An antiques scavenger hunt is under way sparked by a 50-year-old tiff between Alberta’s former premier and the lieutenant-governor.
The attempt to reclaim Edmonton’s decorative past has sleuths scouring cities and countryside, scrutinizing decades-old evidence and chasing leads.
The events responsible for the detective work began in 1935 when William Aberhart, Canada’s first Social Credit premier, was annoyed that lt.-gov. John Campbell Bowden refused to give royal assent for controversial banking legislation. This, combined with resentment over the lieutenant-governor’s lush quarters during the Depression, prompted the closure of Government House and the auctioning off of the rich furniture inside. Saskatchewan and Ontario took similar actions during times of fiscal restraint. Now members of the Government House Foundation, who advise Alberta’s ministry of community development, recognize the relics are valuable pieces of history and want to hunt them down.
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“I think the board feels the amount of historic artifacts in Alberta are somewhat minimal. There are not that many of them so each one of them is important,” said Annabel Berretti, foundation chair.
However, she admits retrieving the original Government House pieces, which range from chintz drapes to an oak grandfather clock and Steinway grand piano, won’t be easy.
“It’s a puzzle but I think it will be worthwhile,” said Berretti, who is working closely with the Provincial Museum of Alberta.
Details on the 800 lots of furniture that fetched $19,642 in the 1942 auction are sketchy because few records were kept and Berretti suspects the antiques are scattered countrywide. For the past year the foundation has been seeking the public’s help to locate and donate pieces from the sandstone mansion. The driving force for the increased effort was a donation from Bowden’s granddaughter, whose estate included furnishings from Government House.
She gave four dining room chairs and a silver tea set, used during the 1939 visit of King George and Queen Elizabeth, which are now on display in the building flanked by 102 Avenue and 130 Street.
“That was the catalyst that made us realize if we didn’t get going and not just sit and wait for people to occasionally donate pieces we would lose the capability of ever finding them,” said Berretti.
“We then realized that if we didn’t do something a little more positive the memories would disappear.”
Maurice Doll, curator of government history for the Provincial Museum of Alberta, knows recovering the historical pieces from the house built for $350,000 in 1913 is challenging. But he feels the groups at least stand a chance.
“I wouldn’t compare it to a wild goose chase because we know what we’re looking for but you have to depend on the generosity of people.”
When items do come in Doll looks for Government House emblems on pieces like china and glassware to determine authenticity. For furniture and other items he consults pictures taken at the time and a descriptive catalogue of furnishings that were sold in the auction.
Berretti knows the groups won’t get all of the vintage items that existed in the impressive mansion, but she wants enough to recreate an exhibition of several rooms.
Today Government House, which returned to provincial government control in 1964 after being used for war-time and other purposes, is used for caucus meetings and state functions. The foundation wants to display as much recovered furniture as possible but can’t transform the historical building into a museum while it’s in use.
“It won’t be turned into a museum in the near future. But if Alberta’s population triples and the government is bigger, that won’t be a large enough facility.
“If they ever outgrow it and we have enough pieces it would be fascinating. We could put them back in the house.”
