Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

KEY TO CITY, ICA PERU

Date

1993

Materials

METAL, CARDBOARD, FELT

No. Pieces

5

Height

3.7

Length

11.0

Width

22.4

Description

THE KEY TO THE CITY OF ICA PERU, AS WELL AS THREE KEY CHAINS ARE CONTAINED INSIDE A DARK BLUE CASE WITH A THIN GOLD STRIP NEAR THE TOP. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE IS A STICKER WHICH STATES "PRESENTED BY MAYOR ROSA ELENA ZARATE SANCHEZ ICA, PERU AUGUST 1993 MUNICIPAL PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE". -THE KEY TO THE CITY IS SILVER (ALSO THE LARGEST OBJECT IN THE BOX). IT HAS AN ELABORATE HANDLE, AND ON ONE SIDE OF THE HANDLE, IT HAS AN ENGRAVED IMAGE OF ICA'S SHIELD. THE MEASURMENTS ARE, HEIGHT- 0.8 CM, WIDTH- 8.0CM, LENGTH- 18.7 CM. -THE KEY CHAINS ARE DIMENSIONALLY SIMILAR, TWO OF THEM HAVE COINS ATTACHED TO ONE END, WITH THE ACTUAL KEY RING AT THE OTHER. THE THIRD KEY RING HAS A LARGE IMAGE OF ICA PERU'S SHIELD. ON THE BACK THERE IS THE FOLLOWING WRITING, "AL ALCALDE SR. DAVID E. CARPENTER DE. MARCO ARBULU GA VILANO ICA PERU."

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

POLITICS

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS SET WAS GIVEN TO LETHBRIDGE FROM ICA PERU WHICH WAS IN A PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH LETHBRIDGE WHERE LETHBRIDGE BUSINESS MEN AND POLITICIANS WENT DOWN TO ICA PERU TO ASSIST AND ADVICE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY ECONOMY. THIS PROCESS WENT ON THROUGH 3 MAYORS, BUT WAS NOT PARTICULARLY SUCESSFUL, BECAUSE WITH EACH NEW MAYOR, A NEW BUREAUCRACY WAS INSTITUTED, AND THE ADVICE AND SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE PREVIOUS BUREAUCRACY WAS LOST WITH THE MASSIVE SWITCHES. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING SOME ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN ICA, PERU AND THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM BETWEEN ICA, PERU AND LETHBRIDGE WAS FOUND IN LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM JANUARY 30 AND OCTOBER 16, 1991. IN JANUARY 1991 THE MAYOR AND CITY DIRECTOR OF ICA, PERU VISITED LETHBRIDGE FOR 10 DAYS TO OBSERVE THE OPERATION OF VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROJEXT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM WAS TO MATCH MANAGERIAL AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS IN CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. AT THE TIME OF THE EXCHANGE, ICA WAS A COMMUNITY OF 200,000 PEOPLE, WITH AGRICULTURE AND WINE PRODUCTION BEING ITS TWO LARGEST INDUSTRIES. A SECOND PERUVIAN DELEGATION VISITED LETHBRIDGE IN OCTOBER 1991, AND A THIRD WAS MEANT TO ARRIVE IN EARLY 1992, BUT NO ARTICLES WERE FOUND TO SUGGEST THAT THE PROGRAM CONTINUED FURTHER. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19980048014 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P19980048013

Acquisition Date

2002-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail