Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NURSE'S, GALT HOSPITAL

Date Range From

1951

Date Range To

1953

Materials

WOOL, LINEN, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

4

Length

95.5

Width

111.0

Description

CAPE WITH TWO CLOSURES ON OUTSIDE OF CAPE, ONE ON INSIDE - 4 PIECES. NURSE’S CAPE, WOOL, NAVY BLUE. OUTSIDE IS PILLING. FOUR BUTTONS IN FRONT. SHIELD SHAPED PATCH ON PROPER LEFT SIDE WITH GREEN EMBROIDERED BORDER, NAVY BACKGROUND AND “GH” MARKED IN GOLD. COLLAR STANDS UP WITH A GAP IN THE MIDDLE. INSIDE OF CAPE IS RED, LABEL ON PROPER RIGHT MARKED “…BLAND…”, POCKET ON PROPER RIGHT HAND STITCHED “FUDGE.” CAPE FASTENED BY SET OF THREE CLOSURES, WOOL, NAVY BLUE, STUFFED, TWO BUTTON HOLES ON EACH END, ENDS OF BAND ARE POINTED. CLOSURES MEASURE 13.9 CM LONG BY 4.0 CM WIDE BY 0.9 CM DEEP.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

EDUCATION

HEALTH SERVICES

History

KEVIN MACLEAN, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN, CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH DONOR AKIKO KAMITAKAHARA (ANNIE/ANNE FUJIMAGARI OR "FUDGE") VIA TELEPHONE ON APRIL 23, 2010. ACCORDING TO AKIKO, SHE GOT THE CAPE IN HER SECOND OR THIRD YEAR. SHE SAID "I REMEMBER WEARING IT ON A GALT FLOAT IN THE MAY DAY PARADE... IT BECAME PART OF OUR UNIFORM WHENEVER WE ATTENDED FORMAL EVENTS." ADDITIONALLY, SHE WORE IT BETWEEN THE NURSE'S RESIDENCE AND THE HOSPITAL FACILITY ON COLD NIGHTS AS "A COAT," BUT IT WAS NEVER PART OF HER DAILY UNIFORM. WEARING THE CAPE, SHE "FELT LIKE A NURSE INSTEAD OF A 'PROBIE' OR A STUDENT." IT WAS "WORN WITH GREAT, GREAT PRIDE." FOLLOWING HER GRADUATION IT WAS STORED AWAY. LITTLE ELSE FROM HER STUDENT YEARS SURVIVED. KAMITAKAHARA ORIGINALLY WANTED TO BE A MUSICIAN OR A DANCER BUT THERE WERE NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN OF THAT OCCUPATION. SHE WENT INTO THE "GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING" (GSN) BECAUSE "IT WAS AFFORDABLE... I LOVE CARE GIVING AND ELDERLY PEOPLE." COMING FROM A "CULTURAL BACKGROUND... WE TOOK CARE OF OUR ELDERLY AND MY INTEREST IN NURSING WAS AN EXTENSION OF THAT." KAMITAKAHARA RECALLED THAT THE FIRST JAPANESE CANADIAN (JC) STUDENT TO ENTER THE GSN WAS AIMEE SASAKI WHO GRADUATED IN 1951. SHE CREDITS SASAKI'S ADMISSION INTO THE PROGRAM TO THE LEADERSHIP OF CLAUDIA TENNANT, DIRECTOR OF NURSING (1949-1969), WHO, ACCORDING TO KAMITAKAHARA, WAS HER MENTOR. "SHE (TENNANT) LOOKED AT YOU AS A PERSON AND NOT THE COLOUR OF YOUR SKIN." AIMEE APPLIED AND WAS INTERVIEWED AND CLAUDIA, IN HER ASSESSMENT OF AIMEE, FELT THAT SHE WAS A GOOD FIT. "NOT EVEREYONE COULD GET PAST THAT PREJUDICE." SHE SAID. SASAKI WOULD GRADUATE AS THE VALEDICTORIAN OF HER CLASS. HER ADMISSION TO THE GSN OPENED THE DOOR FOR OTHER JAPANESE STUDENTS TO ENTER THE PROGRAM. WHILE SASAKI WAS THE FIRST JC TO BE ADMITTED TO THE GSN, THE MEDICINE HAT GENERAL HOSPITAL'S SCHOOL OF NURSING WAS THE FIRST SCHOOL TO ACCEPT JC'S. MAY SHIMBASHI (GRADUATED IN 1949) AND HELEN IKEBUCHI (GRAD DATE UNKNOWN) FOUND WORK AT THE GALT HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR NURSING SCHOOL. HAVING GRADUATED IN 1953, KAMITAKAHARA FOUND EMPLOYMENT AT THE "CAMPBELL MEDICAL CLINIC." SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION. SEE ARCHIVES FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CLASS OF 1953 - 198000150000, 19841033000, 19941046008, 19981035083, 20001076001, 20011056001, AND 20011056002.

Catalogue Number

P20080024000

Acquisition Date

2008-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail