Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1970

Materials

COTTON?, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Length

107.0

Width

43.0

Description

SLEEVELESS DRESS. MATERIAL HAS A YELLOW, GREEN, BROWN, AND WHITE PLAID PATTERN ON IT. COVERING THE SURFACE OF THE DRESS ARE THREADS THAT HAVE BEEN FORMED INTO TINY BALLS. JUST BELOW BUSTLINE THERE IS A BAND OF HORIZONTAL MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN PLEATED HORIZONTALLY. BELOW THIS IS A PLEATED SKIRT. BACK OF DRESS HAS A YELLOW PAINTED, METAL ZIPPER, THAT GOES 3/4 DOWN DRESS. IMPRESSED INTO ZIPPER IS "LION".

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

DRESS BELONGED TO DONOR'S MOTHER, NORAH SHERWOOD (NEE DOWNIE). NORAH WAS ORIGINALLY FROM GRANUM AND CROWSNEST PASS. IN 1945 SHE MARRIED RALPH SHERWOOD OF BARONS. THEY RESIDED ON THE SHERWOOD HOMESTEAD NEAR BARONS. NORAH WAS AN ACTIVE PRESIDENT OF THE BARONS W.A. AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE GARDEN PRAIRIE WOMEN'S CLUB. NORAH PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER 1999. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A DIAPER BAG DONATED BY TOM SHERWOOD. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES. TOM SHERWOOD IS THE SON OF RALPH HUNTER SHERWOOD AND NORAH KATHLEEN SHERWOOD (NEE DOWNIE). RALPH HUNTER SHERWOOD WAS BORN ON JANUARY 10, 1918 ON THE FAMILY FARM IN BARONS, AB, THE SON OF WILL SHERWOOD AND TILLIE SHERWOOD (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). RALPH WAS BORN IN THE SAME HOUSE HE WOULD LATER LIVE IN WITH HIS WIFE NORAH, WHOM HE MARRIED ON OCTOBER 19, 1945. RALPH PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 74 ON OCTOBER 25, 1992. NORAH KATHLEEN SHERWOOD (NEE DOWNIE) WAS THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF JAMES DOWNIE AND MARY ELLEN DOWNIE (NEE BOUSTEAD). NORAH PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 81 ON DECEMBER 24, 1999. JAMES DOWNIE WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND IN 1891 AND MOVED TO THE CLARESHOLM, AB DISTRICT IN 1913, TO COLEMAN IN 1917, TO GRANUM IN 1921, AND FINALLY IN 1949 TO BLACKIE WHERE HE LIVED UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, JAMES WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE ALBERTA WHEAT POOL. HE MARRIED MARY ELLEN BOUSTEAD ON NOVEMBER 10, 1917. HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 74 ON AUGUST 10, 1966. MARY ELLEN DOWNIE (NEE BOUSTEAD) WAS BORN IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND AND MOVED TO ONTARIO BEFORE WWI, AND THEN MOVED TO COWLEY, AB IN 1917, WHERE SHE WAS MARRIED TO JAMES DOWNIE ON NOVEMBER 10, 1917. THEN IN 1918 SHE MOVED TO COLEMAN, TO GRANUM IN 1921, TO BLACKIE IN 1949, AND FINALLY TO CLARESHOLM IN 1967. SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 84 ON OCTOBER 5, 1973. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20000016001

Acquisition Date

2000-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail