Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SIR ALEXANDER T. GALT

Date

1983

Materials

OIL

No. Pieces

1

Length

66.8

Width

50.6

Description

ITEM DEPICTS SUBJECT FACE-ON, HEAD AND SHOULDERS PORTRAIT. SUBJECT FEATURED WITH BROWN HAIR, GRAY EYES, WHITE SHIRT, BLUE BOW TIE, BLACK/GRAY JACKET. BLUE BACKGROUND

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

SEE HISTORY OF ARTIST ATTACHED TO FILE. PAINTING TAKEN FROM 1862 PHOTO OF SIR ALEXANDER TILLOCH GALT. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. NO NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST, JANET BROWN, WAS FOUND. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF THIS PAINTING'S SUBJECT, SIR ALEXANDER GALT, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA ONLINE AND A BROCHURE ABOUT ALEXANDER AND ELLIOTT GALT PRODUCED BY THE GALT MUSEUM. ALEXANDER TILLOCH GALT WAS BORN IN LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1817 AND CAME TO CANADA IN 1835 TO WORK FOR THE BRITISH AMERICAN LAND COMPANY, WHICH WAS OPENING LAND FOR SETTLEMENT IN QUEBEC'S EASTERN TOWNSHIPS. GALT BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE ST LAWRENCE AND ATLANTIC RAILROAD IN 1849 AND HE REPRESENTED SHERBROOKE IN THE CANADIAN LEGISLATURE FOR TWO TERMS, 1849 - 1850 AND 1853 - 1867. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE GREAT COALITION CABINET, AND ATTENDED THE QUEBEC CONFERENCE IN 1864 AS ONE OF THE FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION. AFTER CONFEDERATION HE BECAME CANADA'S FIRST FEDERAL FINANCE MINISTER. GALT WAS APPOINTED THE FIRST HIGH COMMISSIONER OF CANADA IN LONDON FROM 1880 - 1883 TO PROMOTE BRITISH INTEREST IN FINANCING CANADIAN RAILWAYS AND EMIGRATION TO THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST. HE UTILIZED HIS POLITICAL CONNECTIONS TO HAVE HIS SON ELLIOTT, BORN IN 1850, APPOINTED TO THE POST OF ASSISTANT INDIAN COMMISSIONER. THE POSTING TOOK ELLIOTT TO WESTERN CANADA IN 1879, WHERE HE MADE A PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE COAL OUTCROPPINGS ALONG THE BELLY RIVER. AFTER HAVING COAL SAMPLES FROM THE SITE ASSESSED, ELLIOTT DEEMED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT A PROFITABLE VENTURE, AND INFORMED HIS FATHER. ALEXANDER GALT FORMED THE NORTH WESTERN COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY WITH BRITISH SHAREHOLDERS W.H. SMITH, WILLIAM LETHBRIDGE, AND WILLIAM ASHMEAD BARTLETT BURDETT-COUTTS (HUSBAND OF THE BARONESS ANGELA BARTLETT COUTTS). THE COMPANY EMPLOYED NICHOLAS BRYANT AND WILLIAM STAFFORD TO EXAMINE COAL SITES IN THE AREA, AND IN 1882 THE COMPANY'S FIRST TWO DRIFT MINES WERE OPENED IN WHAT IS NOW INDIAN BATTLE PARK. THE GALTS INVESTED IN NUMEROUS ENTERPRISES IN THE AREA, INCLUDING THE ALBERTA RAILWAY AND COAL COMPANY, THE LETHBRIDGE LAND COMPANY, THE ALBERTA IRRIGATION COMPANY, THE CANADIAN NORTH-WEST IRRIGATION COMPANY, THE ST. MARY RIVER RAILWAY COMPANY, THE CANADA AND GREAT FALLS RAILWAY COMPANY, AND THE AMALGAMTED ALBERTA RAILWAY AND IRRIGATION COMPANY. THEIR MINING OPERATION ALSO FUNDED A COMPANY HOSPITAL IN 1891, WHICH WAS REPLACED IN 1910 BY THE SIR ALEXANDER GALT HOSPITAL, NAMED IN HONOUR OF GALT AFTER HIS DEATH, AND CURRENT HOME OF THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES. ALEXANDER GALT DIED IN MONTREAL ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1893. IN 1912, ELLIOTT GALT SOLD THE ALBERTA RAILWAY AND IRRIGATION COMPANY TO THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY, AND THE FAMILY'S BUSINESS TIES TO THE AREA CEASED.

Catalogue Number

P19830016000

Acquisition Date

1983-06

Collection

Museum

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