Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

TRADITIONAL SLOVAKIAN COSTUME

Date Range From

1930

Date Range To

1950

Materials

COTTON, LACE, RAYON

No. Pieces

7

Description

SLOVAKIAN COSTUME INCLUDES 7 PIECES: SKIRT, COLLAR, APRON, VEST, BONNET, SASH AND BLOUSE. 1. WHT LACE COLLAR WITH A BAND OF SEQUINS WRAPPED IN THICK SILVER THREAD. SAFETY PIN CLOSURE. 37(L) X 37 (W). 2. BL RAYON VEST DISPLAYS ASYMMETRICAL DESIGN. RIBBON DESIGN MADE FROM WEAVE METAL BRAID. SILVER STAR/FLORAL EMBOSSED BUTTONS, LINING THE FRONT OPENING. EMBROIDERED FLORAL DESIGN DECORATES FRONT VEST. OFF WHT LINING STAMPED “MARTIN OTEPKA HLUBOKA” ON LOWER FRONT/LEFT CORNER. 51(L) X 39(W). 3. OFF WHT CHIFFON BLOUSE. SHORT WAISTED PLEADED BODY AND LARGE LACE CUFFS. SAFETY PIN CLOSURE. 38 (L) X 66 (W). 4. LACE WHT BONNET. EMBROIDERED BAND NEAR TOP BACK FEATURES EMBROIDERED GEOMETRIC DESIGN. WHT EMBROIDERED SASH RIBBON ATTACHED TO BACK. 24 (L) X 18 (W). 5. OFF WHT SASH RIBBON WITH EMBROIDERED FLORAL MOTIF. ENDS ARE FRAYING. 63.5 (L) X 4 (W). 6. ROYAL BL APRON. ATTACHED WHT BELT EDGED WITH YLLW AND EMBROIDERED WITH FOAL MOTIF IN PNK, YLLW AND WHT. BASE OF APRON FRAYED AND FEATURES EMBROIDERED FLORAL MOTIF BORDER. 61.5 (L) X 74 (W). 7. PRPL AND WHT PERMA-PLEATED SKIRT WITH WHT COTTON EDGING. SQUARE PATCH ON BACKSIDE IS A DIFFERENT PRPL AND WHT PATTERN. STRING AT TOP OF WAIST ACTS AS CLOSURE. 87.5(L) X 74(W).

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

THE TRADITIONAL SLOVAKIAN COSTUME BELONGED TO MRS. KATHERINA (KATIE) BRECKA (NEE KADLICEK) (1908-1997), AN IMMIGRANT TO THE PICTURE BUTTE AREA. BORN IN ROVENSKO, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, MRS. BRECKA IMMIGRATED TO CANADA WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO YOUNG SONS IN 1938. LIMITED BY THE NUMBER OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS SHE COULD BRING TO CANADA, BRECKA BROUGHT THIS DRESS BECAUSE IT REPRESENTED HER BEST SET OF CLOTHING AND WAS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER OF HER HOME. SHE SET THE CLOTHING ASIDE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS SUCH AS WEDDINGS, FESTIVALS, DANCES AND FOR CHURCH. UNAWARE THAT THIS WAS NOT COMMON FASHION IN CANADA SHE IS QUOTED SAYING “I NEVER THINKING DRESSES DIFFERENT HERE IN THIS COUNTRY, NOW I GO TO EATON’S”. DRESS WAS ALSO WORN BY VIOLIN PLAYER, CAROLYN KLAUSE, DURING A RECITAL IN WETASKIWIN, AB. THE DONOR REQUESTED THE COSTUME FROM MRS. BRECKA ON BEHALF OF THE VIOLINIST. KLAUSE PLAYED A CZARDAS, A NATIVE DANCE FROM MRS. BRECKA'S HOME LAND. AFTER THE LONG JOURNEY FROM SLOVAKIA TO CANADA, THE BRECKA FAMILY HAD A SHORT ONE MONTH STAY IN IRON SPRINGS WHERE THEY WORKED IN SUGAR BEET FIELDS. AFTER THAT, THEY MOVED TO THE FARM THAT THEY PURCHASED FROM JOHN SCHUMAKR IN PICTURE BUTTE. KATIE BRECKA SURVIVED HER HUSBAND JOHN BRECKA (WHO DIED IN 1960), LIVING IN PICTURE BUTTE UNTIL HER DEATH (JUNE 6, 1997) AT THE AGE OF 88. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILE ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING THIS TRADITIONAL SLOVAKIAN COSTUME. THE PERMANENT FILE INDICATES THAT KATIE WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 23, 1908. HER AND JOHN BRECKA'S SONS WERE NAMED VLADIMIR AND DRAHOTIN (STAN). IN 1942, AFTER THE FAMILY WAS SETTLED IN CANADA, THEY HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED YARMILA (GERALDINE). THE DONOR, CATHRYN BRECKA IS THE WIFE OF VLADIMIR. THE DATE OF THE VIOLIN RECITAL IN WETASKIWIN WAS MARCH 1978. THERE IS A NOTE IN THE PERMANENT FILE THAT STATES THAT THE COSTUME IS PRESUMED TO BE MADE BY FAMILY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060037000

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

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