Material Type

Artifact

Date

1988

Materials

WOOD, CANVAS, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.2

Length

78.0

Width

63.0

Description

PAINTING IS OF THE RIVER VALLEY. ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS PART OF THE CPR HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE. PART OF THE RIVER IS SHOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND IS GREY COLOURED. THE COULEES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER ARE ALSO GREYISH. IN THE FOREGROUND IS LONG GRASS, TREES AND BUSHES, AND A PATH. THE SKY IS BLUE WITH WISPY CLOUDS. BOTTOM RIGHT IS SIGNED BY ARTIST "KAREN MCPHERSON". PAINTING IS FRAMED WITH A TEXTURED WHITE MATTE, AND A GREY WOOD FRAME, WITH GOLD TRIM. ON BOTTOM CENTRE IS A BRASS LABEL THAT IS ETCHED WITH "PRESENTED TO THE STAFF OF EATON'S LETHBRIDGE PARK PLACE BY MEMBERS OF CORPORATE MANAGEMENT APRIL 1988". GOLD TRIM ON FRAME IS VERY SCRATCHED UP.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

RETAIL TRADE

History

MUSEUM OBTAINED ITEMS FROM LETHBRIDGE EATON'S STORE IN 1999. DUE TO COMPANY BANKRUPTCY, EATON'S STORES ACROSS CANADA WERE CLOSED, INCLUDING THE LETHBRIDGE LOCATION IN PARK PLACE MALL. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE T. EATON COMPANY STORES IN LETHBRIDGE. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF LETHBRIDGE'S EATON'S STORE WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM GALT ARCHIVES AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM THE FALL OF 1988. THE T. EATON COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN TORONTO IN 1869 BY TIMOTHY EATON. THE FIRST LETHBRIDGE EATON'S 'TECO' STORE WAS OPENED IN 1927 IN THE BASEMENT OF THE DOMINION BLOCK ON THE CORNER OF 4 AVENUE AND SIXTH STREET SOUTH. AFTER A FIRE, THE BUILDING WAS RENOVATED AND COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER BY THE EATON'S STORE, WHICH OPERATED IN THAT LOCATION UNDER PERIODIC RENOVATIONS FROM 1929 UNTIL THE OPENING OF THE PARK PLACE MALL IN 1988, IN WHICH EATON'S WAS AN ANCHOR RETAILER. IN 1989 A PORTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE ART COLLECTION WAS TEMPORARILY PUT ON DISPLAY IN THE VACANT EATON'S BUILDING, AND PROPOSALS WERE MADE TO MAKE THE INSTALLATION PERMANENT, BUT EVENTUALLY THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD AND DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BANK OF MONTREAL BRANCH. IN 1999 THE EATON'S STORE IN PARK PLACE MALL CLOSED JUST PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE LARGER T. EATON COMPANY LIMITED. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19930072001 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIAL. ACCORDING TO HER PERSONAL WEBSITE, THE ARTIST OF THIS PAINTING, KAREN MCPHERSON, WAS BORN IN 1960 AND IS BASED IN SUDBURY, ONTARIO. HER WORK CAN BE FOUND IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS ACROSS CANADA AND INTERNATIONALLY IN JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES.

Catalogue Number

P19990061002

Acquisition Date

1999-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail