SET OF TWO BRACES ATTACHMENTS. ATTACH TO BELT BY 6.5CM BRASS GATE SLIDES, THE BRACE CONNECTING TO A 2.5CM DOUBLE BRASS BUCKLE FIXED TO GATE BY 2.5CM WEB STRAP. METAL SURFACE OF ONE BUCKLE SCRATCHED, WITH SOME CORROSION. OLIVE GREEN WEBBING SOILED ON BOTH BRACES.
ITEMS BELONGED TO DONOR'S FATHER, HERBERT T. HACKER. BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1910; MARRIED LINDA (NIEMAN) IN 1940. LIVED IN NEW WESTMINSTER WHEN SECOND WORLD WAR BROKE OUT. ENLISTED IN WEST COAST WESTMINSTER MOBILE REGIMENT AS AIR RAID WARDEN, THEN IN SEAFORTH REGIMENT. SENT OVERSEAS AND SERVED IN THE NETHERLANDS. WAS INJURED AND TRANSFERRED TO CALGARY HIGHLANDERS REGIMENT, 2ND DIVISION. LATER RECLASSIFIED AS ARMY OF OCCUPATION IN GERMANY 3RD DIVISION (1945). RETURNED HOME IN 1945 AND DISCHARGED IN 1946 AFTER RECOVERING FROM JAUNDIS. WORKED AT LETHBRIDGE IRONWORKS UNTIL RETIRING IN 1978. PASSED AWAY IN 1992 AT AGE 82. HAD FOUR CHILDREN: DONNA, THOMAS, JANICE, AND HEATHER.
BRACE ATTACHMENT USED BY TROOPS WHO WERE ARMED ONLY WITH PISTOLS, OR NOT AT ALL, AND THUS DID NOT REQUIRE LARGE AMMUNITION POUCHES OR CARTRIDGE CARRIERS. ATTACHED BRACES TO FRONT OF BELT; INTERCHANGEABLE. SHOULDER SACK COULD ALSO BE CONNECTED TO THIS ATTACHMENT TO ACCOMMODATE THE HAVERSACK OR LARGE PACK.
OVAL WOODEN BASED BRISTLE HAIR BRUSH. BASE IS SHELLACED AND HAS DARK SWIRLED MARK ON THE SURFACE. ITEM HAS BRISTLES BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC. SHELLAC IS CRACKING IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON THE SURFACE.
ACCORDING TO DONOR ITEM WAS MADE BY A POW AT THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP IN LETHBRIDGE DURING WORLD WAR II. ITEM WAS GIVEN TO DONOR'S BROTHER-IN-LAW WHILE DOING CONSTRUCTION WORK AT THE CAMP.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 133 WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT MUSEUM BROCHURE "LETHBRDGE'S INTERNMENT CAMPS" AND THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA WEBSITE. DURING WORLD WAR II THERE WERE 40 PRISONER OF WAR (P.O.W.) CAMPS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS CANADA TO HOUSE THE LARGE NUMBER OF INCOMING POWS - ENEMY MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT WERE CAPTURED IN COMBAT. CAMPS WERE BUILT IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC, THE MARITIMES AND ALBERTA. THE CAMPS IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEDICINE HAT WERE THE LARGEST, TOGETHER HOUSING 22,000 MEN. THE LETHBRIDGE CAMP, NO. 133, WAS BUILT IN THE SUMMER OF 1942, AND BY NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR HOUSED 13,341 PRISONERS. THE CAMP WAS DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTIONS, EACH WITH SIX DORMITORIES, MESS HALLS, KITCHENS, AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES. MEALS WERE IN SHIFTS WITH PRISONERS SERVING AS COOKS. TAILOR, BARBER AND SHOE REPAIR SHOPS WERE ALSO STAFFED BY PRISONERS, AND NON-COMBAT POWS PRACTICED THEIR PRE-WAR PROFESSIONS AS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS. HOUSING AND RATIONS WERE THE SAME STANDARD AS FOR THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, WHICH SOMETIMES CAUSED RESENTMENT AMONG LETHBRIDGE CIVILIAN RESIDENTS, WHO WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN MANY OF THE SAME SUPPLIES ON THEIR STRICT WARTIME RATION ALLOWANCES. WITH MANY YOUNG LOCAL MEN AWAY AT WAR, LOCAL FARMERS BEGAN TO REQUEST LABOUR ASSISTANCE FROM THE CAMP, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. BY 1943 AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AND SOME OF THE PRISONERS WORKED ON FARMS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA. MOST OF THESE PRISONERS WENT FROM THE CAMP TO THE FARMS DAILY, BUT SOME WERE KEPT AT 'LODGES' AT THE MORE DISTANT FARMS FOR DAYS AT A TIME, WITH MINIMAL GUARDING. FOR THEIR LABOUR, THE PRISONERS WERE PAID 50 CENTS PER DAY. WITH WAR'S END, CAMP 133 CLOSED IN DECEMBER 1946 AND ITS PRISONERS WERE SENT BACK TO GERMANY. THE AREA WHERE THE CAMP STOOD EVENTUALLY BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND PART OF THE FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE.
*UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED A BIOGRAPHY OF AB CHERVINSKI, THE DONOR OF THIS OBJECT, WITH INFORMATION FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1982, 1989, AND 2011. ADAM ABRAHAM 'AB" CHERVINSKI WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 24, 1920 IN LETHBRIDGE. AS A TEENAGER HE WORKED AS A MESSENGER BOY FOR THE CPR TELEGRAPH OFFICE. CHERVINSKI BRIEFLY LIVED IN ONTARIO DURING HIS SERVICE WITH THE AIR FORCE, BUT RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WORKED FOR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT TELEPHONES FOR 37 YEARS. HE WAS A LIFELONG COLLECTOR OF ANTIQUES, AVID LOCAL HISTORIAN, AND HEAVILY INVOLVED IN MUSICAL THEATRE. AB CHERVINSKI DIED ON JUNE 2, 2011.
SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970107001-GA FOR HARDCOPIES OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT CHERVINSKI.
*UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY ADAM ABRAHAM CHERVINSKI. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE DONOR'S LIVING NEXT-OF-KIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.
WOOD & BRISTLE BRUSH. HANDLE APPEARS HANDMADE, WHITTLED DOWN FROM A STICK TO CONFORM TO ROUNDED BRISTLE MOUNT. REAR PORTION OF BRISTLE MOUNT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO MATCH HANDLE. POSSIBLY A REPLACEMENT HANDLE. SEE CONSERVATION REPORT.
DONOR IS DAUGHTER OF CHRIS GIBSON. MAKER UNKNOWN - POSSIBLY CHRIS GIBSON. PROBABLY USED AS A CRUMB BRUSH, TO SWEEP CRUMBS FROM A TABLECLOTH.
*UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A STOLE DONATED BY DORIS BALCOVSKE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.
DORIS BALCOVSKE (NEE GIBSON) IS THE DAUGHTER OF CHRISTIAN GIBSON AND LINDA VICTORIA GIBSON (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN).
LINDA VICTORIA GIBSON (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) WAS BORN IN SOMERSETSHIRE, ENGLAND ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1886 AND WAS MARRIED IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND ON JUNE 29, 1918 TO CHRISTIAN GIBSON. SHE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN SEPTEMBER 1919. ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY, LINDA WAS INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT LETHBRIDGE INCLUDING: “THE MAJOR JACK ROSS CHAPTER OF THE IODE, PAST REGENT OF THE MUNICIPAL CHAPTER OF THE IODE, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE EASTERN STAR, A FORMER MEMBER OF LOBA, AN HONOURARY MEMBER OF THE BETA SIGMA PHI SOCIETY, A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL COUNCIL OF GIRL GUIDES, CANADIAN RED CROSS, AND ST. AUGUSTINE’S WA.” LINDA PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 78 IN AUGUST 1965.
CHRISTIAN “CHRIS” GIBSON WAS BORN IN BELFAST, IRELAND IN 1887, WAS RAISED AND EDUCATED IN THE LONDON, ENGLAND AREA, AND ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE, AB IN JUNE 1908. HE HELD A NUMBER OF POSITIONS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN THE CITY, INCLUDING: DISTRICT CLERK FOR ALBERTA RAILWAYS AND IRRIGATION COMPANY; MANAGER OF FAIR GROUNDS FOR THE WORLD DRY FARMING CONGRESS IN 1912; OPERATOR OF THE CITY ZOO; A POSITION WITH THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OFFICE, WHICH INVOLVED TESTING SCALES AND GASOLINE PUMPS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH. UPON HIS ARRIVAL IN THE CITY, CHRIS ALSO JOINED THE MILITIA AND IN 1914 ENLISTED WITH THE 20TH BATTERY, CANADIAN FIELD ARTILLERY. HE SERVED FOR 5 YEARS AS PAYMASTER, EVENTUALLY REACHING THE RANK OF CAPTAIN. IN 1930, CHRIS RECEIVED THE VICTORIA DECORATION, FOR LONG SERVICE AS AN OFFICER. CHRIS AND LINDA WERE BOTH HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE LETHBRIDGE BRANCH OF THE RED CROSS. CHRIS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83 ON MARCH 26, 1971. HE WAS SURVIVED BY HIS SISTER, MAMIE GRACE ELLEN GIBSON.
MAMIE GRACE ELLEN GIBSON WAS BORN IN THE COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND ON JULY 29, 1892, THE ONLY DAUGHTER OF JOHN ANDREW AITKEN GIBSON AND LOUISA MARIA GIBSON (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). IN 1910, SHE MOVED WITH HER PARENTS AND HER BROTHER FRED TO JOIN HER OTHER BROTHER CHRISTIAN. HER FATHER PASSED AWAY IN 1912 AND HER MOTHER IN 1943. MAMIE PASSED AT THE AGE OF 102 ON NOVEMBER 11, 1994.
SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.
*UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING A PURSE AND HAIR ORNAMENTS DONATED BY DORIS BALCOVSKE. CONNECTIONS MADE WITH THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO ACQUIRE FURTHER ARTIFACT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
DORIS BALCOVSKE'S OBITUARY WAS FOUND ON THE CORNERSTONE FUNERAL HOME'S WEBPAGE. IT STATES THAT SHE WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1923. SHE WORKED FOR THE BANK OF MONTREAL FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL. SHE THEN WENT ON TO BECOME THE PROPRIETOR OF MARGO LADIES WEAR THROUGH THE 1950'S.
SHE MARRIED HERB BALCOVSKE AND TOGETHER THEY HAD SANDRA BALCOVSKE AND MARCIA TAYLOR.
DORIS PASSED AWAY ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT THE AGE OF 92 YEARS.
PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19980051003 FOR FULL OBITUARY.
THIS BRUSH WAS USED BY DONOR'S MOTHER, LOIS, WHO NOT ONLY USED IT TO CLEAN HER DENTURES BUT ALSO TO CLEAN MANY OTHER HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS. THE NAKAYAMA FAMILY WAS ORIGINALLY FROM VANCOUVER BUT MOVED TO COALDALE FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR WHEN THEY WERE INTERNED AT SLOCAN CITY IN THE INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. THE DONOR'S FATHER, REV. CANON G.G. NAKAYAMA, WAS AN ANGLICAN MINISTER IN VANCOUVER, AND THEN ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION IN COALDALE IN 1945 WHERE HE SERVED UNTIL 1970.
SEE RECORD P19970041001 FOR EXPANDED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER HISTORY.
BRUSH OF UNKNOWN FUNCTION. OVAL FRENCH-IVORY BODY CONTAINING THICK BUNCHES OF LONG IVORY-COLORED PLASTIC BRISTLES. FLAT TEAR-DROP SHAPED HANDLE EXTENDS FROM OPPOSITE END. "ENGLAND" STAMPED FAINTLY ON ONE SIDE OF HANDLE. SLIGHTLY SOILED AND WORN THROUGHOUT.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.
FLAT SQUARE RED CARDBOARD BOX WITH FLAP OPENINGS. PRINTED IN WHITE "WIRE PICTURE CORD CANADA WIRE-CABLE COMPANY MADE IN CANADA". HOLE THROUGH CENTRE OF FRONT FACE OF BOX. CONTAINS COILED LENGTH OF METAL PICTURE CORD, MANUFACTURED FROM VARIOUS STRANDS OF BRAIDED WIRE. BOX IS WORN, ESPECIALLY AT EDGES.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.
*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS DONATIONS PERTAINING TO EDWARD FREDERICK HAGELL. SEE RECORD P19960053001 FOR AN EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST; SEE PERMANENT FILES P19960053001, P20040009001, P20060027001, P20070008001, AND P20070012001 FOR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, DETAILS ON PAST GALT DIRECTOR/CURATOR WILMA WOOD'S BOOK ON THE ARTIST, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE HAGELL FAMILY.