In this room …

Victorian Loveseat

Did you notice anything special about the loveseat by the entrance to the museum? This type of chair, known as a courting couch, was popular in Victorian times. A boy would sit on one end, the girl would sit on the other and a chaperone would sit between them!

Player Piano

In the early 1900s, the player piano became very popular; but, they were very expensive. A piano like this one would cost about $250, the equivalent of $7,000 today. Despite near extinction after the stock market crash in 1929, many groups restore and collect player pianos today.

To sound like a musical genius, you only needed strong legs to pump the pedals. Each roll of paper contained a different song so the pianist only had to replace the roll to change to tune. Popular music became available and families could sing along with Christmas carols or Broadway show tunes.

Hugh Monroe’s Ceremonial Sword

Did you notice the sword in the glass case by the stairs? This is the silver ceremonial dress sword of Lieutenant Governor Hugh Munroe. The sword went missing for more than 60 years before its return to Government House in 1999.

It was discovered by Edmonton auctioneer and friend to Government House, Arthur Clausen. He heard about a family looking to sell a valuable sword from the estate of an elderly woman in Montreal. The vice-regal sword was packed well, wrapped in paper, and addressed to Hugh Munroe in Watrous, Saskatchewan.

Munroe was Saskatchewan's Lieutenant Governor from 1931-1936. He likely wore the sword on special occasions while he was in office. It is not known who gave him the sword or why, as not every Lieutenant Governor receives such a gift from the reigning monarch. We do know, however, that Munroe's daughter moved to Montreal to practice medicine and was likely the unnamed elderly lady. Because the family selling the sword insisted on anonymity, it is unclear how they came to have it or if they were related to Munroe or his daughter.

After the sword was discovered, the Government House Historical Society and three Regina schools held bake sales and other events to raise the $3,000 needed to buy it.

The Windsor Uniform

The very ornate Windsor uniform in the display case belonged to Lieutenant Governor Frank Bastedo. Most of the official portraits of the Lieutenant Governors from Edgar Dewdney (1881-1888) to Frank Bastedo (1958-1963) show the vice-regal representatives posing in the Windsor uniform.

The Windsor uniform takes its name from the House of Windsor, the current Royal House of the United Kingdom. The uniform was introduced by King George III in 1779 and modified in 1820. It was a symbolic link between the Crown and the vice-regal representative in Saskatchewan. It was worn on ceremonial and formal occasions and for official photographs.

Most lieutenant governors portrayed look dignified wearing the Windsor uniform in their formal portraits. The exception is the unceremonious Archibald McNab (1936-1945). In this case, the camera seemed to capture the true nature of McNab, who preferred informality to ostentation. He was once overheard whispering to his aide about the uniform, ”You got me into this damn thing, now you get me out of it!” Perhaps it was the weight of the jacket - about 17 pounds (7.7 kg) - that bothered him.

Bastedo was the last lieutenant governor to wear the Windsor uniform. His successor, Robert Hanbidge (1963-1970), stated early in his term that he would not wear the uniform on any occasion. Later lieutenant governors have chosen to let the tradition lapse, wearing business attire at most events.

The Windsor uniform worn by Lieutenant Governor Richard Lake (1915-1921) is also on display upstairs in the J. E. N. Wiebe Interpretive Centre.