Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NOMA BUBBLE-LITES

Date Range From

1954

Date Range To

1955

Materials

CARDBOARD, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Height

4.5

Length

40

Width

19

Description

CHRISTMAS BUBBLE LIGHTS IN BOX - 2 PIECES. BOX DEPICTS A LITTLE GIRL LOOKING AT A BUBBLE LIGHT. BOX MARKED "NOMA BUBBLE-LITES WATCH THEM BUBBLE." BOTTOM OF BOX GIVES INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE. ENCLOSED IS A STRING OF 8 BUBBLE-LITES IN A VARIETY OF COLOURS.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO THE DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, THIS STYLE OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE HIS FAVORITES. THESE PARTICULAR LIGHTS WERE PURCHASED IN 1954 WHEN BENNET WAS A PATIENT AT THE "RED CROSS HOSPITAL" IN CALGARY (LATER KNOWN AS THE "ALBERTA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL"). THE BUBBLE-LITES WERE USED ON A SMALL CHRISTMAS TREE THAT THE DONOR'S PARENTS PUT IN HIS WARD. THE LETHBRIDGE-BASED DONOR WAS BEING TREATED IN CALGARY FOR CHILDHOOD POLIO. THESE LIGHTS WERE SELDOM USED AFTER 1954 AS DONOR DID NOT LIKE THE MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH HIS EXPERIENCE AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. ON AUGUST 11, 2007, BENNET COMMENTED, “I ALWAYS INTENDED TO USE THESE BUBBLE LIGHTS AGAIN, HOWEVER WHEN IT REALLY CAME TO A CHOICE I ALWAYS CHOOSE NOT TO USE THEM BECAUSE I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRISTMAS IN THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. I HAD PUT THEM ON A TREE, BUT THEY ALWAYS CAME OFF THE NEXT DAY. SOME MEMORIES ARE JUST TOO PAINFUL TO REVISIT DURING A HOLIDAY WHICH SHOULD BE ENJOYABLE.” 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: ON THE BUBBLE LIGHTS, HE STATED, “THEY WERE MY FAVORITE AND I DON’T KNOW WHY I EVER PARTED WITH THEM. I OFTEN WONDERED WHY I DID THAT BUT I THINK, A MUTUAL FRIEND TALKED ME INTO GIVING THEM TO THE MUSEUM BECAUSE, HE SAID, “NO ONE ELSE HAS A COMPLETE STRING OF THESE LIGHTS AND, THE MUSEUM, I’M SURE WOULD BE THRILLED TO HAVE TO HAVE THEM”. SOMETHING SO UNIQUE AND SO COSTLY. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN TWICE THE PRICE OF ANY OTHER LIGHTS. I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY I GAVE THEM TO THE MUSEUM.” “THERE WAS AN ALCOHOL FILLER IN THESE GLASS TOPS. THEY WERE CALLED CANDLES. IF YOU DROPPED ONE ON THE FLOOR, THEY WOULD ABSOLUTELY DESTROY, IN NO TIME FLAT, THE FINISH ON THE HARDWOOD. THEY HAVEN’T BEEN MADE FOR DECADES NOW. BUT THEY WERE A DANGER IF THEY WERE DROPPED. AND THEY ACTUALLY BUBBLED AFTER THEY WERE PLUGGED IN. THERE WAS SOME CHEMICAL IN THESE GLASS TUBES THAT SENT UP MASSES OF BUBBLES. THEY WERE REALLY CLEVER.” “IT WAS JUST FUN TO SIT ON THE FLOOR AND WATCH HUNDREDS OF BUBBLES GOING UP AND DOWN. THEY KEPT A LITTLE KID OUT OF MISCHIEF. I WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO PUT THEM ON THE TREE. MY DAD ALWAYS DID THAT BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT LITTLE KIDS DROPPING THEM ON THE FLOOR.” “I USED THEM UNTIL ABOUT 1970 AND THEY’D STARTED TO - WELL THE PLASTIC BASES HAD STARTED TO CHANGE SHAPE AND I JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE A BIT DANGEROUS BECAUSE, IF THIS PLASTIC THING MELTED, THE THING WOULD TIP OVER, THIS WOULD FALL ON THE FLOOR AND THE FLUID IN IT WOULD SPOIL ANY CARPETS ANY HARDWOOD FLOORING AND THEY GOT REALLY HOT AND I FELT THEY WERE A FIRE HAZARD.” IN THE INTERVIEW BENNETT DISPUTED THE RECORDED HISTORY ABOVE, STATING, “ACTUALLY, THAT IS NOT - YOU COULDN’T HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT TAKEN INTO THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL… THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL GOT STRINGS OF LIGHTS THAT WERE LENT TO THE HOSPITAL SO THAT A TREE COULD BE PUT IN EACH CHILD’S ROOM AND THEY WERE ALL THINGS THAT WERE CHECKED BY AN ELECTRICIAN AND THEY WERE APPROVED BY SOMEBODY. AFTER CHRISTMAS, WHEN THE TREES AND THINGS WERE TAKEN DOWN, THESE WERE GIVEN BACK TO THEIR OWNERS. AND I HAVE NEVER GIVEN ANY STRINGS OF LIGHTS TO CHILDREN HOSPITAL. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN SIX.” 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

P20060032007

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail