It's in your gift cards and maybe even your transit pass. It's starting to appear on your phone. How far is it going to go?

Decoding E-Money is a travelling exhibition from the Bank of Canada Museum that explores the past, present and future of electronic money and electronic payment systems. While raising awareness of e-money, this exhibition also helps visitors understand the possible effects of the widespread use of one form of e-money: digital currency.

“We have brought this travelling exhibit to Lethbridge with the hope to broaden the understanding of digital currencies,” says Galt Museum & Archives’ Curator Aimee Benoit, “by inviting users to experience this exhibition through a fun and compelling hands-on context.”

Decoding E-money explores the voyage of your dollars from purchase to deposit through various traditional and e-payment systems. Learn about a whole new kind of money as cutting-edge graphics and fun, interactive displays introduce you to the high-tech intricacies of Bitcoin and other web-based currencies. Explore more than 60 artifacts covering the way Canadians have spent their money over the course of 200 years. From trading tokens to the most recent precursors of today’s e-money, these artifacts at one time challenged our notions of acceptance much the way that Bitcoin challenges us today.

The exhibit includes games that help players experiment with and understand more deeply the philosophies and principles behind various e-money transaction tools from credit and debit cards, to cryptocurrencies and blockchain. One of the aspects that games will underline is the intense competition involved in verifying and completing digital transactions so they become permanent and unchangeably embedded in a public transaction record. The technology that enables this form of decentralized currency has the potential to bring fundamental change to existing financial systems and is of great interest to the Bank of Canada and other central banks.

“Decoding E-Money is a timely exhibition that explores a function of modern society that is becoming ever more prevalent in our everyday lives.” Says Benoit “We’re excited to explore this topic with our community.”

Guest curated by Tyler Stewart

This exhibition looks at how music has helped to bring our community together over the past century. Guest curator Tyler Stewart has knowledge, passion and a network which he has brought together with rich artifacts and stories from the Galt collections. “From Pianos to Power Chords” shines a spotlight on some of the individuals from southwestern Alberta who have influenced our music history.

Visitors will learn more about people such as Anne Campbell, who created an all-girls choir that toured across Canada and overseas; her grand piano will be on exhibit. Visitors will also get to appreciate more contemporary award-winning musical figures like Corb Lund and Leeroy Stagger.

Development of this exhibit involved over 100 community members who contributed to the content through surveys, interviews and social media engagement. Those memories also helped create the one-of-a-kind, “band map” hand-lettered by local artist Eric Dyck that illustrates the diverse interpersonal connections in Lethbridge’s local music scene.

The content of this exhibit creates a diverse story of the history of music in southwestern Alberta. “This is an important exhibit for the Galt Museum, as this community has a very long, vibrant, and diverse musical history”, says Galt Museum & Archives Curator, Aimee Benoit.

There are also several interactive components at listening stations that visitors of all ages will enjoy. People will really connect with and have fun with this exhibit, From Pianos to Power Chords.

A travelling exhibit from the Canadian Museum of History

The exhibit invites children ages 5 to 12 to learn about the many celebrations that are practiced in their own communities. Although unique to a particular country, culture or religion, celebrations bring families and communities together. From large groups of people gathering for a day of festivities to a special moment in a child’s everyday life, it is through these joyous and important occasions that children and families discover and appreciate the traditions of diverse cultures.

Everyone loves a special occasion — be it Thanksgiving, the Chinese New Year, the Jewish celebration Hanukkah, Toonik Tyme in Iqaluit or Canada Day — what better way to appreciate the diversity of celebrations in Canada than through Kids Celebrate!. The exhibition is divided into four zones, each evoking a different season, family and community setting. Children can learn more about the many celebrations that Canadians enjoy throughout the year – from food, music, decorations and games, to the values of giving, sharing and hope for the future.

Thanks in part to financial support for Canadian Heritage, Lethbridge children and their families will feel a sense of connection to other Canadian families and communities as they identify differences and similarities among traditions, and will come to understand the global nature of celebrating. Young visitors will engage in hands-on activities, discover new games, make crafts, and take on new roles that will stimulate their curiosity and motivate them to explore the many aspects of celebrations in Canada.

Welcome to the new and interactive exhibit developed in collaboration with community partners at the Galt Museum & Archives “Annora Brown: Daughter of the Prairies”. With the knowledge and skill of guest curator Mary-Beth Laviolette, the Galt Museum & Archives presents the first-ever retrospective of one of Alberta’s most significant early artists, Annora Brown (1899-1987) of Fort Macleod. The exhibition will feature some of her most well-known artworks as well as rarely seen paintings treasured by friends and admirers of this remarkable artist.

Brown is best known for her paintings and drawings of wildflowers and native plants of southern Alberta and as the author of the western Canadian classic “Old Man’s Garden”, published in 1955. As a modern artist, she was engaged with the character of the wildflower and its place in the natural environment. Brown also explored southwestern Alberta and captured the land in colourful and often dramatic landscapes. Her fascination with First Nations people is expressed through many engaging paintings.

Lethbridge has had an active firefighting service since a volunteer fire brigade started in 1886.  A full time fire department was established in 1909 and it has grown into a fully modern force. Emergency medical care, in the early years of the city, was provided by available doctors and nurses and the Galt Hospital ambulance.  In 1912, Lethbridge fire department took over the operation of the ambulance, provided trained personnel, and this was the beginning of the city’s integrated fire and emergency medical service.

The exhibit will tell the history of the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Service from its earliest days to today through stories, photographs, and artifacts.

When people emigrate from one country to another they physically change places. This also means that their new home will change because of their presence.

The Galt exhibition will gather personal stories from immigrants who left their home country between the end of the Second World War up to very recently to discover why they chose or were forced to leave their home country. Interviewers will also talk to long time residents of Lethbridge who are involved with immigrant communities. We will explore how they have seen Lethbridge change due to the influx of people from other coun­tries around the world.

The Galt will borrow objects and photographs from both immigrants and locals to learn from their experiences. As we explore the challenges, fears and hopes of new immigrants we gain an appreciation of the support and services offered by Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta to help new people settle and become successful in this area.

It started with a treasure box and a personal connection to a fellow artist, and now the result of more than six years of research and sleuthing by Galt Museum & Archives Curator Wendy Aitkens comes to life when the exhibition “A Legacy of Adventure & Art: The Life of Miss Edith Fanny Kirk” opens at the Galt on Saturday, June 6.

“Miss Edith Fanny Kirk, who was born in England in 1858 and lived in Lethbridge for the last 35 years of her life, painted watercolours of Lethbridge, the prairies and western National Parks, and taught many people how to create their own art,” says Aitkens. “After all, Miss Kirk had been trained in several of the most prestigious art schools in her home country.”

Miss Edith Fanny Kirk was a woman of adventure and courage who, at an early age, decided to become an artist and art teacher. For years she studied at prestigious art schools in England and France. Her need to create watercolour art encouraged Miss Kirk to attend artists’ colonies where she painted watercolour landscape and village scenes as she sat outdoors. Then, in 1905, Miss Kirk immigrated to Canada where she continued her travels and her art.

“Prior to coming to this city,” explains Aitkens, “Miss Kirk experienced travel and adventures in many intriguing places in British Columbia and along the eastern seaboard of North America. She worked mainly as an artist and art teacher during her long life, but also as a nurse’s helper in a gold mining hospital, and as a public school teacher in B.C.’s ranching country. Once she settled in Lethbridge, she continued her adventures by joining the Alpine Club of Canada at the age of 60.”

The exhibition explores the adventurous life of Miss Edith Kirk through treasures she received from her mother and those she gathered throughout her own life. Examples of her watercolour paintings, art created by one of her English teachers and a fellow student, and paintings by some of her local students are also featured. An audio tour of the Curator’s adventures in tracking Miss Kirk’s life is an integral part of the exhibition, offering an intimate glimpse into the personal connections Aitkens made with Miss Edith Kirk.

A travelling exhibit from the Bank of Canada Museum

From concept to final product, experience the creative process, the technical skill and the sheer artistry that underlies every series of Canadian stamps and bank notes in Voices from the Engraver— a traveling bilingual exhibit produced by the Bank of Canada Museum in partnership with the Canadian Museum of History. The exhibit makes its Canadian debut at the Galt Museum & Archives on February 7, with a grand opening planned for Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 pm.

Original art, printing plates, videos, interactives, rare stamps, and money - lots of money – await in this fun, informative and enriching look into the beauty and intricacy of Canadian stamps and bank notes.

“Bank note and stamp engraving is considered to be one of the most beautiful and the most difficult of the engraving and printing arts,” explains Galt Museum Curator Wendy Aitkens, “as the challenge is to outwit counterfeiters by developing very intricate designs difficult to copy and reproduce.”

The talents of Yves Baril of Quebec and Jorge Peral of Mexico are featured in the exhibition, among several others, as they both became masters of their art. Watercolours, photos and drawings, along with engraver's tool and printing plates used in the production of bank notes and stamps will be on display, and visitors can take a peek behind the scenes at bank notes and stamp designs that were not produced.

“Postal stamps from 1908 to 2013 recognize women such as poet E. Pauline Johnson, baker Rose-Anna Vachon, and social activist Nellie McClung, men like Métis leader Louis Riel, explorers Cartier and Champlain, and hockey heroes Paul Henderson and Yvan Cournoyer” says Aitkens. “Other stamps reflect birds and animals, villages and mountains, the territory of Nunavut and the initial Klondike Gold Strike.”

Four interactive modules are also in the exhibition, including a photo booth where visitors can make their own stamp or bank note featuring their face, design elements and choice of colours, which they can email home as a souvenir.

A cap, a chair, some figurines... a sickle and teletype machine... 33s, old currency, a player piano too? Uniforms, dresses, and more, just for you will be on display in “Treasures & Curiosities: The Sequel” — a new special exhibition opening at the Galt Museum & Archives on Friday, September 26 and running through January 11, 2015.

“It is not just movies that prove so popular a sequel must follow,” muses Wendy Aitkens, Curator at the Galt Museum & Archives. “In 2010, people from the community were invited into the collections vault to choose an artifact or two with some significance to them. They found exploring the collections intriguing, and the exhibit was so well liked that we decided to repeat the fun in recognition of the museum's 50th Anniversary year.”

“Fifty years ago, the community felt the need to preserve its objects, stories and memories,” recounts Aitkens, who has been at the Galt since 2006. “The vision, support and work of City staff and the Lethbridge Historical Society [LHS] built a foundation for the Galt and its artifact and archival collections. With enthusiasm and dedication LHS volunteers catalogued thousands of artifacts, documents, maps and photographs which reflected the history of the city and the surrounding areas. Galt staff and volunteers continue this work today as new generations offer their treasures and curiosities for donation.”

In 2014, more people had fun exploring the vaults and storage shelves housing these donations. Treasures & Curiosities: The Sequel includes the selected artifacts, alongside the surprising and touching stories of why participants chose them.

One of the participants shared that “This entire process of artifact selection was phenomenal! The initial interview was almost therapeutic as we discussed my background, in order to find items that would trigger “something of meaning” to me.”

“When people visit the Collections areas they often find the experience overwhelming,” Aitkens says, “there are so many artifacts to see! The area is secured with a swipe card and key, the air is cool and everything is well organized on shelves, in drawers or on racks. I enjoy watching people to see what catches their eye—something familiar, something colourful, something large or tiny, something that surprises them. The experience is unique and visitors feel the need to explore down the aisles. The curatorial staff at the Galt take real pleasure in showing visitors through the Collections which we care for and work with each day.”

From warp to weft, thread to tartan, follow along the lives of local women and their drive to preserve the art and craft of weaving everything from household goods to official municipal fabrics in “Woven in Time: Celebrating 65 Years with Lethbridge Weavers”—a new special exhibition showing at the Galt Museum & Archives from June 7 to September 1, 2014.

In 1935, a Lethbridge Branch of the Canadian Handicraft Guild was formed. They operated until the Second World War began when Red Cross work became a priority. In May 1949, eleven women met to re-organize a local Handicraft Guild which involved many different types of crafts. By 1951, the Guild focused its skills, teaching and shows on weaving.

“Woven in Time celebrates 65 years of weaving in southwestern Alberta with examples of weavings from current and previous members of the Guild,” says Galt Museum Curator Wendy Aitkens, “along with historic weavings from the Galt collections, weaving demonstrations by Guild members and video of the weaving process.

According to Judy Hasinoff, a spokesperson for the Guild, “The Lethbridge Handicraft Guild of Weavers is delighted that the Galt Museum is hosting an exhibit of our work of over 65 years. We are proud of what we have accomplished, but the fact that the Galt has mounted such a major exhibit featuring our guild makes us feel that all those years of cooperative weaving, exhibiting, selling, and working hard to be a part of the weaving scene provincially, nationally and internationally are being acknowledged.”

Aitkens says the Galt enjoys partnerships with local organizations “where we can play a part in the celebration of their history, accomplishments and contributions to the broader community. Working with the Lethbridge Handicraft Guild of Weavers has resulted in an exciting exhibition of the works by local weavers who are current and past members of the Guild. The story of this organization and the art of weaving is an important part of the history of this area and the telling of this story is richer because of the involvement of many members of the Guild.”

“Well over 250 members of the Lethbridge and area community have been dedicated members of our guild over the last 65 years,” says Hasinoff, “and both the Galt and the LHG feel they deserve to be acknowledged for their contributions to the local art scene. However, while the exhibit is in part focusing on past works, there is also a strong component inviting visitors to experience weaving and observe and talk to our members as they create on-site, and it is our hope that this will encourage people to consider becoming a part of our guild or at least take away a stronger appreciation for the craft of weaving.”

Southwestern Alberta has long been called a “Bible Belt”, though the region includes both a wide variety of Bible-related religious organizations and others which are not. “Religion in the Bible Belt”, a new exhibit at the Galt Museum & Archives explores how people from all groups contributed to the many social and economic aspects of southwestern Alberta from the late 1800s to the late 1930s. The exhibit runs September 21 – January 12, 2014.

“This exhibition is based on the assumption that this region is unique because of the contributions made to the broader community by people from all of the religious groups,” says Curator Wendy Aitkens. “They provided a social welfare network, started schools, established medical care, became politically involved, built impressive buildings, organized social groups for all ages, and offered musical and theatrical entertainment for the whole community.”

1901 statistics for Lethbridge indicated     33% of the population was Presbyterian, 21% Anglican, 19% Roman Catholic, 12% Methodist and 15% belonged to other religions or did not identify any religious affiliation. Numbers for the same year for North Ward (now north Lethbridge), showed 16% were Presbyterian, 12% Anglican, 39% Catholic, 10% Methodist, and 23% other and those with no religious affiliation identified. In rural areas there were Hutterites, Mennonites, Doukhobors, Dutch and Christian Reformed, Lutherans, Baptists, Buddhists and others.

“The scope of this topic is substantial so the choices of the denominations and organizations mentioned were based on census numbers, land ownership and wide-ranging influence in the community,” says Aitkens. “The exhibit explores Niitsitapii (Blackfoot), Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church, Mormon, Buddhism, Hutterites, and Mennonites. Others are not mentioned but that does not mean their successes and influence are any less important.”

Artifacts and archival photos for the exhibition have come from the Galt’s collections, as well as from the collections of the Glenbow Archives, Gem of the West in Coaldale, Fort Museum in Fort Macleod, the Court House Museum in Cardston, a local Hutterite colony and local churches.

A travelling exhibit by the Canadian Museum of Civilization

The Galt Museum & Archives is wishing for wind this summer as it brings a new travelling exhibition to southern Alberta: Wind Work, Wind Play: Weathervanes & Whirligigs — developed and circulated by the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec — features 30+ pieces of wind-powered Canadian folk art dating from the 1870s-1970s, and a number of southern Alberta examples too.

“Wind is a common point of conversation in southwestern Alberta,” says Curator Wendy Aitkens. “We note its intensity and we note its absence. With this exhibit we hope to bring a different perspective to our typical conversation about the wind.  This exhibit is a whimsical look at heritage and contemporary whirligigs and weathervanes – objects that entertain us because the wind animates them.”

“We are pleased to showcase more than 30 wonderful wind-driven pieces from our extensive folk art collection at the Galt Museum & Archives,” says Victor Rabinovitch, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. “Once dismissed as primitive or naïve, Canadian folk art has long since come into its own, and we are proud to show these objects, which reflect the whimsy, humour and creativity of ordinary Canadians from coast to coast.”

Weathervanes have been part of the European and North American landscape for centuries, perched atop every community’s tallest buildings, on barn roofs, church, steeples, and castle towers. Many are now considered icons of folk art.

Most people are aware of the weathervane’s role in telling the direction of the wind. However, not everyone knows that the wind’s direction can also give an idea of oncoming weather. “I've always loved old weathervanes, but I never knew how they really worked,” says Sheldon Posen, Curator of Canadian Folklife at the Museum of Civilization. “As it turns out, they are more than just pretty pointers!”

Whirligigs, on the other hand, are created to amuse and entertain. These wind-driven lawn ornaments are generally small figural creations, which, when placed outdoors, engage in frantic movements as they ceaselessly accomplish nothing.

Nearly everyone loves these folk art treasures. The whirligigs, new and old, are masterworks of fun—sawyers who saw away, fiddlers who fiddle away, farmers who milk cows, and voyageurs who paddle all the faster when the wind blows. The scarred old weathervanes are charming—classic horses, fish, pigs, and arrows rendered in wood, sheet steel, and wrought iron by skilled, often amateur, hands.

The travelling exhibition has been enhanced with local wind-powered folk art pieces from the Galt Museum, as well as from the collections of the Prairie Engine Tractor Society in Picture Butte, Doug Costall from Claresholm and Alex Pavlenko from Lethbridge.

Tom McFall, Executive Director of the Alberta Craft Council, is also a collector of folk art whirligigs and weathervanes, and has loaned three of his pieces for this exhibit. He will be guest speaker at The Curator Presents… part of the official opening of Wind Work, Wind Play: Weathervanes & Whirligigs, on Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 pm. His “Folk Art on the Prairies” presentation will be followed by a ribbon cutting; the exhibition will be available for viewing through September 2, 2013.

Wind Work, Wind Play was first on display at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1, Gallery 120 in 2008, introducing both Canadian and international visitors to aspects of Canadian society, culture and history. It has since been shown in Alma and Rimouski in Quebec; in Peterborough and Markham, Ontario; at both the Musée Heritage Museum in St. Albert and Museum London earlier this year; and will travel to the Surrey Museum in BC after the Lethbridge showing.

Programs reflecting folk art and wind power will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including family activities during Summer Family Fun; presentations as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for ages 55+; special topics during Thursday programs for adults; and a special Whirligigs & Weathervanes on the Prairies Family Festival featuring handmade local and Alberta-made examples on Saturday, August 31.

The Galt Museum & Archives brings a special traveling exhibit to southern Alberta: the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame — developed and circulated by the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa — featuring 54 of Canada’s brightest male and female scientists, of whom eight are Nobel Prize winners, including Lethbridge-born physicist Bertram Brockhouse, and Willard S. Boyle whose work is integral to virtually every camcorder, digital camera and telescope in use today, even the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, which has already been shown in St. Catherines, ON, Victoria and Prince George, BC and in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, SK, honours groundbreaking individuals whose outstanding scientific or technological achievements have had long-term implications around the world. These remarkable people include well-known scientists like Alexander Graham Bell and Sandford Fleming, as well as lesser-known but equally accomplished Canadians, like Charles Saunders and Maude Abbott. 

Their stories are compelling and noteworthy elements of Canadian contributions to science and technology, and the inductees’ personal and professional lives are told through audio and video presentations and in written word. Childhood and educational influences, mentors who provided guidance and support, specific incidents in their lives which stimulated their curiosity and challenged them to find solutions or answers, provide inspiration and insight for youth and adults alike.

“This exhibit is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about Canadian scientists and engineers who have contributed in significant ways to our lives,” says Curator Wendy Aitkens, “Scientists’ work is often the basis for the development and production of items we have in our homes and neighbourhoods.  Many objects and photographs will be on exhibit and visitors will be challenged to figure out whose science led to their development.”

Physicist Bertram Brockhouse, who was born in Lethbridge July 15, 1918, shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Clifford Shull in 1994 “for pioneering contributions to the development of neutron scattering techniques for studies of condensed matter”. Brockhouse was noted “for the development of neutron spectroscopy [for condensed matter]”, in short, helping to answer “the question of what atoms do”. His research made infra-red detectors and exhaust-cleaning systems for automobiles possible.

