Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WEDDING GOWN

Date

1939

Materials

SATIN, NYLON

No. Pieces

7

Length

146

Width

46

Description

7 PCE IVORY SATIN FULL LENGTH WEDDING DRESS. 1. SHORT IVORY SATIN JACKET WITH LONG SLEEVES. JACKET FEATURES A SATIN RUFFLE COLLAR. THREE COVERED SATIN BUTTONS ACTS HAS CLOSURE 2. IVORY SATIN WEDDING GOWN. SLEEVELESS V-NECK DRESS FITTED THROUGH THE WAIST AND FLARES AT THE BOTTOM. LEFT SIDE HAS TWO METAL SNAPS FOR CLOSURE. BODICE HAS PLEATED DETAIL. 3. CLIP-ON METAL BROACH WITH FAKE DIAMONDS. BROACH CLIPPED ON TO CENTER OF V-NECKLINE OF GOWN. 4. IVORY SATIN BELT WITH METAL BUCKLE. BUCKLE CONSIST OF TWO IDENTICAL METAL THAT ARE FISH SHAPED. BUCKLES ARE ELABORATELY DECORATED WITH FAKE DIAMONDS. ONE BUCKLE HAS METAL LOOP THE OTHER HAS A HOOK WHICH FITS TOGETHER FOR CLOSURE. 5. LONG IVORY SILK SLIP THAT FITS UNDER DRESS. SMALL BL AND GRN FLOWERS (FRAYED) FOUND AT CENTER OF NECKLINE. ADJUSTABLE SPAGHETTI STRAPS. 6. (2 PCE) IVORY THIGH-LENGTH STOCKINGS. REINFORCED TOE, HEEL AND THIGH WITH SEAMS AT BACK.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

WEDDING DRESS CAME INTO THE POSSESSION OF THE DONOR IN 1991. DONOR RECEIVED THE GOWN AFTER THE PASSING OF HER MOTHER, VEVA NEDA MAIN, THE ORIGINAL OWNER ON AUGUST 9, 1991. MAIN WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE AT THE GALT HOSPITAL. HER FUTURE HUSBAND, ALBERT BAHR (LEVI?) WAS BORN IN GEORGETOWN NORTH DAKOTA. AFTER SOME TIME IN SASKATCHEWAN, BAHR CAME TO WORK ON A FARM IN THE VICINITY OF MAIN'S PARENTS, JOE AND MAE MAIN. MAIN AND BAHR RESIDED ON FARMS IN THE SUNDIAL/TURIN AREA AND MET AT SOME UNKNOWN POINT. AFTER A SHORT COURTSHIP, MAIN AND BAHR MARRIED ON OCTOBER 21, 1939 AT THE FIRST UNITED CHURCH IN LETHBRIDGE. THE GOWN IS BELIEVED, BY THE DONOR, TO HAVE BEEN PURCHASED IN LETHBRIDGE. FOLLOWING A WATERTON HONEYMOON, THE COUPLE PROCEEDED TO WORK ON FARMS IN THE WARNER AND COALDALE REGION. IN 1944, THE COUPLE SETTLED ON A FARM IN RANIER WHERE THEY RAISED FIVE CHILDREN. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR THE DRESS WAS NEVER REUSED. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A WEDDING DRESS DONATED BY MARY BELLE TOLLESTRUP. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. VEVA NEDRA BAHR (NEE MAIN) WAS BORN AT SUNDIAL, THE DAUGHTER OF GARFIELD AND MAE MAIN (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) AND WAS MARRIED TO LEVI ALBERT BAHR IN OCTOBER 1939. FOLLOWING THEIR MARRIAGE, THE COUPLE LIVED ON SEVERAL FARMS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA BEFORE SETTLING ON A FARM IN THE RAINIER DISTRICT, AB WHERE THEY RAISED FIVE CHILDREN. VEVA PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 76 ON AUGUST 9, 1992. A WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARED IN THE HERALD ON OCTOBER 21, 1939 AND DESCRIBED VEVA’S DRESS: “THE BRIDE, WHO WAS ATTRACTIVE IN A WEDDING GOWN OF WHITE SATIN WITH BRILLIANT TRIM AND WEARING A NET VEIL ARRANGED IN CAP SHAPE, WAS ATTENDED BY MISS MARJORIE BLAKE.” LEVI ALBERT “ALBERT” BAHR WAS BORN, ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, IN GERMAN TOWN, SD ON MAY 9, 1913 AND MOVED TO ROSETOWN, SK WITH HIS FAMILY AT THE AGE OF 3. FOLLOWING HIS MARRIAGE TO VEVA, THE COUPLE FARMED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES, FINALLY SETTLING IN RAINIER IN 1944, WHERE THEY FARMED UNTIL 1965. ALBERT PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 81 ON JUNE 20, 1994. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20060031000

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail