Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FELT NAVY JERKIN

Date Range From

1942

Date Range To

1945

Materials

FELT

No. Pieces

1

Length

57.5

Width

58.5

Description

FELT VEST. INSIDE AND TRIM OF VEST ARE BLUE. OUTSIDE OF VEST IS MADE UP OF VARIOUS SHAPED, SIZE, AND COLOURED REMNANTS OF FABRIC. THESE PIECES OF FELT ARE ALL TOP STITCHED. TOP STITCHING IS RATHER CRUDE (NOT IN STRAIGHT LINES, GOES OFF FABRIC IN SOME PLACES, NOTICEABLE REPAIRS, ETC.). VEST IS SLEEVELESS AND COLLARLESS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

MILITARY

History

THIS FELT JERKIN (VEST) WAS MADE DURING WORLD WAR TWO BY THE LATE MRS. NELLIE SEWARD OF FARM HILL (NORTH OF MAGRATH), ALBERTA. SEWARD PRODUCED THE JERKIN AS PART OF HER INVOLVEMENT WITH THE FARM HILL BRANCH OF THE ALBERTA WOMEN’S INSTITUTE. THE VOLUNTARY SERVICE ORGANIZATION AIMED TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF CANADIAN SOLDIERS AND VICTIMS OF WAR BY PRODUCING “HOME COMFORTS”, SUCH QUILTS, DRESSES, SOCKS AND “DITTY BAGS”. THE ITEMS, THEREAFTER, WERE SENT TO THE RED CROSS AND THE NAVY LEAGUE OF CANADA FOR DISTRIBUTION OVERSEAS. ON 14 FEBRUARY, 1942, THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD NOTED MRS. SEWARD’S KEY A.W.I. INVOLVEMENT WHEN IT REPORTED, “THE FARM HILL W.I. HAD ANOTHER QUILTING DAY AT MRS. EARL SEWARD’S HOME WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, WHEN SEVEN MORE QUILTS WERE MADE. THIS MAKES 16 QUILTS MADE FOR THE RED CROSS SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR”. THE DONOR, MRS. NELLIE SEWARD’S DAUGHTER, WAS AT HOME AS A 6/7 Y/O GIRL (B. 1936) WHEN WOMEN FROM NEARBY FARMS DESCENDED ON HER HOME TO, ALONG WITH HER MOTHER, DO THEIR BIT ON THE “HOME FRONT”. IN 2009, THE DONOR STATED, “I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THIS … I REMEMBER THEM MAKING QUILTS AND ME CRAWLING UNDER THE QUILT FRAME (19990072001).” “WOMEN WERE IN ROWS ON EITHER SIDE” SHE SAID, “MANIPULATING NEEDLES” (TO THIS DAY SHE WONDERS IF THE QUILTS WERE TIED OR SEWN). THE ACTIVITY FASCINATED THE DONOR. SHE RECALLED THAT A CAT MANAGED ONE DAY TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HOUSE DURING A BREAK IN THE QUILTING WORK AND FELL ASLEEP ON THE QUILT. SHE REMEMBERED THE WOMEN SCREAMING ON ACCOUNT THAT THERE WERE TO BE NO CATS IN THE HOUSE. REGARDING THE JERKIN, SHE RECALLED “VOLUMES OF FELT” AND SAID THAT “THE RED CROSS SENT PATTERNS AND THE JERKINS HAD TO BE MADE TO SPEC”. THE FELT PIECES FOR THE VESTS WERE CUT OUT IN THE KITCHEN AND TAKEN HOME BY THE LADIES TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL HOMES. “SPEED AND QUANTITY COUNTED … QUALITY WAS NOT AN ISSUE. MOTHER WOULD NEVER SEW A GARMENT LIKE THIS ONE IS SEWN (JERKIN)… JUST GET IT TOGETHER”. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE JERKIN WAS MADE FOR ISSUE TO A SAILOR IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY. IT IS UNKNOWN WHY MRS. SEWARD WAS STILL IN POSSESSION OF THE JERKIN AT THE END OF THE WAR. THE DONOR BELIEVES THAT THE FARM HILL LADIES WON AN AWARD FOR THE MOST NUMBER OF QUILTS PRODUCED BY ANY A.W.I. BRANCH DURING THE WAR. IN 1963, NELLIE SEWARD GAVE THE JERKIN TO HER DAUGHTER (DONOR), BEVERLY HAYES. THE DONOR VALUED THE JERKIN ON ACCOUNT THAT SHE KNEW HOW IMPORTANT THE INSTITUTE WAS TO HER MOTHER AND BECAUSE THE SHE WAS LITERALLY IN THE MIDST OF THE HOME FRONT WORK AS A CHILD. IN 2009, HAYES RECALLED THAT PRIOR TO 1963 THE JERKIN HUNG UNUSED IN A BAG ADJACENT A STAIRWELL IN HER MOTHER’S (DONOR’S CHILDHOOD) FARM HOME IN THE DISTRICT OF FARM HILL. AS FAR AS DONOR KNEW, THE VIRTUALLY NEW, UNWORN JERKIN WAS NOT TOUCHED FROM THE MID-40S THROUGH TO 1963. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, IT WAS “THERE FOR YEARS” AND SHE HAS NO IDEA WHY IT NEVER MOVED. DURING WINTERS FROM 1967 TO 1969, THE DONOR WORE THE JERKIN ALONG WITH OVERALLS TO DO CHORES (EG. MILKING COWS) WITH HER HUSBAND IN SEVEN PERSONS, AB. IN 1987, THE JERKIN WAS LEFT BEHIND BY THIEVES AFTER THE DONOR’S LETHBRIDGE GARAGE WAS LEFT UNSECURED AND WAS ROBBED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE AND CATHERINE C. COLE’S SUBMISSION TO THE BOOK FOR KING AND COUNTRY: ALBERTA IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR, ENTITLED EVERY KITCHEN IS AN ARSENAL.

Catalogue Number

P19990072002

Acquisition Date

2000-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail