Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1950

Materials

LEATHER, PLASTIC, STEEL

No. Pieces

3

Height

19.0

Length

21.5

Width

9.0

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. BROWN LEATHER CASE. HAS A LID THAT IS ATTACHED TO BACK OF CASE WITH A PIECE OF LEATHER. ON FRONT OF LID IS A STELL CLOSURE THAT IS SUSPENDED FROM A PIECE OF ELASTICIZED LEATHER. HAS A LEATHER STRAP THAT GOES AROUND BOTTOM OF CASE AND IS ATTACHED TO SIDES. 2. BINOCULARS. BLACK PLASTIC AND STEEL. NEAR EYEPIECES OF BINOCULARS READS "KARL WEIZ 10X50 NO 37023 FIELD 5.8 COATED". NEAR ONE LENS READS "MADE IN JAPAN". SCRATCHED INTO METAL NEAR OTHER LENS IS "TIM B". 3. SMALL SLIP OF BLUE PAPER. READS "DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL REVENUE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE". IS STAMPED WITH "CANADA CUSTOMS AUG 28 1968 ROOSVILLE, B.C.".

Subjects

OPTICAL T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

BINOCULARS BELONGED TO DONOR'S FATHER, JAMES BURNESS SR., WHO USED THEM WHEN HE WENT FISHING AT LAKE NEWELL AND ON HIS TRAVELS. JAMES BURNESS LIVED IN BURDETT, FOREMOST AND BROOKS, AND WAS ON THE CREW THAT BROUGHT GAS TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1912. JIM BURNESS WAS RAISED IN THE AREA NEAR BURDETT. HIS GRANDFATHER HOMESTEADED IN THAT DISTRICT CIRCA 1910. AT THE TIME OF WWII MR. BURNESS JOINED THE 4TH FIELD AMBULACE AT THUNDER BAY, ONT., AND WAS LATER ATTACHED TO THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS' 1ST DIVISION AS A MEDIC. MR. BURNESS SAW COMBAT SERVICE IN ITALY, FRANCE, AND THE NETHERLANDS. AFTER THE WAR, HE DECIDED TO TRAIN AS A CARPENTER. IN 1955 MR. BURNESS DECIDED TO ABANDON CARPENTRY BECAUSE HE FELT THE TRAINING WAS OUTDATED. HE THEN TOOK A JOB AS A MAIL SORTER AT THE LETHBRIDGE POST OFFICE, WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL RETIREMENT IN 1979. DONOR WAS A COMMISSIONAIRE IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1981-1983. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING SOME DONATED BY JAMES BURNESS. ACCORDING TO HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, THE DONOR, "JAMES (JIM) NICOL BURNESS OF LETHBRIDGE, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON FEBRUARY 16, 2005 AT THE AGE OF 86. JIM, THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF ANN BURNESS (NEE YANOTA), WAS BORN MAY 11, 1918 IN LETHBRIDGE. A DESCENDANT OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA PIONEERS, JIM GREW UP AND RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION IN BURDETT, ALBERTA AND AT THE AGE OF 24 ENLISTED IN THE CANADIAN ARMY, WHERE HE SERVED PROUDLY AS A STRETCHER-BEARER WITH THE INFANTRY IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN OF WORLD WAR TWO. AFTER THE WAR HE WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION FOR TEN YEARS IN BANFF AND LETHBRIDGE. IN 1949 HE MARRIED ANN YANOTA OF BLAIRMORE AND THEY SETTLED IN LETHBRIDGE. THEY BUILT THEIR OWN HOME, ONE IN WHICH THEY LIVED FOR OVER 50 YEARS. JIM COMPLETED A 24-YEAR CAREER WITH THE POST OFFICE, HELPING REVITALIZE THE POSTAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION... HE WAS A MEMBER OF ROTARY, KINSMEN, SHRINERS, SCOTTISH RITE, AND THE LETHBRIDGE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB." SEE PERMANENT RECORD P19860042001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20010029003

Acquisition Date

2001-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail