In 1919, Henderson completed two more important commissions, one for the Province and one for the City of Regina. These are dated October 4, 1919, and commemorate the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, to Regina. The City commission features the heraldic shield of Britain, and the text is flanked on the left by a drawing of Britannia holding a British flag. At bottom centre is the heraldic shield of the Province of Saskatchewan, with an allegorical figure of plenty with a cornucopia on the right and industrial workers, soldiers and Regina City hall on the left. The text includes such sentiments as, ‘It is our ambition and our pride to create here a virile British citizenry worthy of the product of our soil [referring to hard wheat], loyally devoted to their gracious majesties.’ The provincial document is even more elegant, with the text and figures framed by a finely drawn architectural frame with a base and pilasters. At the top, a semi-circular pediment encloses a group of figures including ‘grain growers, mixed farmers, soldiers, munition workers, Red Cross, women’s organizations, and all of them are grouped around Britannia, whose figure rises from the centre of the group,’ evoking the Great War and the sacrifices of the Dominion. At the bottom, in niches in the base, are two drawings: on the left, an Indigenous man riding bareback and chasing the buffalo over the plains, and on the right, settlers farming with machinery. These twinned themes—past and present, the progress of western civilization, and the evocation of a romanticized past—are key to Henderson’s aesthetic and to his later career as painter of Aboriginal portraits. The newspaper article quote below gives a detailed picture of these two manuscripts and their importance at the time.
-Dan Ring
Photographer unknown
Address to the Prince of Wales from the City of Regina, 1919
Vintage silver gelatin print
25.3 x 20.3 cm
Collection of the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK.
from an uncited newspaper article, October 1919:
Addresses to Prince Shown in City Now
Government Parchment Attracts Much Interest
DISPLAYED IN GLASGOW HOUSE
J. HENDERSON, LOCAL ARTIST, WORKS OUT DESIGN IN LARGE PANELS
Keen interest is being created by the addresses to be presented to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales by the provincial government and the city of Regina. Both addresses were placed on display in the Glasgow House windows today where they are exciting the admiration of large numbers of people.
Artist Congratulated
The addresses have been illuminated in most artistic designs by J. Henderson, the well-known local artist, the central idea in both of them being the war efforts of the province and the city. The ideas have been elaborately worked out in groups of figures painted with a master’s hand. Mr. Henderson has lavished his work and talent on the addresses, and from many who have examined them he has been the recipient of warm congratulations. It is only by a close examination of the details that one can arrive at any idea of the vast amount of work which has been involved in their preparation, and Mr. Henderson has brought credit upon himself as well as upon the province and city in turning out such artistic addresses, which it is conceded will rank with any that have been prepared in any other city of the Dominion.
Striking Panels
The address to be presented by the government is a bold idea brilliantly executed. At the bottom there are two panels, one showing the prairie as it was before the white man came. This panel depicts an Indian riding in pursuit of a buffalo, the coloring being rich blends of reds and browns. The other panel represents the prairies today and shows a binder at work in a field of wheat. Between the two is the coat of arms of the province. Arising on either side is a pillar representing stability, while at the top centre is a group of figures typical of the war efforts of the province. The figures represent grain growers, mixed farmers, soldiers, munition workers, Red Cross, women’s organizations, and all of them are grouped around Britannia, whose figure rises from the centre of the group. On one side of the group is the Royal Arms of the Prince of Wales, while on the other side the ‘feathers’ are painted. The details and coloring of the heraldry are correctly worked out, and Mr. Henderson has taken great pains to have the royal arms faithfully reproduced. Like that of the city, the address to be presented by the government is mounted on white silk, backed by blue calfskin. The lettering is worked out in old English letters over a watercolor surface. The whole effect is a well-balanced design of stability done in an artistic blending of colors.
Quoted from an uncited newspaper article, October 1919, found in a collage of articles in Henderson’s studio by his housekeeper, Rosie Riess.
