Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GIRL GUIDES UNIFORM

Date Range From

1976

Date Range To

1977

Materials

POLYESTER/COTTON BLEND, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Description

1. SHIRT. 66.0(L). DARK BLUE W/ TURNED DOWN COLLAR. HAS 5 BLACK, PLASTIC BUTTONS DOWN FRONT WITH A CLOVER LEAF ON THEM WITH "G G C" IN LEAVES AND A BANNER BELOW THAT READS "BE PREPARED". THERE IS A LOOP OF MATERIAL NEAR TOP BUTTON HOLE. SHIRT HAS TWO PATCH POCKETS ON CHEST. LEFT POCKET HAS A VERTICAL WHITE STRIPE ON IT. ABOVE POCKET IS A CIRCULAR PATCH WITH A DARK BLUE BACKGROUND AND A RED BIRD STANDING ON A BRANCH. INSIDE NECKLINE IS A TAG THAT READS "GIRL GUIDES OF CANADA OFFICIAL UNIFORM DESIGNED BY ELEN SOAK GARMENT TO LOOSEN DIRT WASH IN WARM SOAPY WATER DO NOT USE BLEACHING COMPOUND". STAMPED ON TAG IS "10 1/2". LEFT ARM HAS A WHITE PATCH WITH BLUE PRINT THAT READS "1ST LETHBRIDGE CO.". 2. SKIRT. 46.0 (L) X 75.5 (W). DARK BLUE, KNEE LENGTH. FLARES TOWARDS BOTTOM. THERE ARE FOUR BELT LOOPS ON WAISTBAND. ONE SIDE HAS A ZIPPER THAT GOES HALFWAY DOWN SKIRT. ABOVE ZIPPER IS A BLACK PLASTIC BUTTON (SAME AS ON SHIRT). OPPOSITE SIDE HAS A SLIT POCKET. INSIDE WAISTBAND IS A TAG THAT READS "GIRL GUIDES OF CANADA OFFICIAL UNIFORM DESIGNED BY ELEN SOAK GARMENT TO LOOSEN DIRT WASH IN WARM SOAPY WATER DO NOT USE BLEACHING COMPOUND". STAMPED ON TAG IS "10 1/2".

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

BELONGED TO DONOR'S DAUGHTER KAREN POTTS NEUFELD. *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. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “[MY DAUGHTER] REMEMBERS BROWNIES, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BROWNIE OUTFIT BUT SHE LOVED BROWNIES, BUT YOU HAVE TO “FLY UP” AS THEY SAY AND SO WE DECIDED IT WAS PROBABLY 1972 THAT SHE “FLEW UP.” SHE WAS IN THE BROWNIES IN 1972 AND “FLEW UP” TO GUIDES, PROBABLY 1974 AND SHE LEFT IN 1975. SHE DIDN’T LIKE IT, AND SHE DIDN’T LIKE THE PEOPLE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BUT SHE HAD AN AVERSION TO IT AND SHE STOPPED. SHE DIDN’T GO ON - ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. HER BADGES AND EVERYTHING. SHE HAS QUITE A LOT, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DON’T- THIS IS ALL HER. THOSE ARE THE BLOOMERS THAT GO WITH IT SO THAT WE DON’T SHOW ANYTHING, YOU KNOW WE DON’T SHOW UNDERWEAR, WE HAVE TO HAVE BLOOMERS THAT MATCH THE SKIRT. I DON’T KNOW WHY SHE DID, BUT SHE BECAME QUITE RECLUSIVE. AND IF THAT WAS 1970, I DON’T KNOW. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT THAT I GOT DIVORCED SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON.” ASKED IF SHE WORE THE UNIFORM TO EVERY MEETING SHE RESPONDED, “OH YES. IF THEY WERE SELLING COOKIES WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING SHE HAD TO WEAR THAT UNIFORM BUT NOW - I LOOKED IT UP - THEY ONLY WEAR T-SHIRTS SO THAT IT DOESN’T PRECLUDE GIRLS FROM JOINING - YOU KNOW THE COST OF THE UNIFORM. BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT WAS KIND OF COSTLY FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT BITS AND PIECES THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE. NOW THEY JUST WEAR A T-SHIRT. THERE IS NO UNIFORM LIKE THIS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20000011049

Acquisition Date

2004-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail