Skip to main content

Nellie Small's Kilted Band

Nellie Small's Kilted Band 
Saskatoon 1930s & 40s 

 SaskatoonLadies lg

Famous Ladies' Pipe Band
I found this postcard in an antique shop in Regina, and I asked P-M Don McDonald and Donna Findlater
about this, and they identified it as Nellie Small's band from the 1930s. The Saskatoon Public Library also has a copy of this postcard, and their web site says that the band sold these card for 15¢ each to raise money for trips. The band did a lot of travelling to the USA and other places.

See large size photo | See back of card

 lh 4034 web

Nellie Small's Kilted Band on trip with delegates from Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Regina Weyburn and Moose Jaw to El Paso Texas and Juary, Mexico on opening of Highway 85.
(Names of band attached to photograph are: BLACK, NEIL ; CHEYNE, JACKIE ; COOK, BERNICE ; COOK, DORIS ; DOUGLAS, ISOBEL ; DUNCAN, BILLIE ; GORDON, FAYE ; GREENFIELD, PHYLLIS ; HADDON, BETTY ; HAMILTON, WINNIE ; HERBERT, PAT ; JONES, EVELYN ; KILTS ;KIRKPATRICK, JOYCE ; MCCARTNEY, JEAN ; NICHOLSON, VIOLET ; SMALL, NELLIE ; TATLER, MYRTLE ;WHITTAKER, ENID.

Photo credit: LH-4034 by Free and Rea
Saskatoon Public Library - Local History

nellie small saskatoon
As so often happens, we were contacted by a person who saw the archive, and had more material for it.
Thanks to Jill Rowlett of Dallas, TX for providing photos of the band.
Her mother, Isabel Douglas, was a member of the band. Isobel appears 4th from the right above.
Can anyone provide more names? You can click HERE to get a larger size.
nellie small saskatoon2

Isobel Douglas is the top row, 2nd from left. Photo courtesy of her daughter Jill Rowlett.
People interested in the Saskatchewan photos of that era can visit the "Gibson Photo" archive at the Glenbow Museum website, where they have digitized much of the collection.
I could not locate these photos in the Glengow collection. Can anyone provide more names? You can click HERE to get a larger size.

 nellie small saskatoonUSA
In the photo above, Isobel Douglas is in the middle row, 4th in, with a drum.
Can anyone provide more names? You can click HERE to get a larger size.
sk.band.assoc SAB FINAL LOGO CMYK 500 saskculturelogoc SKLotteries logo HOR 500