Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"PURITY DAIRY," "TOPSY"

Date Range From

1955

Date Range To

1959

Materials

CARDBOARD, STEEL, FOIL

No. Pieces

14

Height

0.2

Length

6.8

Width

12.5

Description

KIT, SEWING, CARDBOARD CARD FOLDED IN HALF, MILK TRUCK SHAPED, MARKED “EXCLUSIVE… TOPSY… DAIRY PRODUCTS.” DEPICTS AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRL WITH FOUR SHORT PIGTAILS IN A WHITE SUN DRESS IN RED INK, REVERSE DEPICTS MILK TRUCK IN BLACK, MARKED “COMPLIMENTS… PURITY DAIRY… ALBERTA,” IN RED. REAR WHEEL OF TRUCK HAS CREASE 0.9 CM FROM BOTTOM OF TIRE. THIRTEEN ASSORTED NEEDLES PIERCED THROUGH FOIL ON EITHER SIDE OF INSIDE OF CARD. REFER TO DIAGRAM ON PERMENENT FILE. ALL NEEDLES ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. NEEDLE PIERCED THROUGH GOLD FOIL A. 3.8 CM LONG, 1MM LONG EYE. B. 4.6 CM LONG, 2 MM LONG EYE. C. 6.5 CM LONG, 8.5 MM LONG EYE. D. 4.6 CM LONG, 2 MM LONG EYE. E. 4.1 CM LONG, 1.5 MM LONG EYE. F. 3.8 CM LONG 1 MM LONG EYE. NEEDLES PIERCED THROUGH RED FOIL G. 3.35 CM LONG, 1 MM LONG EYE. H. 3.8 CM LONG, 1.5 MM LONG EYE. I. 3.7 CM LONG, 1.5 MM LONG EYE. J. 3.8 CM LONG, 1 MM LONG EYE. K. 4.2 CM LONG, 2 MM LONG EYE. L. 3.75 CM LONG, 1.5 MM LONG EYE. M 3.3 CM LONG, 1 MM LONG EYE.

Subjects

TEXTILEWORKING T&E

Historical Association

BUSINESS

DOMESTIC

History

ON JULY 7, 2010 NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT MET WITH DONORS KEN AND NETTIE FABBIE TO DISCUSS THE TOPSY SEWING KIT. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, TOPSY WAS THE FIRST CHOCOLATE MILK PRODUCT PRODUCED BY PURITY. IT WAS PRODUCED IN THE 40S. PRODUCTION OF THE “TOPSY” CHOCOLATE MILK CEASED IN ABOUT 1957. AT THAT TIME, “TOPSY” WAS REPLACED BY “SUZIE” BRAND CHOCOLATE DRINK. “TOPSY” AND “SUZIE” WERE TRADE NAMES OF CHOCOLATE SYRUP. THE SYRUP CAME IN PAILS. IT WAS ADDED WITH WATER AND OTHER INGREDIENTS TO THE MILK BEFORE IT WAS BOTTLED. THE CHANGE OF BRANDS WAS MADE PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. “TOPSY” WAS A CARICATURE OF A BLACK GIRL. SHE WAS DEEMED AN INAPPROPRIATE BRANDING TOOL FOR THE CHOCOLATE MILK AND “SUZIE,” A WHITE GIRL, REPLACED HER. WHILE NETTIE DIDN’T CARE TOO MUCH FOR CHOCOLATE MILK, KEN REALLY LIKED IT. HE COULDN’T DRINK IT UNTIL HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD HOWEVER, DUE TO A SENSITIVITY TO MILK PRODUCTS. KEN FABBI SAID, “I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY CHANGED BECAUSE ‘TOPSY’ HAD A STRONGER CHOCOLATE TASTE, ‘SUZIE’ WAS MORE WATERED DOWN.” AS FOR THE SEWING KIT ITSELF, IT WAS USED AS A MARKETING TOOL. ACCORDING TO NETTIE, SEWING KITS WERE A “HANDY” WAY TO ADVERTISE. SHE SAID, “WOMEN COULD KEEP IT IN THEIR PURSE TO MEND THINGS. THEY LOVED THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SO HANDY. MORE PEOPLE WERE SEWING IN THOSE DAYS. NOWADAYS PEOPLE DON’T SEW AS MUCH SO I SUPPOSE PEOPLE WOULD THROW SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT.” THE SEWING KITS WERE GIVEN OUT DURING PARADES. DURING THE TIME THE SEWING KITS WERE MANUFACTURED (1955/56 – 1959), THE FABBI FAMILY LIVED IN MEDICINE HAT (1949-1959), BUT THEY ALSO HAD A DAIRY IN LETHBRIDGE. THE KITS WERE ALSO HANDED OUT BY THE DRIVERS OF THE MILK TRUCKS, ESPECIALLY TO NEW CUSTOMERS. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED IN MEDICINE HAT AND LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. THE SEWING KITS CHANGED AFTER THE 1950S. “PURITY DAIRY” STOPPED MAKING THEM DUE TO COST. THEY ALSO COULD NO LONGER THROW THEM OUT AT PARADES BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE AFRAID CHILDREN WOULD GET HURT WHEN THEY RAN OUT INTO THE STREET. OTHER PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL DISTRIBUTED BY “PURITY” INCLUDED PENS, PENCILS AND BLOTTERS. OTHER SEWING KITS DEPICTED MILK CARTONS WITH “SUZIE” CHOCOLATE DRINK OR “PURITY MEADOW DEW” (2% MILK). IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE DAIRY, THEY USED TO HAVE A MINIATURE HORSE DRAWN BUGGY. THIS WAS THE MILK TRUCK, ALTHOUGH IT WAS ALSO USED IN THE PARADES. THE HORSES WERE KEPT IN A DAIRY BARN (WHERE THE LETHBRIDGE LODGE IS NOW). MILK TRUCKS, LIKE THE ONE ON THE SEWING KIT, WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE HORSES IN THE LATE 1940S OR THE EARLY 1950S. NICOLE HEMBROFF CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH ON THE “TOPSY” BRAND. KEN AND NETTIE THINK IT WAS PRODUCED IN THE USA. KEN AND NICOLE FOUND IMAGES OF THE “TOPSY” MASCOT ON OTHER CHOCOLATE MILK PRODUCTS. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMAGERY USED TO DEPICT “TOPSY,” NICOLE SUSPECTS THE BRAND MIGHT HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE CHARACTER “TOPSY” IN UNCLE TOM’S CABIN BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE. SHE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A BRANDING TOOL FOR OTHER COMPANIES AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND INTO THE 50S. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A TOPSY CLUB, TOPSY ORANGE CRATE LABELS AND TOPSY TOBACCO. THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED IN UNCLE TOM’S CABIN IS “ONE OF THE BLACKEST OF HER RACE; AND HER ROUND SHINING EYES, GLITTERING AS GLASS BEADS, MOVED WITH QUICK AND RESTLESS GLANCES OVER EVERYTHING IN THE ROOM. HER MOUTH, HALF OPEN WITH ASTONISHMENT AT THE WONDERS OF THE NEW MAS'R'S PARLOR, DISPLAYED A WHITE AND BRILLIANT SET OF TEETH. HER WOOLLY HAIR WAS BRAIDED IN SUNDRY LITTLE TAILS, WHICH STUCK OUT IN EVERY DIRECTION. THE EXPRESSION OF HER FACE WAS AN ODD MIXTURE OF SHREWDNESS AND CUNNING, OVER WHICH WAS ODDLY DRAWN, LIKE A KIND OF VEIL, AN EXPRESSION OF THE MOST DOLEFUL GRAVITY AND SOLEMNITY. SHE WAS DRESSED IN A SINGLE FILTHY, RAGGED GARMENT, MADE OF BAGGING; AND STOOD WITH HER HANDS DEMURELY FOLDED BEFORE HER.” IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT THE “TOPSY” ON THE CHOCOLATE DRINK IS MAKING REFERENCE TO THE “TOPSY” IN THE BOOK. SEE PERMANENT FILE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PURITY DAIRY SEE PREVIOUS DONATIONS P20070013001-19. SEE ARCHIVES FOR IMAGES OF PURITY DAIRY.

Catalogue Number

P20090014000

Acquisition Date

2009-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail