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Tender Spaces

Tender Spaces

A multi-lingual, multimodal essay on Gaëtane Buttigieg's life, art, and forced institutionalization in the 1970s.

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Center for Digital Inquiry and Learning (CDIL) home
Center for Digital Inquiry and Learning (CDIL) home
1970 1975 October, 2024

Collection Timeline

1899 to October, 2024

1899
Portrait of Sir George A Drummond

1933
Interior St. Margarets Home 1933
Picture of residents and staff of St Margaret's Home

1968
Article about James Ross murder

1970
Letter from Chestnut Lodge to Dot, updating her on Gaëtane's progress in the institution, specifically referring to her gender presentation.

1971
letter from Peter Pratchett to Dot, confirming his and Gaëtane's plans for marriage, and his intention not to allow her back to Chestnut Lodge.
letter from Chestnut Lodge to Fiona confirming Gaëtane's self-discharge in June of 1971.
letter from Rosamunde to Dot, describing Peter and Gaëtane's marriage and their plans for the future to live on a farm.
letter from Gaëtane to Gran, describing spending the night in jail after being arrested for hitchhiking. She describes being in Prince George and looking for a place to live with her friends. Request for money. Enclosed is a drafted letter in response - Dot reassuring Gaëtane that she will love her no matter what, and updating her on other family members.
letter from Gaëtane to Gran, asking for help buying land, daydreaming about the possibilities of raising animals and plants and making art. Request for money.
letter from Gaëtane to Gran, describing land they have found that she wants to buy, asking for Dot's input.
letter from Gaëtane to Gran, expressing frustration at the challenges of making a living, asking again for money to buy a farm, this time near Cache Creek. Asking for an allowance, and for Nell to forward her things from Chestnut Lodge.
letter from Fiona to Dot, listing the reasons she is frustrated about how Dot has dealt with Gaëtane, including sending her money and failing to prevent her escape from Chestnut Lodge and her subsequent marriage to Peter. Instructions for how much money to give Gaëtane, and requests for money.
letter from Gaëtane to Dot, explaining her behavior, her antics, why she left Chestnut Lodge, why she married Peter, and her plans in life. Many assurances that she is well.
Letter from Isabel Vane-Hunt to Dot, describing Gaëtane's behavior, describing her as abnormal, as "not either a boy or a girl," requesting that Dot buy her a farm so she can live happily rather than try to force her into normalcy. Request for money.
letter from Gaëtane to Dot, reassuring her that she is well, expressing disagreement on Dot's assessment of her wellbeing. Some talk of drug use, desire to settle down and find stability.
letter from Paul to Dot, requesting that she send Gaëtane to Paris for some kind of treatment, so that he can oversee her treatment and offer her support, expressing that it would be better than returning to Fiona, since the two cannot spend eight hours together without some kind of conflict.
Letter from Chestnut Lodge indicating willingness to have Gaëtane committed if her marriage is annulled.
letter from Gaëtane to Dot, about feeling depressed, unloved, and misunderstood.
Christmas wishes from Gaëtane to Dot, ask about Fiona, who has not communicated with Gaëtane since a conflict happened between them
Written from Saturna Free School, and an invitation to Dot to come visit Gaëtane for Christmas. Updates on her wellbeing. An apology for still being dependent on her.
New years wishes from Paul to Dot.

1972
Fiona updates Dot on a trip home from Canada. Gaëtane is staying with family friends in Canada and finishing high school.

1975
Pre Divorce

1976
Divorce

1986
Hand drawn map of the Chestnut Lodge grounds

1994
Negligence

2014
Crossword

2019
An Unreal Place

2023
Gaëtane in Camargue, eating a giant banana split
Gaëtane and Hélène at the seashore
Gaëtane in front of her home
Photo of Gaëtane in her studio
Map of Laos
Bourbon Rose
Kitchen
Mas Lombard
Window
Studio
Studio2
Sarah Hedlund to Alicia Gladman
Clothesline at Mas Lombard
Gaëtane & Hélène on the beach

2024
Gaëtane and Hélène describe taking a pottery class together
Hélène was shocked by Gaëtane's paintings
After class they would get cheeseburgers on their way home
Gaëtane tried to kiss Hélène, who was shocked at first
They moved into the mas together
The roof leaked
Paul Buttigieg had a workshop that Gaëtane would join him in as a child
Gaëtane and Rosamunde painted together in BC
Gaëtane's art
Gaëtane's art
No water at Fiona's Mas
Fiona insults
Unaccepting family
Meeting Renee
Living with Nell
Why she acts out
What will we do with Bambi
Leaving the school
Bambi
Detained in Van
Prison LOTF
Prison Clean
Prison pour enfants
Prise au piege
Too exuberant
Ferry pickup
Infiniment triste
First 24
10 years
Escape attempt
Leaving w Peter
Marriage
Male therapist
Roommate
Jewish patients
Empty house dream
Environment society
Accepting sexuality
Helene family
Fleeing yourself
Michel's Suicide
Sent away again
Helene's work
Helene mami
Acupuncture
River dream
Acupuncture
Money
Bambi
More Bambi
No rancor for Fiona
Art and Medicine
Art therapy
Inherited anger
Healing
soft paintings
which way up
Dolphins
Horizontal art
Paintings on chair
Horse paintings - 'gentle but violent'
Ocean painting
Vif et gai
Paintings
Paul Butti
Horse Painting
Family Tree
Intro video compiled by Matty
Peter Pratchett Interview
Painted tiles in Gaëtane's home
Various paintings of Gaëtanes
Picture of the room above the kitchen in Mas St-Pierre
Pitting cherries at Mas Lombard

October, 2024
Peter Pratchett Interview

Tender Spaces

A multi-lingual, multimodal essay on Gaëtane Buttigieg's life, art, and forced institutionalization in the 1970s.

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