Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL NURSING CAPE

Date Range From

1953

Date Range To

1956

Materials

WOOL, SATIN, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Length

124.0

Description

CAPE IS WOOL. EXTERIOR IS NAVY BLUE, INTERIOR IS RED. CAPE HAS A SHORT STAND-UP COLLAR WITH "SMH" EMBROIDERED ON IT IN YELLOW. THERE IS A HOOK AND EYE ON COLLAR FOR CLOSING. FRONT OF CAPE HAS A STRIP OF MATERIAL WITH 2 BUTTONHOLES IN IT THAT ATTACHES TO A BLACK PLASTIC BUTTON ON EITHER SIDE OF FRONT OPENING. INSIDE COLLAR IS LINED WITH BLACK SATIN. HANGING FROM INSIDE OF COLLAR IS A SHORT STEEL CHAIN; SATIN IS WORN AND FRAYING WHERE CHAIN HANGS. THERE IS A LABEL INSIDE CAPE THAT IS BLACK WITH GOLD EMBROIDERY AND READS "LAC-MAC LONDON CANADA". INSIDE LEFT SIDE OF CAPE IS A SMALL POCKET WITH THE LETTERS "L.A.S." EMBROIDERED ON IT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

CAPE BELONGED TO DONOR'S CLASSMATE, ALBERTA SNELL. CAPE WAS GIVEN TO DONOR BY ALBERTA ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO, WANTING HER TO DONATE IT TO THE MUSEUM AFTER SEEING A DISPLAY HERE IN WHICH SHE NOTICED WE DIDN'T HAVE A CAPE FROM ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL. ALBERTA ATTENDED ST. MICHAEL'S NURSING SCHOOL, AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST CLASS THERE IN JANUARY 1953. SHE ATTENDED FOR 3 YEARS, GRADUATING IN MAY 1956. DURING THIS TIME SHE PURCHASED THE CAPE, AS ALL STUDENTS WERE REQUIRED TO DO SO. DONOR RELATES THAT CAPES WERE HARDLY USED BY STUDENTS; ONLY WHEN REQUIRED. AFTER ALBERTA GRADUATED, SHE RETURNED TO HER HOMETOWN OF OYEN AND WORKED AS A NURSE THERE. SHE MARRIED FARMER, EDWARD MCKINSTRY. ALBERTA ATTENDS THE NURSING SCHOOL REUNIONS HELD EVERY 5 YEARS (5 YEARS OF GRADUATING CLASSES ATTEND), AS DOES DONOR. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A NURSING CAPE DONATED BY JEANINE HANSEN. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON JUNE 9, 1996 IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD GIVES SOME DETAILS ABOUT ALBERTA SNELL’S TIME IN NURSING SCHOOL: “SHE FIRST ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO, A YOUNG WOMAN FROM THE TINY CENTRAL ALBERTA TOWN OF OYEN WITH A TICKET TO SAN FRANCISCO IN PURSE, LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE. ‘I JUST WANTED TO SEE THE WORLD,’ SAYS ALBERTA MCKINSTRY, NOW 70. BUT HER 17-YEAR-OLD BROTHER GOT A JOB HERE AND ‘EVERY TIME I SAID I WANTED TO GO, HIS ADAM’S APPLE WOULD RISE IN HIS THROAT,’ SHE SAYS. ‘HE WAS HOMESICK AND DIDN’T WANT ME TO LEAVE.’ SO SHE STAYED IN LETHBRIDGE, FINDING ADVENTURE ANYWAYS WHEN SHE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST TO GRADUATE FROM THE ST. MICHAEL’S SCHOOL OF NURSING IN 1956.” THE ARTICLE CONTINUES: “’I HADN’T PLANNED TO GO INTO NURSING,’ MCKINSTRY SAYS. ‘I PRET’ NEAR FAINTED AT THE SIGHT OF A PIN PRICK.’ BUT WHEN SHE GOT A JOB ON THE ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL SWITCHBOARD, ONE OF THE NUNS … CONVINCED HER TO GIVE NURSING A TRY … ‘I ENJOYED THE TRAINING AND I LOVED THE NUNS,’ SHE SAYS. ‘THEY WERE WONDERFUL PEOPLE. THEY EMPHASIZED SERVICE, NOT DOING IT JUST FOR THE BUCKS. THE NUNS’ LIVES WERE DEDICATED TO SERVICE AND THEY TRIED TO INSTILL THAT IN US. SCIENCE, SERVICE, AND SANCTITY WAS OUR MOTTO.’” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20020088000

Acquisition Date

2003-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail