Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

TREE TOPPER

Date Range From

1956

Date Range To

1980

Materials

CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, GLASS

No. Pieces

4

Height

7.5

Length

31

Width

7

Description

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT IS BOXED AND SITS IN A PLASTIC FORM - 4 PIECES. BOX RED AND WHITE MARKED "MOUTH BLOWN HAND PAINTED GLASS ORNAMENTS." SIDE OF BOX MARKED " DIV. OF. INVERSIONES NAVIDAD S.A. CALI, COLUMBIA MADE IN COLUMBIA S.A.". PRICE TAG MARKED "CO-OP HARDWARE $5.99". ORNAMENT BASE IS BLUE WITH CYLINDRICAL OPENING FOR TREE TOP. TOP HALF OF ORNAMENT IS A SILVER SCREWDRIVER-SHAPE FEATURING RED, GREEN AND ORANGE.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, THE TREE TOPPER DATES TO ABOUT 1956, AROUND THE TIME THE CO-OP STORES WERE FOUNDED. BENNET SAID "I WOULD THINK THIS WAS PURCHASED AT THE CITY CENTER CO-OP IN CALGARY. THIS WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN A PLACE WHERE WE WENT FOR LUNCH WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE TRAIN (DAYLINER THEN) TO TAKE US BACK TO LETHBRIDGE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PURCHASED AFTER ONE OF MY APPOINTMENTS AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AS AN OUT PATIENT WITH DR. GORDON TOWNSEND. 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: ON THE TREE TOPPER BENNETT STATED, “IT GOES ON THE TOP OF THE TREE. IT GOES THROUGH THERE AND HANGS UP. AND YOU HAD TO BE EVER SO CAREFUL WITH THIS. IT WAS BLOWN GLASS, SAME AS THE ROUND CHRISTMAS GLOBES BUT THIS WAS MEANT FOR THE TOP OF THE TREE AND IF YOU WEREN’T CAREFUL PUTTING IT ON, IT WOULD BREAK AND THEN YOU DIDN’T HAVE A NICE SHINY TREE TOP ANY MORE. YOU HAD A BUNCH OF PIECES OF SHARP GLASS IN YOUR HAND.” ON PURCHASING IT IN CALGARY, BENNETT STATED THEY WERE OFTEN IN CALGARY AFTER HIS POLIO DIAGNOSIS AS AN OUTPATIENT, “IT STARTED OUT YOU WENT ONCE A MONTH TO THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN CALGARY AND THEN ONCE A MONTH AFTER A YEAR OR SO BECAME EVERY OTHER MONTH. ONCE EVERY OTHER MONTH AFTER A SET PERIOD OF TIME BECAME ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS. ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS BECAME ONCE EVERY 6 MONTHS. AND THEN IT BECAME ONCE A YEAR AND THEN THEY INVITED YOU NOT TO COME BACK ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T DO ANY MORE FOR YOU.” “YOU HAD TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU’D LEAVE LETHBRIDGE ABOUT 8:00 IN THE MORNING AND CATCH THE TRAIN TO – THE DAYLINER TO COME BACK TO LETHBRIDGE, OH, USUALLY 4 OR 5:00 IN THE AFTERNOON. SO I HAD A DAY TO KILL SO WE WENT TO EATON’S AND THE BAY AND LOOKED AT ALL SORTS OF THINGS. 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

P20060032008

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail