Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Date

1969

Materials

CARDBOARD, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Height

5.5

Length

32.5

Width

14

Description

BOX CONTAINING ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - 2 PIECES. ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN BOX. LIGHTS ARE RED, BLUE AND YELLOW WITH GREEN WIRE AND PLUG. BOX IS RED,WHITE AND GREEN, MARKED "PENCOR MERRY CHRISTMAS LIGHT SET." BOTTOM OF BOX GIVES INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE. SIDE OF BOX MARKED IN INK, "1969," "$3.16." BOX TORN IN TWO PLACES.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, HIS MOTHER WAS IN THE "LETHBRIDGE AUXILIARY HOSPITAL" FOR CHRISTMAS IN 1969 AFTER SUFFERING A HEART ATTACK. THESE LIGHTS WERE USED ON A SMALL ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE IN HER ROOM SO THAT THE DONOR AND HIS FATHER COULD HAVE CHRISTMAS WITH HER. IT MADE THEIR PRIVATE GATHERING MORE FESTIVE. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. *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: “THIS BOX HAPPENED TO HAVE A STRING THAT HAD 25 LIGHTS ON IT. IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO DECORATE WITH A LARGER STRING OF LIGHTS THAN THE SMALLER ONE BECAUSE THERE WAS LESS CHANCE OF GETTING, LIKE WITH THE 25 LIGHT STRING, THE PLUG, I GUESS YOU CALL IT THE MALE PLUG AND THE FEMALE PLUG WEREN’T THERE SO THERE WAS LESS CHANCE OF HAVING A FIRE WITH THE LIGHTS. THEY WOULD BE ON A TREE. AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL TREE. AND MY DAD WAS VERY MUCH AGAINST CONNECTING A GROUP OF LIGHTS WITH 8 BULBS ON WHEN YOU COULD GET SOMETHING WITH MORE ON BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T END UP CATCHING NEEDLES BETWEEN THE PARTS OF THE PLUG WHEN IT WAS PUT TOGETHER. IT WAS JUST A SAFETY FEATURE.” WHEN DISCUSSING THE CHRISTMAS HIS MOTHER WAS IN THE HOSPITAL HE STATED, “I WAS IN GRADE 12… I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A BLEAK CHRISTMAS BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE CAME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND BROUGHT THINGS… MRS. NICKLES NEXT DOOR… SHE CAME AND SHE BROUGHT, I THINK IT WAS MINCEMEAT, LITTLE MINCEMEAT TARTS SHE HAD MADE. SHE WAS A WONDERFUL COOK. I DIDN’T FEEL MUCH LIKE GETTING A CHRISTMAS TREE. SHE WENT AND GOT ME A LITTLE 4 FOOT TREE THAT WAS REALLY NICE AND FLUFFY SO I DECORATED THAT AND PUT IT IN THE WINDOW. THAT SORT OF MADE CHRISTMAS.” ON CHRISTMAS GROWING UP, “A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS WE STARTED DECORATING AND THEY STAYED UP ‘TIL JANUARY 1ST AND TAKEN DOWN ON JANUARY 2ND, AND THE BOXES FOR MOST OF THESE ITEMS WERE KEPT SO THEY’RE ABLE TO GO BACK IN THE BOXES. I WAS [RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DECORATIONS]. I HAD TO FIND THEM AND PUT THEM UP TAKE THEM DOWN, PACK THEM PROPERLY. AND IF THEY WEREN’T PACKED PROPERLY, NOTHING WAS SAID, THEY WERE JUST SIMPLY THROWN OUT. MY MOTHER WAS VERY GOOD AT HAVING THINGS TIDIED UP AND PUT AWAY WHERE THEY SHOULD GO. IF YOU COULDN’T TIDY IT UP, YOU COULDN’T KEEP IT. THAT WASN’T A BAD WAY OF GROWING UP. IT MADE ME LEARN RESPONSIBILITY FAST.” “[CHRISTMAS] WAS A NICE BREAK IN THE YEARLY ROUTINE. IT WAS A CHANCE TO MEET GOOD PEOPLE YOU ONLY SAW ONCE A YEAR. THE STORES HAD ALL SORTS OF NEAT THINGS. I REMEMBER EATON’S HAD AN ELECTRIC TRAIN SET WITH WONDERFUL SCENERY AROUND IT, THAT THEY USED TO SET UP IN THE BASEMENT OF THE STORE A CORNER. IT ATTRACTED ME AND DOZENS OF OTHER KIDS AS WELL.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060032006

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail