Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BAR & PENDANT, "INTERNATIONAL DRY CONGRESS"

Date

1912

Materials

METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.5

Length

6.9

Width

4.4

Description

PIN, BAR AND PENDANT METAL, GOLD COLORED. BANNER SHAPED BAR WITH SCROLL WORK ON SIDES AND BOTTOM OF BORDER, LEAF IMAGE AT TOP CENTER OF BORDER, MARKED “SOUVENIR.” BROWN DISCOLORATION ON RIGHT SIDE OF BAR, MEDALLION HANGS FROM BAR, DEPICTS “EXPOSITION BLDG., 1912,” MARKED, “INTERNATIONAL DRY FARMING CONGRESS… CAN,” WREATH BORDER AT BOTTOM.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

ADORNMENT

Historical Association

AGRICULTURE

COMMEMORATIVE

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR, CARLA SAMUELS (NEE CURRIE), AT THE TIME OF DONATION, SHE ACQUIRED THE PIN IN 1991 UPON THE PASSING OF HER FATHER WALTER CURRIE. DONOR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PIN'S EXISTENCE PRIOR TO HER OWNERSHIP OF IT. SAMUELS WAS UNABLE TO GAIN CONTEXT FROM HER MOTHER WITH REGARD TO HER FATHER'S ACQUISITION AND OWNERSHIP OF THE PIN. SAMUELS' FATHER WAS THE SECRETARY FOR THE KNIGHTS OF PHYTHIAS (KOP) LODGE FROM THE LATE 1960'S TO THE EARLY 1970'S. IT IS PRESUMED HE ACCUMULATED THE MATERIAL AS A RESULT OF HIS MEMBERSHIP WITH THE KOP. ITEM WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY C. F. P. CONYBEARE. ON OCTOBER 21-26, 1912, THE 7TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DRY FARMING CONGRESS WAS HELD IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. IN 1911, THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE DID NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE ATTENDING THE CONGRESS (8400 LOCALS AND 5000 GUESTS). AS A RESULT, THE FAIR GROUNDS WERE MOVED FROM SOUTH OF THE "LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL" (ON THE CORNER OF 9TH AVE. AND 18TH ST. S.) TO THEIR CURRENT LOCATION (3401 PARKSIDE DRIVE SOUTH). THE NEWLY DESIGNED FAIR GROUNDS INCLUDED THE EXHIBITION PAVILLION. IN ADDITION, A STREET CAR SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED, HENDERSON PARK WAS BUILT AND THE CITY STREETS WERE PAVED. THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD (SEE ARCHIVES NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS) STATED THAT THE ROW OF EXHIBITS WAS OVER ONE MILE LONG. FIFTEEN FOREIGN COUNTRIES WERE REPRESENTED IN THE CONGRESS. GUESTS TO THE CONGRESS STAYED IN HOTELS, TEMPORARY DORMATORIES, TENTS AND HOMES. A TOTAL OF $1.5 MILLION WAS SPENT ON CIVIC IMPROVEMENTS. THE CONGRESS REPRESENTED THE LARGEST GATHERING OF AGRICULTURE EXPERTS IN NORTH AMERICA. SEE P20090021001 AND PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20090021006

Acquisition Date

2009-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail