Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NURSE'S DRESS

Date Range From

1930

Date Range To

1935

Materials

COTTON, IVORY, TIN

No. Pieces

1

Height

5.0

Length

111.0

Width

41.5

Description

LIGHT BLUE DRESS. HAS WHITE SEAMS. SHORT SLEEVES. NECK IS IN A V-SHAPE. THE DRESS IS OPEN IN CENTER FRONT, DOWN TO WAISTLINE; 4 IVORY BUTTONS CLOSE THE DRESS HERE. JUST BELOW THIS THE OPENING MAKES A 90 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LEFT AND GOES DOWN DRESS ANOTHER FEW INCHES; AT THIS OPENING THE DRESS CLOSES WITH TWO SNAPS. THERE IS A PATCH POCKET ON EACH SIDE OF THE DRESS. A TAG ON INSIDE BACK OF NECK READS "L. ARTHUR". THERE IS A BUTTON HOLE JUST ABOVE TAG ON BACK OF NECK.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

DONOR RECEIVED UNIFORM AS PART OF MOTHER'S (LILY ERICKSON (NEE ARTHUR)) BELONGINGS AFTER HER PASSING IN 1989 IN CLARESHOLM. ITEM WAS STORED AWAY WHILE IN DONOR'S POSSESSION. LILY WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 1913 IN FORT MACLEOD AND WAS SCHOOLED BETWEEN FORT MACLEOD AND WETASKIWIN. LILY ENTERED GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING IN ABOUT 1930/31. SHE DID NOT COMPLETE THE NURSING PROGRAM DUE TO A HEALTH REACTION TO THE NYLONS THAT WERE PART OF THE UNIFORM. LILY LEFT THE PROGRAM TO WORK IN "REACHES STORE" IN FORT MACLEOD AND MARRIED ERNEST ERICKSON IN 1954. DAUGHTER THINKS HER MOTHER KEPT THE UNIFORM BECAUSE IT WAS LILY'S DREAM TO BECOME A NURSE. SEE ARCHIVAL DONATION 2000. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A NURSING UNIFORM AND DRESS DONATED BY JUDY ERICKSON. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. LILLY ERICKSON (NEE ARTHUR) WAS BORN IN FORT MACLEOD ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1913, THE DAUGHTER OF JOHN ARTHUR AND SARAH ARTHUR (NEE CROWE). ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY, LILLY WAS RAISED IN FORT MACLEOD AND “ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL IN WETASKIWIN WHERE HER FATHER WORKED WITH THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAYS AND IN 1939 THE FAMILY RETURNED TO FORT MACLEOD. LILLY TRAINED AS A NURSE FOR A FEW YEARS AND LATER WORKED WITH REACH & COMPANY FOR 12 YEARS. SHE MARRIED ERNEST ERICKSON ON NOVEMBER 6, 1954.” THE COUPLE LIVED AT BEAVER FARM, SIX MILES WEST OF NOBLEFORD AND IN 1971 THEY RETIRED TO FORT MACLEOD. LILLY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 76 ON DECEMBER 30, 1989. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON JULY 12, 1935 REPORTS THAT “MRS. J. ARTHUR OF WETASKIWIN, AND MISS LILY ARTHUR, WHO IS ON SICK LEAVE FROM THE GALT HOSPITAL TRAINING STAFF, LETHBRIDGE, ARE GUESTS OF MR. AND MRS. J. ROGER HUNT AT MACLEOD.” LILLY’S WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT GIVES THE FOLLOWING DETAILS: “THE BRIDE’S UNCLE, MR. S. CROWE OF FORT MACLEOD, GAVE HER IN MARRIAGE. SHE WORE A FORMAL GOWN OF TURQUOISE LACE AND NYLON MARQUISETTE OVER TAFFETA. A MATCHING LACE JACKET MODIFIED THE STRAPLESS BODICE AND EXTENDED TO THE BOUFFANT SKIRT.” ERNEST MARTIN ERICKSON WAS BORN IN MONARCH, AB ON MAY 1, 1919, THE SON OF ERNEST ERICKSON AND ELIZABETH ERICKSON (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). ERNEST PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 80 ON JANUARY 19, 2000. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20000072001

Acquisition Date

2000-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail