On Mon, 25 Nov 1996 05:29:58 -0800, Jack Thompson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Have the lawyers/vultures begun to circle?  From your description one
>hopes that there is a good director's insurance policy in effect.
>
>Jack C. Thompson
>Thompson Conservation Lab
>Portland, OR

Actually, Jack... in anticipation of the question, why now, 25 years
later...:-)

I always knew that what I am stating (not alleging) happened... however, I had
no
documentation and, quite frankly, was leading my own life, single parent,
working all of
that stuff.....   My mother had been attempting to address the issues for years
but was
always told that she was just disgruntled and wanted her house back....  She
was also told
that she had no idea what her house looked like (she was born there in
1917....).  She is
also in Canada's Who's Who, Philippa Faulkner... she knows her colours...:-)
(she was
told she didn't know anything about colour by a museum official... she's Royal
Canadian
Academy, studied with Hans Hoffman....).  The fact of the matter is she's an
artist and
dealt with it emotionally (as I am right now.... but that's allowed
sometimes...) in the
sense of "How could you desecrate????"...    So, museum officials just said she
was
crazy...  I have this from the editor of the local paper....:-)

So... why now?  My mother was dx with Alzheimer's/Pick's disease in late 1994
and in June,
1995 it was required that she move in with me and I took over her estate with
Power of
Attorney..  During the moving, I found boxes and boxes of documents, diaries,
journals,
letters... she kept everything... she kept the grocery bills...  Documentation
that
supports it all....  Thus prompted, I then went through the FOI Act, federally,
provincially and municipally to further clarify...

It is interesting that the only people that really wanted to charge me fees
were the local
museum officials - muncipally as to access to records..  Particularly since
they know
quite well that the family has no money (because my mother gave it all to
them......).
Anyway,  I'm supposed to pay $2,000 to "view" documents in the actual
museum.......because
of search fees... (now, I know that all records are in the curator's
office....:-)).

Museum officials know very well that my mother is terminally ill and has no
money.....
so... how to stop me from seeing the records?  charge a "viewing fee" that will
wipe out a
significant portion of her assets....

I will not spend the little that my mother has left to sue (which is about
$13,000.00....
a civil suit would cost $50,000 before it even got to court...  and... she just
got a dx
of possible lung cancer...  My mother's money is for my mother...  the bottom
line with
this is, yes, I know that the museum very well has things they shouldn't (as my
mother was
not allowed access to retrieve her personal belongings... documented and
witnessed by
others than myself) but, after all, they are "things"...  (I mean, I would like
to have my
father's microscope... and I can't see that it is "historically
significant...")   Aside
from the fact that it truly is a misrepresentation of the family and the
history of the
site, .  really... it's also about condonation of misrepresentation of the
history of a
site to the public by municipal, provincial and federal officials.  Just think
of it...
they have educational programmes in that museum for children....

I will have my mother's good name vindicated..... I'm only 43 and I don't have
Alzheimer's....<grin>

Anecdotally, my aunt, a docent at the Met in NYC, was at a dinner party a few
years ago.
One of the other guests was from Sotheby's...  He mentioned, over dinner, that
he and his
wife and taken a tour of museums in Southern Ontario for a holiday and he had
gone to this
one restored  French Victorian Canadian National Historic Site in one
particular town that
presented itself as "authentic".  He said it was a joke....

My aunt did not speak to the fact that it was her family home that he was
describing....
but how must she have felt????

Anne

P.S.:  I don't believe that "this" would ever happen in the US....  Canadians
are so
reticent about making waves......  it's "the Queen" you know...:-)

(I am being facetious... I actually like the old girl... and I'd just as soon
keep
her...:-)  but just to make a point... it's very true.... it's the Emperor's
New Clothes
run rampant....)

I can't upload photos here... but I am creating a webpage...  I'm not concerned
that any
professional will disagree with the issues around restoration...  I truly
believe you
would be shocked.

>
>www.teleport.com/~tcl