Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1947

Date Range To

1948

Materials

COTTON

No. Pieces

9

Description

1. WHITE STARCHED COLLAR, 3 BUTTON HOLES ALONG TOP LENGTH OF COLLAR, TEXT ON ONE SIDE ALONG TOP LENGTH READS, "W-978, BLAND'S, R. ANDERSON, R.V.H." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 61.5, WIDTH 15.7. 2. WHITE STARCHED COLLAR, 3 BUTTON HOLES ALONG TOP LENGTH OF COLLAR, TEXT ON ONE SIDE ALONG TOP LENGTH READS, "W-978, GALT..." SMALL RED STAIN ON REVERSE SIDE OF COLLAR. HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 53.8, WIDTH 26.5. 3. WHITE STARCHED COTTON CUFF, 2 BUTTON HOLES PRESENT, TEXT READS, "W-978, M.G.H., 71/2." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 26.0, WIDTH 10.0. 4. WHITE STARCHED COTTON CUFF, 2 BUTTON HOLES PRESENT, TEXT READS, "W-978, M.G.H., 71/2," ON ONE SIDE, SMALL ORANGE DISCOLOURATION ON REVERSE SIDE. HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 26.0, WIDTH 9.5. 5. WHITE STARCHED BELT, 3 BUTTON HOLES ON ONE END, SINGLE BUTTON HOLE ON OTHER END. MARKED, "1280" IN DARK TEXT ON BOTH ENDS ADJACENT TO BUTTON HOLES. HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 82.0, WIDTH 6.2. 6. WHITE STARCHED NURSES CAP, 4 SMALL BUTTON HOLES AT CORNERS OF CLOTH, LABEL AFFIXED TO BACK END AND READS, "MADE BY BLAND, MONTREAL." TEXT EDGE ADJACENT TO LABEL HAS TEXT THAT READS, "R. AND., W-978." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 40.0, WIDTH 26.8. 7. WHITE STARCHED BIB FOR APRON, V-SHAPED, LABEL ON BACK READS, "MADE BY BLAND, MONTREAL, 36," AND ADJACENT TEXT READS, "W-978, DAR, R. ANDERSON." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 97.0, WIDTH 66.0. 8. WHITE STARCHED APRON, FULLY OPENS ALONG LENGTH, EITHER SIDE OF WAISTBAND WITH 4 BUTTONHOLES, APRON TAPERS TOWARDS WAIST. LABEL ON BACK READS, "MADE BY BLAND, MONTREAL," AND ADJACENT TEXT READS, "DAR, R-AND, W-978, R. ANDERSON." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 98.0, WIDTH 86.5. 9. WHITE STARCHED LONG SLEEVED DRESS, OPENS ALONG FRONT, BUTTONHOLES ALONG LENGTH OF BOTH SIDES OF FRONT, 2 WAIST-HIGH FRONT POCKETS, CUFFS WITH BUTTON HOLE AND WHITE PLASTIC BUTTON. LABEL AT BACK READS, "STYLECRAFT LIMITED, MADE IN CALGARY." ADJACENT TEXT READS, "DAR." HEIGHT 0.1, LENGTH 114.0, WIDTH 90.0. NOTE—29 APRIL 2024: ALL ITEMS PUT ON PERMANENT EXHIBIT IN MAY 2024 MINUS A DUPLICATE COLLAR, A BELT AND A CAP.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

THIS NURSE’S UNIFORM BELONGED TO RUTH ANDERSON. ANDERSON WAS BORN FEBRUARY 1, 1925, IN CLARESHOLM. IN 1944, AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, ANDERSON ENTERED THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING, ANDERSON GRADUATED IN 1947 ALONG WITH 10 OTHER NURSES. 1947 WAS REGARDED AS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT PERIOD FOR THOSE TRAINING AT THE GALT HOSPITAL. WHILE WORKING AT THE GALT HOSPITAL, ANDERSON MET DR. RICE, AND THEY LATER MARRIED. ACCORDING TO ANNETTE MYERS, GRADUATE OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING, THE LONG SLEEVED NURSES' DRESS WAS ONLY WORN DURING GRADUATION CEREMONY. THE DRESS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADORNED WITH PINS. THE NURSES' CAP IS MISSING A BLACK STRIP OF FABRIC THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PINNED INTO PLACE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE P20060035001 AND PERMANENT RECORD. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A NURSING UNIFORM DONATED BY MIEKE AND ROBERT RICE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. RUTH ANNETTE RICE (NEE ANDERSON) WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 1, 1925 IN CLARESHOLM, THE DAUGHTER OF ALBERT AND ROSE MARIE (NEE JOHNSON) ANDERSON. ALBERT ANDERSON PASSED AWAY ON JULY 22, 1966. ROSE MARIE ANDERSON (NEE JOHNSON) PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83 ON JULY 11, 1987. ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY, RUTH ATTENDED PRIMARY SCHOOL IN CLARESHOLM AND THEN HIGH SCHOOL IN NOBLEFORD, WHERE “SHE WAS A BRIGHT STUDENT AND A STAR BASKETBALL PLAYER FOR THE LEGENDARY NOBLEFORD PETES. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL RUTH ENTERED THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING AND WAS A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE CLASS OF ’47. SHE WAS WORKING AT THE GALT HOSPITAL WHEN A STRIKING YOUNG DOCTOR INVITED HER TO A MOVIE AND SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET.” RUTH PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 21, 2005 AT THE AGE OF 80. THAT “YOUNG DOCTOR” WAS DR. DONALD ARTHUR RICE WHO WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON MAY 4, 1921. HE EXCELLED IN HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATING AT 16. BY 1945, HE HAD GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WITH A DEGREE IN MEDICINE. INITIALLY HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE WAS IN TABER, BUT HE THEN MOVED IT TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE BECAME A PARTNER IN THE ROY CLINIC. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, DONALD “WAS A GIFTED SURGEON, A HIGHLY RESPECTED FAMILY DOCTOR, AND A LEGEND TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED HIS LIFE.” HE PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 22, 2008 AT THE AGE OF 87. THE DONOR, ROBERT RICE, IS THE SON OF RUTH AND DONALD RICE. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20060035010

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail