COVER, FOOD

Description: A PIECE OF LIGHT PINK NET, ATTACHED TO A STEEL FRAME. NET IS ATTACHED TO FOUR STEEL ARMS; EACH ARMS HAS A ANOTHER STEEL ARM HINGED TO IT, AT ABOUT 1/3 OF THE LENGTH. EACH OF THESE SECOND ARMS IS ATTACHED TO A ROUND WOODEN DOWEL. A PINK STRING IS ATTACHED TO DOWEL AND CAN BE PULLED THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND, WOODEN PIECE, THAT IS ATTACHED AT CENTER OF NET. DOWEL CAN BE PULLED UP, BY STRING, AND THROUGH TOP WOODEN PIECE; THIS FORCES NET TO OPEN UP INTO A SORT OF DOME SHAPE. ATTACHED TO SIDES OF NET ARE 7 FLOWERS, OF ASSORTED COLOURS, MADE FROM PIPE CLEANERS. NET IS DIRTY AND STAINED. A TAG INSIDE NET READS "100% SPUN RAYON MADE IN JAPAN".

History: USED TO COVER FOOD ITEMS, AND PROTECT FROM BUGS; OFTEN USED ON PICNICS. ITEMS RECOVERED FROM MCLEAY BUILDING AT 514 3RD AVENUE, SOUTH BEFORE IT'S DEMOLITION. DONOR PURCHASED BUILDING SHORTLY BEFORE ITS DESTRUCTION AND THESE ITEMS WERE LEFT BY PREVIOUS TENANTS/OWNERS. NEW YORK FURS ORIGINATED IN LETHBRIDGE AROUND 1939, WHEN IT WAS OPENED BY A.I. CALMAN AS NEW YORK FURRIERS AND DRESS SHOP, AT 604 3RD AVENUE, SOUTH. THE BUSINESS REMAINED IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 43 YEARS; ITS NAME UNDERWENT MINOR CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, FROM NEW YORK FURS & DRESS SHOP TO NEW YORK FURRIERS, AND FINALLY ENDING UP AS NEW YORK FURS. IN 1982/83 THE BUSINESS MOVED TO THE MCLEAY BUILDING UNDER ITS PROPRIETOR, HYMAN CALMAN WHO HAD TAKEN OVER BY THE 1950S. THE BUSINESS REMAINED IN THE MCLEAY BUILDING UNTIL IT CLOSED IN 1989. PRIOR TO BEING OCCUPIED BY NEW YORK FURS, THE MCLEAY BUILDING WAS HOME TO LETHBRIDGE FURRIERS FOR MANY YEARS. THE MCLEAY BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE EARLY 1900S (1901?) BY JESSIE MCLEAY AND HER SISTER ALEXANDREA, WHO WERE EXPANDING THEIR MILLINERY BUSINESS, WHICH THEY RAN IN MEDICINE HAT. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING WAS ADDED ONTO IN 1910, MAKING IT 2 STORIES (RATHER THAN 1) AND ADDING TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.