The exhibit is supplemented with artifacts from the Galt’s own collections, giving visitors the opportunity to make connections between the scientists’ work and items of everyday life. Additional interactive challenges will engage problem solving skills, investigative thinking and creativity – all abilities required by scientists and engineers to make a difference.

“When young people learn the stories of these prominent scientists and engineers it may inspire them to follow in their footprints,” says Aitkens. “Perhaps knowing that Lethbridge produced a Nobel Prize winner in Bertram Brockhouse will make the youngster’s own potential seem more real.” 

Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame runs February 2 through May 19, 2013, and officially opens Sunday, February 10 at 2:00 pm with a The Curator Presents… presentation “Celebrating Canadian Genius” with Dr. Roy Golsteyn, followed by a ribbon cutting.

Programs reflecting the science and technology theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including family activities during Saturdays at 1:00; presentations as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for ages 55+; special topics during Thursday programs for adults; Nerd Fest aimed at post-secondary students March 21-23, and a special Earth Day program on Sunday, April 21.

Come marvel at the secrets hidden in your backyard! The land of southern Alberta is full of stories about our past - fortunately, there are people who know how to interpret what they find.

Archaeology is a fascinating way to discover the human stories hidden under the soils and across the landscape of southern Alberta.

Archaeologists uncover bison bones that are 11,000 years old by digging several metres under the prairie grasses. They excavate depressions that turn out to be garbage dumps and privies to learn about the people who lived in a coal mining town in the Crowsnest Pass.

Dart points found in conjunction with ancient animal bones uncovered by erosion, family belongings unearthed in the remains of an historic ranch building, and surveys compiled of human and animal figures carving into stone help us understand those who lived here before our time.

Blackfoot oral traditions provide a fascinating perspective to all that archaeologists present.

The Galt Museum & Archives celebrates local competitive sports this summer in the new special exhibit “Champions & Challenges in Sports” featuring challenges and successes faced by some amazing personalities including athletes, coaches and managers, officials, sponsors, casual athletes and the fan.

“Competitive sports have long been an indelible part of human culture,” says Curator Wendy Aitkens, “because people like to challenge each other and themselves to achieve physical, mental and often monetary success. Sports are important to a community’s identity, recreational infrastructure and economics. Involvement in sports helps humans stay healthy, improve physical strength and dexterity, develop team spirit and, above all, have fun.” 

Athletes in organized sports are usually in the spotlight but their activities would not be possible without coaches and managers, referees and timekeepers, sponsors to provide necessary funding, advocates to promote and plan events and the fan to cheer on everyone. Family members who buy necessary equipment and deliver kids to the arena, media who write about and announce at games also contribute to the overall success of games, tournaments and leagues. 

Many people are athletes in a more casual sense. Weekend runners, players in a slow-pitch beer league, paddlers at the Lethbridge Dragon Boat Festival, and curlers who ‘hurry hard’ throughout the winter are a significant part of the local sports scene.

“Champions & Challenges in Sports” features an individual, company or group in each of these areas with stories, historic and current memorabilia, and in their own words captured through video interviews. They include: Tyler Birch [bowling/alpine skiing], Karen Collin [dragon boating], Dennis Connolly [fan], Alan Dixon [sponsor], Susan Eymann [community identity], Allan Friesen [coach], Lori Greene [curling], Jennifer Grimes [curling/power lifting], Bill Halma [referee], Brian Jeannotte [announcer], Willy Kimosop [marathon runner], The Lowe Family [running], Knud Petersen [advocate], Heather Steacy [track and field], Hank Stoffer [slow pitch], and Kris Versteeg of the Florida Panthers [hockey].

“We acknowledge that the Lethbridge community has thousands of people involved in sports that are not included in the exhibit,” says Aitkens.  “We worked with a community advisory group to realize the final list of 19 people. Their stories are considered representative of a much larger community; with this exhibit we celebrate all those who participate, contribute to and support sport in Lethbridge.” 

“Champions & Challenges in Sports” runs May 12 – September 9, and officially opens Sunday, May 13 at 2:00 pm with Curator Presents presentation “Who Are the Champions?” featuring Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame inductee Brad Brown, followed by a ribbon cutting.

Programs reflecting the sports theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including family activities during Saturdays at 1:00 and Summer Fun at 1:00; presentations as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for ages 55+; and special topics during Thursday adult programs and special events throughout the summer.

Developed by the Galt Museum & Archives with a panel of community sports advisors: Brad Brown, Susan Eymann, Robert Kossuth, Knud Petersen.

Special thanks to University of Lethbridge Applied Studies student Stephanie Heidebrecht.

Made possible in part by support from the 2012 Lethbridge Alberta Summer Games.

Major topics:

 A Sport for All Ages: Curling

Announcing is Second Nature

Best Job Ever: Slo-Pitch

Blowing the Whistle: Referee

Family Made it all Possible: Hockey

Giving Back: Sports Advocates

I Want to Run: Cross-Country Running

Juggling a Full Schedule: Family Commitment

Paddles Up!: Dragon Boating

Safety, Fun and Competition: Target Shooting

Special Athletes: Powerlifting, Skiing

Sponsoring Community

Sport and Lethbridge

The Ultimate Fan

Throwing the Hammer

Display elements include:

• Kris Versteeg: Hurricanes Jersey #18, World Junior Team Canada ID Tag & Jersey #9, First NHL Goal Plaque, hockey stick, foot cast, NHL Awards Program, MVP Plaque, school book, game tickets, trading cards

• Hank Stoffer: Slo-Pitch National Trading Card, Misuno Baseball Glove & Ball, Award of Excellence, Canadian Softball Championship Ball Cap, Western Canadian Softball Championship Medal

• Dennis Connolly: Pronghorn Athletics Game Tickets, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Scarf, Women’s Hockey 11/12 Season Program, Math Assignment Paper, U of L Pronghorns Men’s Hockey Playoffs

• Alan Dixon: ATCO Gas #1 Fan Foam Finger, ATCO Gas Ice Hockey Puck, ATCO Gas Relay Torch, Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games Lethbridge Water Bottle

• Bill Halma: Referee Shirt, SABOA Referee Whistle

• Jennifer Grimes: 50 lb weightlifting dumb bells, Olson curling broom and gloves, Special Olympics Lethbridge Golf Shirt, Special Olympics Participation Ribbon, Special Olympics Lethbridge Curling ‘Most Improved’, Special Olympics Lethbridge “Best Female Power Lifter”, 5 pin bowling ball

• Karen Collins: Dragon Boat Drum, Dragon Boat Dragons Head, Dragon Boat Paddle

• Lori Greene: Asham mitts, Olson gloves, knee slider, digital timer, curling broom and shoes

• Heather Steacy: Pronghorns singlet, NACAC 2010 Gold Medal, leather throwing glove, Nike throwing shoes, 4 kg (8.8 lb) Outdoor Throwing Hammer, 9 kg (20 lb) Indoor Throwing Hammer

• Tyler Birch: one piece ski suit, PEI and Nagano Special Olympics bib, medals and pins, 10 pin bowling ball

