Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"CITY OF LETHBRIDGE"

Date Range From

1900

Date Range To

1910

Materials

WOOD, COPPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.3

Length

4

Width

3.5

Description

WOOD BLOCK WITH COPPER PLATE RIVETED TO TOP. PLATE HAS CIRCULAR CREST WITH PICTURE OF TRAIN, COAL MINING PICK, AND WHEAT BUSHEL IN CENTRE. CREST IS SURMOUNTED WITH CROWN, AND READS "CITY OF LETHBRIDGE 1890 1906". IN SCROLL AT BOTTOM IS "AD OCCASIONIS JANUAM". SIDES OF BLOCK ARE SMUDGED WITH INK, WITH PAPER GLUED TO BOTTOM.

Subjects

PRINTING T&E

Historical Association

TRADES

History

WAS LOCATED IN TYPE CASE P19960075001-GA WITH ARTIFACTS P19960075002-59-GA. LOCATED WITH OTHER RELATED PIECES IN THE WET LAB AREA OF THE MUSEUM, AND CURATOR CECILE MCCLEARY INDICATES THAT THEY BELONG WITH THE COLLECTION P19930010001-GA, WHICH WAS A PURCHASE (BOS GRAPHICS). ALL RELATED PIECES ARE CATALOGUED AS P19960075001-GA THROUGH TO P199600750074-GA. RANGE AND VALUE ARE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY, AS THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE CREST, OR COAT OF ARMS. THE COAT-OF-ARMS OF LETHBRIDGE IS AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL OF THE CITY. LETHBRIDGE WAS INCORPORATED AS A CITY ON MAY 6, 1906. ON JULY 2, 1907 A COMMITTEE APPROVED AN OFFER BY ALDERMAN CHARLES BROUGHTON BOWMAN TO DONATE A $25 CASH AWARD FOR THE BEST CITY COAT-OF-ARMS DESIGN. THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS REV. JOHN STANLEY CHIVERS, RECTOR OF ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH. HIS DESIGN WAS FORMALLY ADOPTED BY MOTION OF COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1907. TODAY, THE 1907 CITY COAT-OF-ARMS IS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE CREST. THE CROWN ABOVE THE COAT-OF-ARMS SIGNIFIES CANADA’S ALLEGIANCE TO THE BRITISH CROWN. THE CENTRAL MEDALLION WAS ROUNDED WITH THREE DIVISIONS: BLUE (AZURE), RED (GULES) AND BROWN (OCHRE) WITH SYMBOLS REPRESENTING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CITY’S ECONOMY IN 1906-07: COAL MINING (ARM WITH MINER’S PICK), TRANSPORTATION (LOCOMOTIVE), AND AGRICULTURE (WHEAT SHEAF). THE CIRCULAR SCROLL READS “CITY OF LETHBRIDGE 1890-1906”, THE TOWN AND CITY INCORPORATION YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. THE PANORAMIC VIEW BELOW PORTRAYED THE WHEAT FIELDS AND MINE WORKING BUILDINGS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS, RESTING ON THE CITY MOTTO: AD OCCASION JANUAM (LATIN FOR "GATEWAY TO OPPORTUNITY"). ACCORDING TO A LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE ON THE CREST’S ORIGINS FROM THE JULY 2, 1985, CHIVERS’ DESIGN “CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF WHAT LETHBRIDGE CONSIDERED ITSELF TO BE.” ANOTHER HERALD ARTICLE FROM AUGUST 20, 2005 PRESENTS RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY LOCAL HISTORIAN ALEX JOHNSTON AND THEN-GALT ARCHIVIST GREG ELLIS ON REVEREND CHIVERS HIMSELF: “REV. JOHN STANLEY CHIVERS ARRIVED [IN LETHBRIDGE] IN FEBRUARY 1904 TO MINISTER TO THE FLOCK AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S… NOT MUCH ELSE IS KNOWN ABOUT CHIVERS’ LIFE UNTIL OCTOBER 1909 WHEN HE TENDERED HIS RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE JANUARY 31, 1910. THE WORDS THEMSELVES ARE TAME BUT JOHNSTON’S RESEARCH INDICATES CHIVERS DIVORCED HIS WIFE AND MARRIED A FORMER MEMBER OF THE CHURCH CHOIR, WHO WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE WIDOW OF GEORGE ROGERS, MAYOR WHEN THE CITY INCORPORATED IN 1906. ROGERS HAD DIED IN LATE APRIL 1909. SO, DHIVERS AND THE WIDOW OBVIOUSLY FOUND THEMSELVES IN HARMONY, AND MRS. CHIVERS LIKELY DIDN’T TAKE IT WELL. ‘LETHBRIDGE WAS NOT A LARGE TOWN AT THE TIME AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SCANDAL IT CAUSED. THERE WERE PROBABLY QUITE A FEW TONGUES WAGGING AROUND LETHBRIDGE AS THIS AFFAIR DEVELOPED,’ ELLIS SAID… ACCORDING TO JOHNSTON’S RESEARCH, REV. CHIVERS EVENTUALLY WENT TO RENO, GOT A QUICKIE DIVORCE AND MARRIED THE FORMER MRS. ROGERS IN CALIFORNIA. ‘FROM THAT POINT IN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REVEREND,’ ELLIS SAID.” FOR HARD COPIES OF THE CREST DESCRIPTION FROM THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE WEBSITE AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES, SEE PERMANENT FILE P19820067000.

Catalogue Number

P19960075049

Acquisition Date

1993-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail