Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

C/W JACKET AND HAT

Date Range From

1965

Date Range To

1975

Materials

SILK, RAFFIA

No. Pieces

3

Length

102.0

Description

1. DRESS. SLEEVELESS, COLLARLESS. KNEE LENGTH. LINING OF DRESS IS GOLD SILK. OVER LINING IS A SHELL MADE OF LIGHT GOLD RAFFIA. SHELL CONSISTS OF CROCHETED CIRCLES AND LEAVES LOOSELY STRUNG TOGETHER. SHELL EXTENDS SLIGHTLY BEYOND LINING AT HEMLINE AND ARMHOLES. RAFFIA IS SLIGHTLY DISCOLORED (DARKENED) AROUND NECKLINE. THERE IS A LONG ZIPPER RUNNING DOWN BACK OF DRESS. RAFFIA IS VERY BRITTLE AND BROKEN IN A NUMBER OF SPOTS. 2. JACKET. 102.0 (L). SAME LENGTH AS DRESS. CONSTRUCTED SIMILARLY TO DRESS WITH GOLD SILK LINING AND CROCHETED RAFFIA SHELL. HOWEVER, RAFFIA IS GREEN. ADDITIONALLY, JACKET HAS ELBOW LENGTH SLEEVES AND WIDE COLLAR. THERE IS A WIDE BAND OF CROCHETED RAFFIA RUNNING DOWN EACH SIDE OF FRONT OPENING, AND A WIDE CUFF ON EACH SLEEVE. THERE ARE 4 EYES RUNNING DOWN LEFT SIDE OF FRONT OPENING, ONLY 1 HOOK REMAINS AT TOP ON OPPOSITE SIDE. RAFFIA IS BRITTLE AND BROKEN IN MANY PLACES. 3. HAT. 7.0 X 19.5 X 15.5. PILL BOX STYLE. CONSISTS OF A RING OF CROCHETED GREEN RAFFIA. RING IS LINED WITH GOLD SILK. DRAPED ACROSS TOP IS A FINE BROWN NET (NET IS NOT ATTACHED). THERE ARE 2 BROWN PLASTIC HAIR COMBS SEWN TO UNDERSIDE OF HAT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

DONOR'S WIFE, LUELLA GORE-HICKMAN, PURCHASED SET ABOUT 1970 AT A SHRINER'S AUCTION IN CALGARY. THE DRESS WAS HANDMADE BY A LADY IN CALGARY. LUELLA BOUGHT THE DRESS FOR ABOUT $400 TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHRINERS. SHE WORE THE DRESS ONCE OR TWICE, ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS, WHEN SHE FIRST BOUGHT IT. LUELLA WAS BORN IN CAMROSE, ALBERTA ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1929 TO ARTHUR S. "BILL" AND IDA BRIGHT. SHE WAS RAISED ON THE FAMILY FARM NEAR DUHAMEL AND ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL IN CAMROSE. LUELLA TRAINED AT THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL IN EDMONTON, RECEIVING HER RN DEGREE IN 1951. SHE MARRIED DR. GORDON GORE-HICKMAN ON JUNE 28, 1952. LUELLA WORKED IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA UNTIL MOVING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1952. SHE NURSED PART-TIME IN VANCOUVER FROM 1955 TO 1957, LATER RETURNING TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE SHE RESIDED UNTIL THE TIME OF HER PASSING. SHE UTILIZED HER NURSING SKILLS AGAIN IN 1975 AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE DURING THE CANADA WINTER GAMES. LUELLA WAS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE, SERVING AS PRESIDENT FOR TWO YEARS. SHE WAS ALSO A PRESIDENT OF THE LADIES AUXILLIARY TO THE ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL AND A CHAPTER MOM IN THE ORDER OF DEMOLAY. LUELLA SUFFERED A SEVERE STROKE IN 1975, AGAIN IN 1987, AND UNDERWENT TREATMENT FOR CANCER IN 2001. SHE PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE JULY 15, 2002. DONOR CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1948 AND WAS A PEDIATRICIAN AT THE CAMPBELL CLINIC FOR 38 YEARS; HE RETIRED IN 1990. DONOR MET HIS WIFE AT THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL WHERE HE DID AN INTERNSHIP AND SHE WORKED. AFTER THE PASSING OF HIS WIFE DONOR SAW "SOUTHERN PEOPLE" ARTICLE IN LETHBRIDGE HERALD LATER THAT YEAR, FEATURING A MUSEUM EMPLOYEE (TERRA PLATO) WHICH MENTIONED THE MUSEUM'S CLOTHING COLLECTION, SO DONOR DECIDED TO DONATE DRESS TO MUSEUM.

Catalogue Number

P20020091000

Acquisition Date

2004-01

Collection

Museum

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