Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1955

Date Range To

1965

Materials

LACE, SATIN, CHIFFON

No. Pieces

1

Length

116.0

Description

CALF LENGTH. CONSISTS OF A PINK UNDERDRESS WITH SWEETHEART NECKLINE, AND GREY LACE OVERDRESS WITH A V NECKLINE IN FRONT AND BACK. LACE IS SCALLOPED AT EDGES. AROUND WAIST IS A BAND OF GREY CHIFFON THAT IS GATHERED AT THE SIDES AND TIES IN MIDDLE FRONT. A TRAIN OF GREY CHIFFON EXTENDS FROM BAND AT BACK OF DRESS TO BOTTOM OF SKIRT. THERE IS A ZIPPER IN BACK OF DRESS. THERE IS A HOOK AND THREAD LOOP ABOVE ZIPPER. A TAG INSIDE UNDERDRESS READS "A NORMAN ORIGINAL". THERE ARE 2 PLEATS IN FRONT AND BACK OF BODICE AND 4 PLEATS IN FRONT AND BACK OF SKIRT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

BELONGED TO DONOR'S MOTHER, MARJORIE BAILEY. POSSIBLY BOUGHT IN LETHBRIDGE FROM IMPERIAL WOMAN'S WEAR, LOCATED IN THE MCFARLAND BUILDING AT 511 4TH STREET SOUTH UNTIL 1986, WHEN IT MOVED TO 712 4TH AVENUE SOUTH; IT CLOSED CA.1987. DONOR'S FATHER EVERETT STEWART WAS BORN IN 1912 TO WILLIAM AND SARAH JANE (CUTT) STEWART IN INDIAN HEAD, SASKATCHEWAN. HIS FAMILY FARMED UNTIL THE 1930S, WHEN THE DROUGHT HIT AND HARD TIMES FORCED THEM TO MOVE. EVERETT STAYED AND ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN AT SASKATOON WHERE HE GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE IN PHARMACY IN 1937. HE THEN WORKED IN PHARMACIES IN INDIAN HEAD AND REGINA. ON JUNE 15, 1939, EVERETT MARRIED MARJORIE BAILEY. HE THEN SIGNED UP WITH THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES AS AN ARTILLERY OFFICER IN WWII. THEIR DAUGHTER MARGARET JEAN (DONOR) WAS BORN ON MAY 31, 1943. AFTER THE WAR, WITH FUNDING GIVEN TO VETERANS, EVERETT OPENED HIS OWN DRUG STORE IN SUTHERLAND, SASKATCHEWAN. HIS WAS THE FIRST DRUG STORE IN SUTHERLAND AND HE STRUGGLED WITH MAKING IT A VIABLE BUSINESS. THEN IN 1949 HE SOLD THE BUSINESS AND TOOK A SALES POSITION WITH CHARLES E. FROSST & COMPANY WHICH WAS THE LAST WHOLLY OWNED CANADIAN DRUG FIRM. HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE MOVED TO BRANDON, MANITOBA (1949 TO 1955). THE FIRM THEN TRANSFERRED EVERETT TO LETHBRIDGE, WHERE THEY REMAINED. MARJORIE PASSED AWAY IN 1967. *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, “AND THIS DRESS CAME FROM IMPERIAL WOMEN’S WEAR, BECAUSE SHE BOUGHT ALL HER CLOTHES THERE. SHE DIDN’T BUY A LOT BUT SHE BOUGHT GOOD STUFF. AND SO THIS WAS A DRESS, I THINK SHE BOUGHT FOR MY COUSIN’S WEDDING… SO MOM’S OLDER SISTER, ONE OF HER OLDER SISTERS HAD ONE CHILD. SO ALL THESE NINE SIBLINGS, VERY FEW CHILDREN… SHIRLEY GOT MARRIED FOR THE SECOND TIME AND I THINK THIS WAS THE DRESS MY MOM WORE TO THAT WEDDING… IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE LATE ‘50S I BELIEVE BUT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DRESS AND I TOYED WITH THE IDEA THAT I SHOULD BURY HER IN IT BUT I DIDN’T. IT WAS ANOTHER DRESS - A MORE SERVICEABLE DRESS BUT NOT QUITE SO FANCY AND MOM, I HAD THESE DRESSES AND ALL HER CLOTHES AFTER SHE PASSED AWAY… SHE WOULD WEAR IT [OUT] IF FATHER - BUT THEY DIDN’T GO OUT VERY OFTEN AND MY MOTHER WAS QUITE SICK. SHE HAD, SHE’D HAD TYPHOID FEVER WHEN SHE WAS LIKE FIFTEEN IN SASKATCHEWAN AND I WAS I GUESS A VERY DIFFICULT BIRTH AND SHE WAS NEVER QUITE THE SAME AND SHE HAD HEART PROBLEMS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20000011001

Acquisition Date

2004-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail