COATHANGER

Description: A THIN STEEL ROD. HANGER IS BENT INTO AN OVAL SHAPE. ONE END OF THE OVAL EXTENDS INTO LARGE HOOK (FOR HANGING) AND OTHER END IS BENT INTO A SMALL HOOK, THAT HOOKS TO OTHER SIDE OF HANGER. HANGER HAS SOME MINOR RUSTING.

History: 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.