• Susan Eyman: Coupe Canada Cup 2011 Lethbridge, Leather Shooting Jacket, Olympic Walther Air Rifle, banners, flags, posters 

• Alan Friesen: Fish & Game .22 Rifle Competition Trophy, Fourth Annual Trophy Shoot Program, Feinwerkbau Model 80 Air Handgun, RWS Handgun Pellets, ISSF Approved Target, 1990 Commonwealth silver medal

Artifacts

• 8th Annual Shirtsleeve Bonspiel Button, 1947

• Binoculars, ca.1940-50

• Bowling Pin, ca.1940-50

• Bowling Shoes and Bag, ca. 1973-99

• Bussei Baseball Team Jersey, ca.1950-55

• Catcher’s Baseball Glove, ca.1930-50

• Chinese Taipei Baseball Team Banner, 1993

• Curling Stone, ca. 1900-10

• Curling Tam, ca.1940-50

• Farm Women’s Union of Alberta President’s Cup, 1958

• Fielder’s Baseball Glove, ca.1920-40

• Hockey skates, ca.1920-30

• Hockey Tape, ca.1955-69

• Homemade Referee’s Vest, ca.1915-24

• Lethbridge Hurricanes Noisemaker, ca.1990-2000

• Lethbridge Ladies Curling Club Trophy, 1937

• Lethbridge Native Sons Hockey Sweater, ca.1949-50

• Lethbridge Ski Club Badge, 1949

• Microphone, ca.1960-70

• Pronghorn Fan Pom Poms, ca.1998-2001

• “Schnookie” Sticker, 1996

• Special Olympics Pin, 1987-88

• Sport Medal, 1951

• Sports Sweater, ca.1950-60

• Sugar Kings Lethbridge Jacket, 1969

• Track and Field Prize Ribbon, 1970

• “Yell-a-Phone” Megaphone, ca.1998-2001

Special Focus Areas

Mini-Theatres featuring stories and thoughts from the featured participants

Try this weight lift a weight comparable to the hammer thrown in competition

Hurry Hard try 4 different styles of curling brooms and see how challenging it is to sweep “hard” for 20 seconds [the time is takes to sweep a draw shot from end to end]

19 featured Athletes & Supporters

A Sport for All Ages

Lori Greene grew up in a family that played many sports, in fact, Sunday afternoons were always set aside for some family sport activity.  She started curling in high school because a handsome fellow student was involved.  Curling outlasted the crush and Lori played often to develop and maintain her unique technique.  She started off as a lead (the person to throw the first two team rocks) and moved up eventually to the skip position.

“We try real hard, we win a few, lose a lot but we have fun.”

High resolution images are available by request: contact Anine Vonkeman, Marketing Communications Officer at the Galt Museum & Archives:

anine.vonkeman@galtmuseum.com 403.320-4009

SPORTS RELATED PROGRAMS: ADULTs

Contact Leslie for more information: leslie.hall@galtmuseum.com | 403.320-4700

The Curator Presents… Who are the Champions?

Sun MAY 13 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm
admission rates apply, includes exhibit access | free to annual pass & invitation holders | exhibit open from 1:00 to 4:30 pm | Ribbon cutting at conclusion of The Curator Presents…

A special presentation and celebration of the opening of Champions & Challenges in Sports

Participate in this conversation with Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame inductee Brad Brown about professional and casual athletes, families, coaches & managers, referees & umpires, sponsors, advocates & fans, the significance of sports to our community, and the development of Champions & Challenges. Followed by the official opening of the new exhibit, and some special surprises too!

Café Galt

7:00 pm | admission rates apply, includes exhibit access | free for annual pass holders | registration not required | the Discovery Hall and Museum Store are open on Thursdays until 9:00 pm

Explore and discuss current exhibits and ideas through film screenings, lectures and other unique experiences.

Thu JUN 21 Calgary Stampede Centennial for over 125 years the Calgary Stampede has been building and celebrating the spirit of Calgary, growing and evolving to recognized around the world as a celebration of western hospitality and values. Calgary Stampede Archivist Aimee Benoit will present the history of the Stampede, including the people and characters that have been a part of the story along the way.  

Thu JUL 12 From the Fields to the Archives: Preserving and Documenting Lethbridge’s Sport History a presentation by Dr. Robert Kossuth. How does one go about documenting and preserving a community’s sporting history? Presenting the history of sport in Lethbridge must be more than recording past teams, individuals, and events; it must also engage us in the process of finding and preserving the artifacts, documents, and memories that link us to it.

SPORTS RELATED PROGRAMS: FAMILies

Contact Leslie for more information: leslie.hall@galtmuseum.com | 403.320-4700

Saturdays at 1:00
presented with Green Acres Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge

NOW YEAR-ROUND! | adults required to attend with children | admission rates apply | free for annual pass holders | registration not required | includes exhibit access

This interactive program animates our exhibits and collections for families with children of all ages and is now offered year-round thanks to our new partner, the Green Acres Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge. Programs marked with * are outdoors. Please meet us at the venue listed.

SATURDAYS through JUN 30:

* MAY 05 Old-fashioned Games at the Park Join us at Galt Gardens at the Alberta Federation of Labour Centennial celebrations”.

* MAY 19 Valley Walk meet at Fort Whoop-Up and other historic sites in Indian Battle Park. 

MAY 26   Kites Learn about aviation history as you make your own hexagonal kite to fly. 

*JUN 09  Disc-Golf Join us at Nicholas Sheran Park disc golf course to learn the history of this sport, and to try it out. 

*JUN 16  Fishing Join us at Nicholas Sheran Park lake to learn casting and fishing from the Lethbridge Fish and Game Association. Children will cast with weighted lines not hooks, on the grass or water depending on their age. Children under 16 do not need a license. If parents wish to cast they must pre-purchase a license and present it at the program. 

*JUN 23  Downtown Walking Tour Meet at the east side of the museum and then take our self-guided mystery tour where you solve clues and explore downtown history. Fastest team wins a prize

PLEASE NOTE Saturdays at 1:00 becomes Summer Fun at 1:00 in July & August and runs Wednesdays or Thursdays. Off-site programs will be cancelled if there is bad weather [check message at 403.320-4700 on program day].

Thu JUL 05 Curl Like the Pros Learn the historic sport of curling in this fun interactive program.

Wed JUL 11 Chalk Making Join us at the museum to make your own home-made sidewalk chalk. 

Thu AUG 16 Tiny Sail Boats Using various found materials make your own tiny sail boat and compete in our tiny regatta. 

* Wed AUG 22 Learn Archery with the Lethbridge Bowbenders Learn the basics of archery with the Lethbridge Bowbenders Archery Club 

SPORTS RELATED PROGRAMS: SENIORs

Contact Leslie for more information: leslie.hall@galtmuseum.com | 403.320-4700

Wednesdays at the Galt

Year-round first & third Wednesdays monthly | 2:00 – 3:00 pm | admission rates apply | free for annual pass holders | registration not required | includes exhibit access

From hands-on learning to lectures by special guests, behind-the-scenes tours and tutorials, historical anecdotes to contemporary conundrums for ages 55+.

JUL 18    Curator Tour Join Curator Wendy Aitkens for a special tour of our Champions & Challenges in Sports exhibit. 

AUG 01 Downtown Walking Tour Meet us at the Galt for a walking tour of downtown Lethbridge history. 

SPORTS RELATED PROGRAMS: SCHOOlS & Community Groups

Contact Belinda for more information: 403.320-4248 | belinda.crowson@galtmuseum.com

Champions & Challenges in Sports exhibit-related programs are available for the duration of the exhibit.

SPORTS RELATED PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Contact Wendy for more information: wendy.aitkens@galtmuseum.com | 403.320-3907

Let the Games Begin

Fri JUL 27 | 7:00-9:00 pm

Tickets available at the Alberta Summer Games office [1st Floor, 1010 - 4 Ave S]: Adult $4, Seniors/Youth $3 | Presented with the 2012 Alberta Summer Games 

A special all-ages evening event to celebrate the Alberta Summer Games, featuring Curator-led tours of the special Champions & Challenges in Sports exhibit, games including giant checkers and giant Snakes & Ladders, ‘curling’, board and card games, music and snacks.

Speaker contact information:

Thu JUN 21  | CAFÉ GALT - Calgary Stampede Centennial

Aimee Benoit Calgary Stampede Archivist

403.261-0407 | abenoit@calgarystampede.com   

Jennifer Booth Publicity Manager, Calgary Stampede

tel 403.261.0327 |403.463.6834 (c) |jbooth@calgarystampede.com

Aimee Benoit has a background in western Canadian history and museum collections management. She started her career in heritage at the Galt Museum in Lethbridge, later spent a few years at the Glenbow Museum, and is currently the Archivist/Historian for the Calgary Stampede.

Thu JUL 12  | CAFE GALT - From the Fields to the Archives: Preserving and Documenting Lethbridge’s Sport History

Dr. Robert Kossuth

tel 403.317-2803| robert.kossuth@uleth.ca

Dr. Kossuth's primary research focus is the history of sport, recreation, and leisure in 19th and early 20th century Canada. Within this broader field of inquiry his interests range from examining various local historical experiences, the sports of rugby and Canadian football, and issues relating to masculinity and manliness as located in various sport and recreation practices.

Dr. Kossuth's post secondary schooling has been completed at Wilfrid Laurier University H.B.A. (Physical Education), The University of Windsor M.H.K. (Human Kinetics), and The University of Western Ontario Ph.D. (Kinesiology).

A travelling exhibit from Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre

The earth has experienced 4.6 billion years of climate change. But what is climate?  How has it changed in the past?  What are the scientific facts behind global warming? Are we in the midst of the sixth greatest extinction in the history of life?  These questions and more are raised in the Galt Museum & Archives new special exhibit “Earth’s Climate in the Balance” officially opening Sunday, January 22 during Museum Community Day from 1:00 to 4:30 pm.

Earth’s Climate in the Balance - a travelling exhibit developed by Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton, Ontario in 2008 – examines the big picture on climate change with an informative and approachable treatment of some of our most pressing and current concerns.  It not only looks at the history of climate on our planet, but also inspires the public to ask, “So what's next? And what can I do?”

“This is such an important global issue,” says Wendy Aitkens, Curator at the Galt, “we wanted to be a part of the discussion involving theories surrounding climate change; the availability of this travelling exhibit seemed to be a good opportunity. The exhibit will be supported by a variety of programs that will allow for more information sharing and community dialogue.”

Environmental archaeologist Dr. Peter Storck, Royal Ontario Museum curator emeritus, and author, was commissioned by Bruce County Museum to create the exhibit complete with several interactive components.

Storck says,” This exhibit should put global warming in context – it isn’t anything new under the sun, but has been happening for years.” And Storck expects people will be enlightened by the scale of climate change in relation to the immense age of the earth. Adds Storck, “We won’t destroy the earth. We may destroy ourselves, but in the big picture of climate change, we are one generation in a world that is billions of years old.”

Using the premise “Climate through Geologic Time, 4.6 Billion Years of Change… What’s Next?” the exhibit examines many aspects surrounding this hot topic: what makes climate on earth; what tools are used in studying past climates and climate change; how has climate changed over 4 billion years of earth history; how has climate changed over recorded human history; what is the influence of life on the atmosphere and climate; what is the scientific basis of global warming over the past several decades.

The stories are illustrated with over 40 artifacts and 170 time charts, photographs, satellite images and artist’s paintings obtained from universities, museums, government organizations such as NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as the United Nations body that monitors climate change: the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The exhibit also examines the current extinction crisis, and interactive displays on how each one of us can affect the future of the Earth are included, such as a box store to choose environmentally-friendly products, and a recycling activity.

Programs reflecting the Earth’s Climate in the Balance theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including weekly family activities during Saturdays at 1:00; presentations on the first and third Wednesday monthly as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for ages 55+; The Curator Presents… on Sunday February 5; and special topics during other adult programs offered Thursdays.

From a game of Pick-Up Sticks from circa 1900 to a 21st Century magic wand with hair of Unicorn, from pull toys, push cars and action figures to a replica Blackfoot bone toss game and a rocking horse from the 1800s… more than 130 toys and games are featured in the fall exhibit “Toys & Games – engage, entertain, educate” officially opening at the Galt Museum & Archives at 11:00 am Saturday October 1 during Museum Community Day, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

“Instead of focusing on a historical perspective on toys and games,” says Wendy Aitkens, Curator at the Galt. “I wanted to explore what we gain from play, how critical it is to the development of a child, and for teens and adults – we should never lose our ability to play, it gives us a break from everyday life. It helps keep our minds and bodies active.”

Play is entertaining and can be a solitary activity or social interaction. Play with toys and games stimulate imagination, creativity, exploration and curiosity. Memory, math skills, problem solving abilities, verbal and visual dexterity, physical capabilities, and social skills needed to cope in the adult world are all improved – often without even trying! 

The exhibit could not have happened without the help of the community, which responded to the Galt’s call for toys that went out earlier in the year. Over 60 of the toys and games on display have been loaned by people in southern Alberta. The Esplanade Museum in Medicine Hat has also loaned items from their collection.

“It was such fun to ask the community for their participation,” says Aitkens, “to learn what they still had in their games’ cupboard – some had been put away for future use by grandchildren, others are being used regularly. Some of the stories behind the toys range from obsession with Lego, to dressing up as a child, the importance of books, and various snippets of memories. These are incorporated with interesting historical tidbits into the artifact labels.”

Historically, toy production went from handmade toys, to being purchased from an itinerant merchant, to those manufactured en masse in factories and sold in large local department stores and catalogues, to toys based on television and movie characters, to high tech computerized games sold and played globally online.  Each toy or game related to the society in which the children were being raised.

Programs reflecting the Toys & Games theme will be offered throughout the fall, including weekly family activities during Saturdays at 1:00 running through December; presentations on the first and third Wednesday monthly as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for ages 55+; The Curator Presents… in October; and special topics at the Galt Workshops Series offered October through December.

The Toys & Games festivities kick off with Museum Community Day on Saturday, October 1 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm with free admission all day, and activities including a giant game of snakes and ladders and a Teddy Bear Hospital – kids! bring your teddy bear in for some tender loving care. ArtWalk activities are also free, and include the 3 Dimensions Sculpture Show and afternoon demonstrations.

Come experience the boom and bust, joy and despair of the lives of Lethbridge residents in the Galt Museum & Archives newest special exhibit, The Greatest Years You Never Knew, officially opening at 11:00 am Saturday, April 30 during the free admission Museum Community Day from 10-3:30 pm.

Lethbridge changed forever between 1906 and 1913. These were years of incredible population growth when many new businesses and industries made Lethbridge home. It was also a time of wild optimism as fortunes were made and, in many ways, these were the greatest years in local history and vital in shaping the Lethbridge of today.

“I jumped at the chance to be involved in an exhibit on the years 1906-1913,” says Belinda Crowson, Museum Educator and guest curator for this exhibit.  “These are years that changed Canada, Alberta and Lethbridge forever.  I hope guests to the exhibit will have a sense of this “grand” picture of how Lethbridge changed from a coal town to a modern, cosmopolitan city.” 

But not everyone shared in the good times. For many people these greatest years never happened.

“Equally, though, this is a story of individuals and families, many of whom came to a new country and a new community,” explains Crowson. “I hope visitors will experience how lives were changed and how these personal stories weave together to make our shared community history.” 

So much occurred in Lethbridge between 1906 and 1913, that to tell a full and complete story would take more space allowed by the dimensions of the Galt’s special exhibit area.  Only a portion of the story can be told. In the exhibit development stage public opinion was engaged through a series of surveys polling people on topics of interest and how they envisioned the exhibit to look.

Themes were then chosen based on the feedback: Immigration, Great Successes, Great Failures and Heritage Buildings.  In-depth research revealed there were two parallel stories of Lethbridge during this time period – of grand successes and grand failures, of the working class and the elite, the experience of “preferred” immigrants and other immigrant groups and of the poor and the rich. 

All of these lives inter-mixed in Lethbridge, and in some cases there were hierarchies within hierarchies based on wealth, class, nationality and status. To give visitors a sense of these “parallel” experiences there are two entrances into The Greatest Years You Never Knew – visitors choose the one their ancestors would have entered or the one they wish to enter themselves. 

“Better yet, come visit the exhibit throughout the summer and enter through a different entrance on your next visit!” says Crowson. 

Programs reflecting the theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including twice monthly family activities during Family Summer Fun running May through August; presentations on the first and third Wednesday monthly as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for seniors; The Curator Presents… in May; special guest speakers for Café Galt in June and July; and special topics for the new Hands-On Heritage Arts Series offered May through August. In addition, activities on Canada Day and during the Coulees & Culture summer camps will also focus on the themes of the exhibit. The Greatest Years You Never Knew closes September 11, 2011.

Can you tell the true artifact from the fake? The Galt Museum & Archives invites visitors to test their skills in Fakes & Forgeries: Yesterday and Today, an interactive travelling exhibit produced by the Royal Ontario Museum opening Saturday, December 18, 2010 as part of the Museum Community Day from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is free all day with special activities planned.

Fakes & Forgeries presents 115 authentic items next to counterfeit products that run the gamut from historical specimens and cultural artifacts, to household items and designer name brands.

“Fakes and forgeries are everywhere in our world, but this is nothing new,” says Wendy Aitkens, Curator at the Galt. “Counterfeit money has been around since the use of currency began some 2500 years ago. Forged art, archaeological specimens, fossils and other collectibles have been sold on the black market for generations. Many reproductions were made hundreds of years ago as legitimate souvenirs or modest replicas for the local market. As they resurface today they are often sold as the real goods. More recently, pirated software, music, movies and knocks offs of more expensive clothing, accessories, automotive parts and technical equipment have been sold to and used by many of us.”

Visitors of all ages will learn how to tell authentic pieces from sly forgeries and discover the fascinating lengths forgers will take to hoodwink the unwary. The exhibit provides information to help visitors identify and avoid misrepresentative articles, including pirated computer software and counterfeit currency.

Programs reflecting the theme will be offered throughout the run of the exhibit, including weekly family activities during Saturdays at 1:00, presentations on the first and third Wednesday monthly as part of Wednesdays at the Galt for senior, The Curator Presents… in January and a special guest speaker for Café Galt in February.

An historic anniversary is a fitting time to highlight the 100-year history of the 1910 Galt Hospital building - located on the edge of the coulees at the west end of 5 Avenue South - in a new exhibit showing at the Galt Museum & Archives until December 5, 2010.  

The red brick structure has been an integral part of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta over the past 100 years, as the home of six organizations which have provided valuable community resources. Galt Hospital - 100 Years describes the various uses of the building from September 1, 1910, when Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier attended the grand opening of expanded Galt Hospital, through today when it has become known as a cultural and heritage icon in its role as a museum and archives.

Large-scale photographs, artifacts ranging from an operating table to a nurse’s pin, a seating area and a series of short video presentations paint the picture of the Galt Hospital and Galt School of Nursing, the Galt Rehabilitation Centre, the Lethbridge Health Unit, the Galt Museum, and the Archives. The oral histories captured on video are particularly revealing.

“Many of the rich stories involved with the building’s various uses can be found in documents, plans, maps and photographs housed with the City Clerk and in the Galt Archives,” says Wendy Aitkens, Curator of the exhibit, “but many people who worked in this building still reside in the Lethbridge area. This presented us with a rare opportunity to capture personal and professional stories now, an opportunity that is quickly disappearing, particularly with the eldest of these people.”    

Students and professors from the University of Lethbridge Applied Studies program and volunteers from the local Story Catchers organization partnered with the Galt on the oral history project.  Interviews were gathered over the past several months and will continue to be gathered in the months to come.The information from these interviews will be preserved in the Galt Archives.

In 1910, the now historic red brick building was added to the existing 1891 Galt Hospital in response to a growing need for more hospital beds. From the time of its opening in September 1910 until June 1955, it served the community as a hospital: with wards, operating rooms, a morgue and administrative offices. 1910 also marked the opening of the Galt School of Nursing - a teaching institute within the walls of the hospital, where young women worked long hours for three years to become nurses.

In 1955, the Municipal Hospital opened and both the Galt Hospital operation and the Nursing School moved to the new location. The Galt building and a 1930s addition that initially connected it to the 1891 hospital were turned over to a new use: patients who required long-term care, but who no longer needed to be hospitalized, were admitted to the Galt Rehabilitation Centre which served the people of Lethbridge, the Municipal District of Lethbridge, and nearby towns of Coaldale, Barons, Nobleford and Stirling until 1965.

Once the building was no longer required for long-term care, it was turned over to the Lethbridge Health Unit. The Health Unit used the main floor of the 1910 building and the 1930 addition. On the second floor and in the basement was another new tenant, the Sir Alexander Galt Museum, which included in its management the development and operation of the Archives.

A partnership project organized with members of the four Blackfoot communities, Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, University of Aberdeen, Glenbow Museum, and Galt Museum & Archives.  Supported in Lethbridge with the generosity of TransCanada, and in the UK through an Arts and Humanities Research Council Grant.

Our ancestors have come to visit: Blackfoot Shirts

In 1841, Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, acquired five extraordinary Blackfoot shirts during his visit to Fort Edmonton. Simpson’s secretary Edward Hopkins eventually took them to England and donated them to the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford, where they have resided since 1893.

Written records tell us this much about the shirts, but many unanswered questions surround them.  This summer the Galt Museum & Archives is privileged to host the shirts for personal study by members of the Blackfoot communities in southern Alberta and Montana from May 21 through June 2, and for public exhibit from June 5 through August 29. 

The exhibit at the Galt will provide opportunities for learning about the historical context of the shirts, and similarities to modern-day wear. The exhibit will be supplemented with artifacts on loan from Fort Whoop-Up Interpretive Centre and The Fort Museum in Fort Macleod, and current-day clothing from various local sources to help draw those connections.

THE PROJECT

The project brings together UK-based researchers with Blackfoot people in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA, to explore the cultural history and contemporary meanings of five Blackfoot men's shirts held in the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford in England since 1893.

The shirts are made of deer and elk hide, decorated with porcupine quillwork; some have human and horse hair fringes along the sleeves, and are ritual garments. Shirts of this sort were worn by men who had contributed to community well-being.

Today, there are few shirts of comparable age in Canadian museums and Blackfoot people have had little access to such heritage items. Nevertheless, Blackfoot leaders have spoken of them as important for youth and hope that learning about the shirts, and cultural knowledge related to them, will help youth to maintain strong cultural identity.

"These shirts are our curriculum. That's how we learn who we are," says Frank Weasel Head, Kainai ceremonial leader.

The project aims to make the shirts available to Blackfoot people and the wider public for the first time; to explore how historic artifacts can be used by tribal communities to revive, share and transmit cultural knowledge, and how they serve to anchor social memory and in the construction of identity; to consider how the transmission of such cultural knowledge can benefit different generations; to explore the implications of such knowledge generation for contemporary museum practice.

Through the public exhibition of these shirts in Alberta, and through handling workshops specifically for Blackfoot people, researchers Laura Peers, Alison Brown and Heather Richardson hope to show how close examination of the shirts can allow for the retrieval, and transmission of the cultural knowledge the shirts embody; and to revive the knowledge of the making and uses of the shirts.

THE WORKSHOPS

The workshops have been developed by the project team in collaboration with ceremonial leaders and educators from the four Blackfoot nations: Siksika, Piikani (Peigan), Kainai (Blood), and Aamsskapipiikani (Blackfeet). An innovation in cross-cultural and international museum access, the workshops are facilitated by Pitt Rivers Museum conservator Heather Richardson, a specialist on First Nations material, with curators Laura Peers (Pitt Rivers Museum) and Alison Brown (University of Aberdeen), observing and assisting the workshops.

Information surfacing within each workshop – relating to the manufacture and use of the shirts, for example – will be recorded and shared with subsequent workshop participants in order to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and its transmission to future generations. 

This is a pioneering project: no other UK museum has provided direct, physical access to early historic collections for Blackfoot people. The project builds on relationships developed during previous research carried out by Brown and Peers exploring how historic photographs of ancestors were culturally interpreted by Blackfoot people. 

The project has also been requested by ceremonial leaders from the Blood Tribe who wish to study these early men's shirts and to pass on knowledge about them in order to strengthen Blackfoot culture. 

THE EXHIBIT

The exhibit celebrates these remarkable shirts and the Blackfoot community of the past and present.  The shirts were skillfully made and beautifully decorated by Blackfoot women who also created attractive clothing for themselves and their children.  A woman’s dress and small girl’s dress finished with bands and tassels of colourful glass beads, tiny bells, and small bits of trade cloth will be exhibited as well, to show examples of female clothing and to demonstrate changes in clothing stimulated by the availability of useful European items.

Many items offered by the HBC for trade proved very practical for the Blackfoot people and were put to good use in the First Nations community.  A few examples will be included in the exhibit, such as metal cooking kettles and knives, hunting muskets, fire-making Strike-a-Lights, and colourful wool cloth.

The historic shirts were worn by men who achieved various honours through their activities as warriors and providers.  Today, elders on the Blackfoot Reserves encourage their young people to achieve a respected place in their community through education and professional achievement.  They tell the students that by graduating from high school and university they earn the right to wear a graduation gown; that by participating on a sports team they earn the right to wear a team jersey. 

This exhibit will feature such items to draw that connection, and will also show that many careers have specific clothing related to an occupation: a dental hygienist’s blouse, a lawyer’s robe, or a doctor’s lab coat for example.  These pieces of clothing demonstrate success in the community and identify achievements made by the people wearing them – much as the historic shirts did 170 years ago.

In response to the community’s request to see more of the artifacts stored at the Galt Museum & Archives on public display, Curator Wendy Aitkens invited community members to visit the storage areas and work with staff and volunteers to find favourite artifacts for inclusion in the special exhibit Treasures & Curiosities, opening Saturday, February 20. The result is an eclectic selection of 200 artifacts with amazing stories!

The Galt’s Cultural History Collection reflects stories of commerce, immigration, education, community services, religion, transportation, military service, diversity and the personal lives of individuals who chose to live in southwestern Alberta.

A sample of the treasures on the Galt's artifact storage shelves include the 1951 World Cup Trophy won by the Lethbridge Maple Leafs, a Japanese bath or ofuro, and Anne Campbell’s grand piano, to name just a few.  Curiosities abound on those shelves too: an odd looking set of nurse and doctor dolls, a Humpty Dumpty circus set complete with tent, clowns and animals, a deer-legged tea table and home perm hair curlers.

“There is intrigue in the vaults of a museum,” says Aitkens. “The fascination of historic objects is one of the foundations for museum collections. Objects make us wonder… "Who made this? Where was it made and used? What stories are there about the people associated with the object? Are the stories happy or sad, inspiring or confusing?" 

The stories of why the artifacts were chosen are integral to this exhibit, and will be highlighted in the artifact labels. Reasons range from picking the oldest object in the collections known to have been made by a woman, to recognizing the contributions made to the community by relatives.  There is the table and chair set from the Miners Library to honour area coalminers; a cassock and surplice reminiscent of what Father Leonard Van Tighem, Lethbridge’s first resident Catholic priest, would have worn; a mallet and bone chisel in memory of becoming a nurse at the Galt School of Nursing; and a beaded bag chosen in honour of the people who honoured the Lethbridge College President with a Blackfoot name.  A number of these stories will also be available on audio wands available at the front desk during the run of the exhibit.