Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1970

Materials

PLASTIC, METAL

No. Pieces

2

Description

DARK GRN AND YLLW WOMEN'S PLAID RAINCOAT AND POACH. RECTANGULAR POUCH IS PLAID ON EXTERIOR AND YELLW ON INTERIOR. STITCHING ON BASE OF POUCH IS UNDONE. 16 (L) X 26 (W). WOMEN'S FULL LENGTH RAINCOAT WITH HOOD. PLAID ON EXTERIOR AND YLLW ON INTERIOR. METAL SNAP BUTTONS WITH GREY TOPS FOR CLOSURE. UNDER SLEEVES FEATURES VENTILATION OPENINGS. TEAR THAT IS TAPED STARTS ON BACK LEFT SIDE OF UNDERARM AND EXTEND TO FRONT BREAST. PLASTIC BRWN LABEL ATTACHED TO INNER COLLAR. LABEL READS "QUALITY GUARANTEED BY TOWER GALT, ONTARIO SIZE L". 100 (L) X 26 (W)

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

DONOR RECALLED HER AUNT NEVER THROWING ANYTHING AWAY INCLUDING HER CLOTHING. DONOR STATED THAT HER AUNT WAS AROUND 120LBS HAVING A NICE FIGURE UNTIL HER LATER YEARS WHEN SHE BECAME VERY SICK. ONCE HER AUNT WAS VERY ILL WITH HER LUNG CONDITION SHE WAS UNABLE TO EAT A LOT AND DROPPED TO ABOUT 85 LBS. SEE P20030049001 FOR COMPLETE HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2019, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “EVERYTHING WAS LIKE BRAND NEW AND SHE COULD HAUL IT OUT… SO SHE ONLY BROUGHT THINGS OUT WHEN THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY NEEDED AND SO THEN WE PUT IT AWAY JUST PRISTINELY AND CLEAN… SHE WAS VERY FRUGAL BECAUSE THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE LOOKING AFTER HER AND WHEN HER PARENTS DIED THERE WASN’T MUCH LEFT… [THE RAIN JACKET] SAME THING… YOU MIGHT NEED A RAINCOAT THAT PACKAGES ALL UP INTO A PACKAGE LIKE THAT. YES IT FOLDS ALL UP NICELY AND GOES IN THERE... SHE PROBABLY TOOK IT WITH HER WHEN SHE WENT TO SCOTLAND OR ENGLAND. I MEAN SHE JUST - YOU KNOW YOU JUST BE PREPARED. SO SHE’S PREPARED WHETHER SHE BOUGHT IT IN WINNIPEG OR SHE BOUGHT IT HERE I DON’T KNOW BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SO NEAT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE IT DOESN’T - IT’S LIKE NEW RIGHT?” JEAN DESCRIBES HER AUNT IRIS COMING TO LIVE IN LETHBRIDGE, “WELL AUNTIE, WHEN MY MOTHER DIED IN 1967… [AUNTIE] WAS LIVING WITH HER FATHER AND MOTHER, LOOKING AFTER THEM IN WINNIPEG. AND HER DAD… WAS WALKING TO WORK AND A YOUNG GUY IN A CAR… HIT HIM AND HE NEVER REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND HE DIED. THAT WAS 1968… A MONTH LATER, MY GRANDMOTHER DIED - SHE JUST GAVE UP SO SHE DIED. AND THEN THIS IRIS STEWART, MY AUNT WHO HAD NEVER MARRIED, DECIDED THAT SHE WOULD COME AND LOOK AFTER US IN THE WEST AND MY FATHER BEING A WIDOWER, SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE HER PLACE AND IT WAS MOST DIFFICULT. AUNTIE IRIS - MY BROTHER USED TO SAY HAD PRICKLES AND THEY WERE LIKE GREAT BIG PRICKLES ON A CACTUS. SHE JUST - BECAUSE SHE’D HAD NO SOFTNESS IN HER LIFE AND HER PARENTS WERE VERY STOIC, YOU KNOW THEY WERE BORN IN THE LATE 1800S. SHE WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. EVERYTHING WAS VERY - SHE KEPT EVERYTHING VERY PRISTINE AND I IN FACT HAVE MORE THINGS OF HERS I FOUND… SO WHEN SHE DIED I WAS IT. I WAS LOOKING AFTER HER WHEN SHE WAS ILL AND IN HER LATER YEARS AND SHE DIED A MONTH AFTER MY SON WAS MARRIED ACTUALLY…” ON MEMORIES OF HER AUNT IN LETHBRIDGE, “SHE WAS A CURLER, AND WHEN SHE WAS IN WINNIPEG SHE WENT TO EVERY BLUE BOMBER’S FOOTBALL GAME, AND SHE CURLED AND SHE WAS THE HEAD OF CGIT AND SHE WENT TO CHURCH AND SHE DID ALL SORTS OF THINGS AT MCKILLOP CHURCH. SHE BELONGED TO MCKILLOP HERE AND WAS QUITE INVOLVED. I THINK SHE WAS ON ONE OF THEIR BOARDS - WHAT ELSE DID SHE DO? SHE DID CRAFTS, SHE WAS JUST AUNTIE. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN I SAY AUNTIE EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE MET HER THEY KNEW WHO AUNTIE WAS.” “SHE DIDN’T GIVE AWAY ANYTHING LIKE EMOTIONS OR DID SHE LIKE SOMETHING… I THINK SHE LIKED THE WEATHER A LITTLE BIT BETTER [HERE] BECAUSE IT WASN’T WINNIPEG WINTERS YOU KNOW. AND SHE LIKED THE FACT THAT SHE COULD WATCH MY KIDS GROW UP… BUT WAS SHE EASY ON MY KIDS, NO, NO SHE WASN’T. AND MY DAUGHTER SAID “WHY DIDN’T YOU STICK UP FOR ME MOM?” WELL YOU KNOW YOU HAD TO RESPECT HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A GOOD PERSON. IT WAS JUST HER UPBRINGING THAT YOU HAD TO UNDERSTAND AND MY DAUGHTERS AND MY SON DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT. HOW SHE WAS BROUGHT UP AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THAT LITTLE BRAIN OF HERS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20030049038

Acquisition Date

2003-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail