Life on the road
Click here to see the objects that accompanied Madame Édouard Bolduc on her long days on the road – her accessories, posters and the tools used to make them, and the personal items she took with her.
Banner
Fibre, wood;87 x 207,5cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1922.21.5.1-3
Rectangular banner, landscape format, hand painted on a strip of fabric. Composed of a drawing, positioned on the left, representing Madame Bolduc holding a harmonica in her right hand, and an advertisement announcing a show starring Mme Ed. Bolduc and her Bon Vieux Temps (Good Old Days) troupe. The text, written in block letters, occupies most of the banner’s surface. It has a sewn border, with a fabric tube on each side, and is intended to be displayed on a wooden support.
It was made for the first tour managed by Madame Bolduc in 1932. It promoted the headlining singer. The drawing of Madame Bolduc was inspired by a studio photo, used in her promotional material. Hung on the trailer drawn by a car, the banner was easy to see, the goal being to attract as many spectators as possible. Her daughter Fernande calls this banner a “cotton”.
Dice
Plastic; 5,5 x 1,5 cm; Dés : 0,5 x 0,5 x 0,5 cm
Don Madame Édouard Bolduc
Inv. 1992.31.8.1-7
Cylindrical green case with a yellow, screw-on cover containing five small cubes with six sides each, marked with from one to six black dots.
Printing plate
Metal, wood;15,7 x 10 x 2,3 cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1984.21.79
Rectangular block topped with a metal plaque, nailed in place and engraved with a relief depicting a negative image of a photo of Madame Bolduc sitting, wearing a long black dress and a long white necklace.
This printing plate was used to print the booklet, Les Chansons de Mme Bolduc (Madame Bolduc’s Songs), which included the following songs: Les Colons Canadiens, recorded March 20, 1936; Le Vendeur de Légumes, recorded September 15, 1931 with the title Les commerçants des rues; and Les Petites Jumelles Dionne, recorded on March 6, 1935 with the title Les cinq jumelles.
Suitcase
Leather, fibre, cardboard; 16 x 53,5 x 31,5 cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1984.21.64
Rigid, flat, rectangular suitcase featuring a lid with two tab catches and an arched, leather handle attached to the body of the suitcase by means of a strip of black sticky tape outside and a strip of green fabric inside. Inside, it has three fabric pockets and nine sewn-in straps to hold various objects.
The road show tours lasted as long as two months, without the performers returning home. While on the road, Madame Bolduc would rent a car or borrow her husband’s. She and the other performers would travel by car. As for their personal luggage and the material they needed to put on the shows, they were hauled in a trailer hooked up behind the car. A few of the photos in the souvenir album put together by her daughter Fernande and donated to the Musée de la Gaspésie show the smiling performers posed around or sitting on their suitcases.
Alarm clock
Steel, paper; 8,2 x 5 x7,5cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1984.21.5.1
The alarm clock is round, mounted on a rectangular base. It has a printed cardboard face, two hands, an alarm and a convex glass front; on the back there are two keys – one to set the tie and the other to set the alarm and two buttons with the same functions as the keys, one button for the alarm and one to adjust the sound (soft or loud). The bottom of the base is cushioned by four red felt dots.
On the front, b.: MADE BY WESTCLOX LA SALLE, ILL, USA; on the front, c.: Westclox / BABY BEN; on the bottom: PATENTED U.S.A. / 1563431 / 1709146 / 1848520 / 61N / 859616 / MADE IN U.S.A.
Madame Bolduc used it while touring with her road shows.
Revolver
Metal, plastic; 12 x 9 cm
Don de Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1994.13.3
Revolver used to shoot blanks. Small pocket weapon, with a short barrel that can be held in one hand. It has a five-chamber cylinder and a double-action mechanism. Calibre: .32 (7.84mm) S&W.
Madame Bolduc used this revolver as an accessory in her Bon Vieux Temps shows. She also used it to frighten burglars.
Eyeglasses
Glass plastic; 15,5 x 14,2cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1984.21.9
Pair of round glasses with a plastic frame. The front consists of two circular lenses and a rounded central bridge; it has a lozenge-shaped decoration in each corner. It has two arms with curved ends. Each arm, attached to the front of the frame, can bend by means of a screw-type hinge.
Madame Bolduc used to wear these round glasses on the end of her nose during the Bon Vieux Temps show.
Flask and goblets
Silver; 6,2 x 2 cm
Don Madame Fernande Bolduc
Inv. 1984.21.149.1 et 1984.21.149.2-3
Flat, rectangular flask, slightly curved, with an irregular surface of small cells, a cut out rectangular peephole, hinged stopper, accompanied by two drinking vessels, taller than they are wide, each with a small rim.
Given her heart problems, Madame Bolduc used to fill the flask with scotch and take it with her on the road as a remedy, according to her daughter Fernande.
These photos are the property of the Musée de la Gaspésie and are governed by a Creative Commons Attribution Licence – No commercial use – No modifications (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0); the following rules apply:
- No commercial use – No commercial use of the Works, in whole or in part, is authorised.
- No modifications – Any modified Works may not be distributed or made available.
- Attribution – Users must credit the Works, add a link to the licence and indicate by all reasonable means, without suggesting in any way that the Licence holder endorses them or the way in which they have used its Works.
Only the Musée de la Gaspésie may authorise any commercial use.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 418-368-1534, ext. 110.