Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

JUMBO STENCIL SET

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1955

Materials

CARDBOARD

No. Pieces

5

Height

2.5

Length

24.5

Width

18.5

Description

BOX AND LID CONTAINING PRESS BOARD STENCILS - FIVE PIECES. JUMBO STENCIL SET DEPICTS TWO CHILDREN ON BOX. LEFT CORNER OF BOX MARKED "COPYRIGHT MCMLII BY THE SAALFIELD PUB. CO., AKRON, O. MADE IN THE U.S.A." CONTAINS THREE PRESS-BOARD STENCILS; DOG, RABBIT AND ELEPHANT. BOTTOM OF BOX DISPLAYS PENCIL MARKINGS.

Subjects

TOY

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, HE RECEIVED THE STENCIL SET AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT WHEN HE HAD POLIO. BENNET ACQUIRED IT IN 1954 WHEN HE WAS A PATIENT IN THE "RED CROSS HOSPITAL" (NOW KNOWN AS THE "ALBERTA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL"). ACCORDING TO BENNET, TRACING THE ANIMALS WAS A FORM OF THERAPY HE UNDERTOOK IN ORDER TO REGAIN THE USE OF HIS FINGERS AFTER HE HAD POLIO. THE STENCIL HAS BEEN WELL USED BY MANY CHILDREN. AT ONE POINT IT WAS KEPT AS AN ACTIVITY IN THE DONOR'S MUSIC ROOM WAITING AREA. THE IMAGES TRACED WITH THE STENCILS WERE TAPED TO ONE OF BENNET'S WALLS BY YOUNG CHILDREN. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. SEE ARCHIVES 19752909159. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: “[THE STENCIL SET] WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME FROM ENGLAND AFTER I HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH POLIO. MY MOTHER’S SISTER IN ENGLAND PURCHASED THIS SET. THERE WERE THREE THINGS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP MY FINE MOTOR SKILLS AFTER STRUGGLING THROUGH POLIO. SO I WOULD HAVE BEEN 6 SO I WOULD SAY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN 1954.” “I USED IT AT HOME AFTER I LEFT THE HOSPITAL. ANYTHING THAT YOU GOT IN THE HOSPITAL WAS TREATED AS THE PROPERTY OF THE HOSPITAL AND I DIDN’T LIKE THAT IDEA SO I ARRANGED THAT THINGS LIKE THIS WEREN’T BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL.” IN REFERENCE TO ITS USE IN HIS MUSIC ROOM, “I’VE ALWAYS HAD TOYS FOR THE LITTLE KIDS. IT KEEPS THEM AMUSED. IT MEANS I DON’T HAVE TO GO OUT AND SUPERVISE. IT MEANS THEY SOMETIMES GET SOMETHING THAT THEY TAKE HOME AND APPRECIATE AND I GET TO FIND OUT WHICH KIDS HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR STUFF AND WHICH KIDS SEE SOMETHING AND DESTROY SOMETHING. IT’S ANOTHER TEACHING TOOL.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060032002

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail