Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COFFEE PERCOLATOR

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1960

Materials

PLASTIC, METAL, RUBBER

No. Pieces

5

Height

17.4

Length

13.9

Width

9.1

Description

PERCOLATOR IS COLORED A DARK OLIVE GREEN WITH A BLACK BASE. THERE IS A BLACK ELECTRICAL CORD THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF THE PERCOLATOR AS WELL AS A BLACK PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE SIDE. THE LID LIFTS OFF WITH A CLEAR PLASTIC HANDLE. INSIDE, THERE IS A METAL STRAINING DEVICE, THIS CAN BE LIFTED OUT TO EXPOSE THE HOLLOW INTERIOR UNDERNEATH. THERE IS A SMALL DENT IN THE METAL OF THE PERCOLATOR NEAR THE TOP NEXT TO THE SPOUT.

Subjects

FOOD PROCESSING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

BELONGED TO DONOR'S GRANDMOTHER, SARAH STEWART (NEE CUTT). BORN IN INDIAN HEAD, SASKATCHEWAN (AS WERE HER DAUGHTERS AND DONOR), 45 MILES EAST OF REGINA. DURING THE DEPRESSION FAMILY MOVED TO WINNIPEG, WITH THE INTENTION OF RETURNING TO INDIAN HEAD, BUT NEVER DID. ITEM WAS LATER USED BY DONOR'S AUNT, MISS IRIS WILMA STEWART. IRIS CAME TO LETHBRIDGE, FROM WINNIPEG, IN THE EARLY 1970S TO LOOK AFTER DONOR'S FATHER. SHE WORKED AS CLERICAL SUPPORT FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FIRMS, HER FAVOURITE BEING ROSSITER INSURANCE AGENCIES. AS IRIS' HEALTH IS FAILING SHE IS GRADUALLY CLEANING OUT HER HOUSE AND ITEMS ARE BEING DONATED TO MUSEUM BY DONOR, FORMER EMPLOYEE OF MUSEUM AND WIFE OF CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN, ANDREW JOHNSTONE. *UPDATE* IN 2019, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “WELL WHEN YOU TRAVEL AND SHE WOULD COME WITH ME LIKE - WHEN I WAS DIVORCED SHE WENT WITH ME EVERYWHERE… ANYWAY THAT COFFEE POT WENT WITH HER EVERYWHERE. IF WE WERE GOING INTO A MOTEL BECAUSE HEAVENS ONLY KNOWS YOU NEED IT TO DO YOUR OWN THING. BECAUSE WE WERE SO CHEAP AND SO IT PLUGGED IN RIGHT AND YOU CAN MAKE A POT OF TEA OR WHATEVER WITH IT… SHE DIDN’T USE IT, THAT I KNOW IN THE KITCHEN. NO IF WAS JUST IF YOU GOING TO GO DO SOMETHING… OH IT SAYS FIRST BELONGED TO SARAH. WELL WE MUSTN’T THROW ANYTHING OUT, LIKE SARAH IS MY GRANDMOTHER AND SHE DIED IN 1968.” JEAN DESCRIBES HER AUNT IRIS COMING TO LIVE IN LETHBRIDGE, “WELL AUNTIE, WHEN MY MOTHER DIED IN 1967… [AUNTIE] WAS LIVING WITH HER FATHER AND MOTHER, LOOKING AFTER THEM IN WINNIPEG. AND HER DAD… WAS WALKING TO WORK AND A YOUNG GUY IN A CAR… HIT HIM AND HE NEVER REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND HE DIED. THAT WAS 1968… A MONTH LATER, MY GRANDMOTHER DIED - SHE JUST GAVE UP SO SHE DIED. AND THEN THIS IRIS STEWART, MY AUNT WHO HAD NEVER MARRIED, DECIDED THAT SHE WOULD COME AND LOOK AFTER US IN THE WEST AND MY FATHER BEING A WIDOWER, SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE HER PLACE AND IT WAS MOST DIFFICULT. AUNTIE IRIS - MY BROTHER USED TO SAY HAD PRICKLES AND THEY WERE LIKE GREAT BIG PRICKLES ON A CACTUS. SHE JUST - BECAUSE SHE’D HAD NO SOFTNESS IN HER LIFE AND HER PARENTS WERE VERY STOIC, YOU KNOW THEY WERE BORN IN THE LATE 1800S. SHE WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. EVERYTHING WAS VERY - SHE KEPT EVERYTHING VERY PRISTINE AND I IN FACT HAVE MORE THINGS OF HERS I FOUND… SO WHEN SHE DIED I WAS IT. I WAS LOOKING AFTER HER WHEN SHE WAS ILL AND IN HER LATER YEARS AND SHE DIED A MONTH AFTER MY SON WAS MARRIED ACTUALLY…” ON MEMORIES OF HER AUNT IN LETHBRIDGE, “SHE WAS A CURLER, AND WHEN SHE WAS IN WINNIPEG SHE WENT TO EVERY BLUE BOMBER’S FOOTBALL GAME, AND SHE CURLED AND SHE WAS THE HEAD OF CGIT AND SHE WENT TO CHURCH AND SHE DID ALL SORTS OF THINGS AT MCKILLOP CHURCH. SHE BELONGED TO MCKILLOP HERE AND WAS QUITE INVOLVED. I THINK SHE WAS ON ONE OF THEIR BOARDS - WHAT ELSE DID SHE DO? SHE DID CRAFTS, SHE WAS JUST AUNTIE. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN I SAY AUNTIE EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE MET HER THEY KNEW WHO AUNTIE WAS.” “SHE DIDN’T GIVE AWAY ANYTHING LIKE EMOTIONS OR DID SHE LIKE SOMETHING… I THINK SHE LIKED THE WEATHER A LITTLE BIT BETTER [HERE] BECAUSE IT WASN’T WINNIPEG WINTERS YOU KNOW. AND SHE LIKED THE FACT THAT SHE COULD WATCH MY KIDS GROW UP… BUT WAS SHE EASY ON MY KIDS, NO, NO SHE WASN’T. AND MY DAUGHTER SAID “WHY DIDN’T YOU STICK UP FOR ME MOM?” WELL YOU KNOW YOU HAD TO RESPECT HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A GOOD PERSON. IT WAS JUST HER UPBRINGING THAT YOU HAD TO UNDERSTAND AND MY DAUGHTERS AND MY SON DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT. HOW SHE WAS BROUGHT UP AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THAT LITTLE BRAIN OF HERS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20020038001

Acquisition Date

2002-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail