOTHER OF THE YEAR IN 1961, AND WAS NOTED FOR MANY THINGS INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SHE LEARNED TO SPEAK MANDARIN AND LEARNED CHINESE CULTURE. AUNT DOROTHY'S PLAYHOUSE CLOSED IN 1973, AFTER DOROTHY RETIRED. DOROTHY GENTLEMAN PASSED AWAY IN OCTOBER 1980.

Catalogue Number

P19940049002

Acquisition Date

1994-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail