Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SET OF DEVONWARE WALL PLAQUES

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1960

Materials

PLASTER

No. Pieces

2

Height

5.5

Length

24.5

Width

18.0

Description

1. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. THE IMAGE OF A DARK HAIRED WOMAN, DANCING. SHE IS WEARING A GREEN DRESS WITH A VERY FULL SKIRT AND SHORT RUFFLED SLEEVES. BODICE AND SKIRT HAVE GOLD ROSES ON THEM. SHE HAS A GREEN HAIRBAND IN HER HAIR, AND IS WEARING GOLD BALLET SLIPPERS. ON BACK IS A STICKER THAT READS "GENUINE HAND PAINTED DEVONWARE COPY RIGHT MADE IN CANADA". ALSO ON BACK IS "9" IN BLACK FELT, AND A PIECE OF WIRE FORMED TO MAKE A LOOP. ONE FOOT OF DANCER HAS BEEN REPAIRED WITH BLUE. 2. 5.0 X 22.5 X 18.5. THE IMAGE OF A DARK HAIRED WOMAN, DANCING. SHE IS WEARING A GREEN DRESS WITH A VERY FULL SKIRT AND SHORT RUFFLED SLEEVES. BODICE AND SKIRT HAVE GOLD ROSES ON THEM. SHE HAS A GREEN HAIRBAND IN HER HAIR, AND IS WEARING GOLD BALLET SLIPPERS. ON BACK IS AN "8" IN BLACK FELT, AND A WIRE FORMED INTO A LOOP.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

DECORATIVE ARTS

History

DONOR AND WIFE BOUGHT ORNAMENTS IN THE 1950S FOR DISPLAY IN THEIR HOUSE. ORNAMENTS ARE TYPICAL OF THIS ERA. 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. DONOR MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1949, AND WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION 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 BURNESS DECIDED TO ABANDON CARPENTRY BECAUSE HE FELT THE TRAINING WAS OUTDATED.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

P20010029005

Acquisition Date

2001-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail