Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WREATH

Date Range From

1947

Date Range To

1951

Materials

PLASTIC, ALUMINUM, GLASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

6.5

Diameter

27

Description

ELECTRIC GREEN CHRISTMAS WREATH WITH RED LIGHT BULB IN CENTER. PLASTIC EVERGREEN WREATH WITH RED AND WHITE BERRIES. THREE BELLS ATTACHED TO WREATH. A GOLD ALUMINUM REFLECTOR SURROUNDS THE LIGHT BULB.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, THE WREATH WAS ALWAYS HANGING FROM THE CENTRE SECTION OF A GLASS DOOR AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF HIS PARENTS' HOME. IT WAS PROBABLY PURCHASED BETWEEN 1947 AND 1951. THE WREATH WAS BROUGHT OUT EVERY YEAR UNTIL BENNET LEFT HOME IN 1974. HE SAID, "I JUST BARELY REMEMBER IT BEING IN USE AT MY ORIGINAL HOME AT 1818 - 5TH AVE. NORTH IN LETHBRIDGE." 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 WREATH BENNETT STATED, “IT SHOWS THE USE OF A LIGHTBULB IN ONE OF THESE JAPANESE MADE REFLECTORS THAT YOU PUT ON LIGHTBULBS. YOU WOULDN’T HAVE USED THAT OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BLOWN TO PIECES. IT WAS VERY, VERY FRAGILE BUT VERY INTERESTING. IT HAD JUST A SINGLE LIGHTBULB IN IT YOU WOULD HUNG IT WITH A STRING FROM THE TOP THEN USED AN EXTENSION CORD TO LIGHT IT UP. IT FELL APART [IN 1974]…[I] KEPT IT IN A BOX FOR SPARE PARTS TO USE TO REPAIR OTHER THINGS BUT I NEVER GOT AROUND TO USING IT FOR SPARE PARTS. I PUT IT BACK – ONE OF THE PEOPLE I WAS TALKING TO AT THE MUSEUM SAID IT WOULD BE A NEAT THING TO RE-ASSEMBLE IF I COULD, FOR YOUR COLLECTION. SO I SPENT A LONG TIME PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER AND FIXING IT UP AS BEST I COULD… IT WAS MEANT AS A TOPPER FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE." 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

P20060032013

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail