Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LADIES

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

PLASTIC, RUBBER, PAPER

No. Pieces

6

Height

8.0

Diameter

10.0

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. 3 TONE BLUE PLASTIC. ROUND. TOP HAS RELIEF DESIGN PAINTED GOLD. LABEL ON SIDE OF CASE READS "TO OPEN PRESS BUTTONS". 2 BUTTONS ALLOW CASE TO SWING OPEN REVEALING 2 COMPARTMENTS (SEPARATED BY DIFFERENT TONES OF BLUE). LOWER COMPARTMENT HAS PLASTIC MOLDED TO FIT RAZOR. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM OF CASE IS "REMINGTON RAND MADE IN USA PAT PEND". 2. INSERT. PAPER. 6.2 (L) X 5.8(W). PINK; FADED AT EDGES. BLACK PRINT ON ONE SIDE. READS "A GENTLE REMINDER . . . TO THE LADY "WHO NEVER READS AN INSTRUCTION BOOK" ". . . 3. RAZOR. 2 PIECE. 3.1(H) X 7.5(L) X 6.1(W). WHITE PLASTIC BODY. FRONT AND BACK HAVE GOLD PANEL WITH "LADY REMINGTON" IN RELIEF. ABOVE THIS IS A SWITCH THAT SAYS "LEGS" AND "ARMS", THAT RAISES A SCROLLED GOLD BAR NEAR BLADES WHEN SET ON "ARMS". EMBOSSED ON ONE SIDE IS "110-125 V.8W.60 CYC.A.C.ONLY MODEL BL MADE IN U.S.A." BOTTOM OF RAZOR HAS PRONGS FOR PLUGGING IN ELECTRICAL CORD. COMES WITH CLEAR PLASTIC COVER THAT SNAPS OVER BLADES. 4. ELECTRICAL CORD. IVORY COLOURED. NARROW FEMALE END FOR PLUGGING INTO RAZOR. OPPOSITE MALE END FOR PLUGGING INTO OUTLET. MALE END HAS BRASS PRONGS AND EMBOSSED WITH "BELDEN". 5. BRUSH. 8.2(L) TWISTED WIRE SHAFT WITH WHITE BOTTLE TYPE BRUSH AT ONE END AND LONG WHITE BRISTLES AT OPPOSITE END. BRISTLES ARE STIFFENED AND SLIGHTLY MISSHAPEN; SOME RUSTING AT THIS END TOO.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

BELONGED TO DONOR. BELIEVES SHE ACQUIRED IT FROM HER FIRST HUSBAND JOHN B. POTTS IN THE 1960S. DONOR WAS BORN IN INDIAN HEAD SASKATCHEWAN; HER FAMILY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1955, WHERE SHE HAS REMAINED EVER SINCE. HER FATHER WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR FROSST PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IN LETHBRIDGE. DONOR IS PAST EMPLOYEE OF GALT MUSEUM. DONOR'S HUSBAND ANDREW IMMIGRATED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1980; IS PAST CHAIRMAN OF THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED. WHILE DISCUSSING THE ELECTRIC RAZOR SHE STATED, “IT WAS MINE… I STARTED WITH A MAN’S TWO SIDED BLADED RAZOR AND I CUT MY LEG WITH IT. …I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MY TEEN YEARS WHEN I GOT THAT, SO LET’S SAY IT’S IN THE LATE ‘50S OR EARLY’60S THAT I WOULD HAVE GOT THIS. BUT YOU COULDN’T BUY LADY’S RAZORS LIKE WE DO NOW, THE ONES NOW THAT ARE BOTH SAFE AND EVERYTHING - YOU DON’T CUT YOURSELF A LOT. SO THIS WAS LIKE A GODSEND TO HAVE AN ELECTRIC RAZOR THAT WOULDN’T CUT YOU, AND IT CAME IN THIS LOVELY LITTLE CASE AND EVERYTHING. YEAH I USED IT FOR YEARS AND YEARS. I GOT IT WHEN I WAS HERE [IN LETHBRIDGE]… AND I USED IT THEN UNTIL… I THINK THE NEWER RAZORS CAME OUT, THE ONES THAT YOU PUT IN THE BATH TUB YOU KNOW… THE GILLETTE ONES… DISPOSABLES FOR WOMEN AND GRADUALLY [THE ELECTRIC RAZOR] - I THINK IT DOESN’T WORK ALL THAT WELL ANYMORE - LIKE IT WORKS, IT WORKED BUT IT SOMETIMES WOULD CATCH YOUR HAIR. THAT WASN’T VERY NICE.” “I HAD IT WITH ME WHEN I WAS MARRIED TO MY FIRST HUSBAND. …1964 I GOT MARRIED TO HIM THAT’S RIGHT. I FELT A LITTLE FOOLISH ACTUALLY DONATING IT BECAUSE IT’S A VERY PERSONAL THING AND IT IS SORT OF A FUNNY THING TO BE GIVING YOU KNOW. WHEN ASKED HOW IT COMPARED TO THE DISPOSABLE RAZORS, “I SUPPOSE THE SAME BUT IT’S JUST THAT YOU’RE NOT IN THE BATHTUB. YOU DON’T DARE BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE ELECTRICITY IN THERE. SO NO YOU DO IT IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR BEDROOM. THINGS HAPPENED IN THE BEDROOM BECAUSE USUALLY IN THOSE DAYS YOU HAD ONE BATHROOM. SO YOU COULDN’T STAY THERE TO DO ANYTHING. YOU HAD TO DO IT - YOU KNOW IF YOU HAD MAKEUP YOU PUT IT ON IN YOUR BEDROOM.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20000011015

Acquisition Date

2004-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail