MUFF

Description: MUFF AND DOLL COMBINED. YELLOW HAIR, FABRIC FACE WITH PAINTED DETAILS. FAUX FUR NAVY BLUE DRESS, BONNET. FADED RED RIBBON AROUND NECK. STRING TO BE WORN AROUND CHILD’S NECK TO HOLD THE DOLL WHEN HANDS ARE NOT IN THE MUFF. CREAM COLOURED FABRIC BEHIND BONNET AND INSIDE MUFF.

History: ITEMS CAME INTO THE DONOR’S POSSESSION IN 1990 FROM DONOR’S MOTHER [RUBY DAVEY (NEE DEROSIER AND PREVIOUSLY RUBY WEAVER)] DUE TO A MOVE WHICH REQUIRED DOWNSIZING. DONOR IS THE ONLY SURVIVING PROGENY OF DAVEY. OBJECTS DONATED WERE KEPT IN A TRUNK BELONGING TO THE DONOR’S LATE SISTER ESTHER WEAVER. DONOR HAS RETAINED THE TRUNK. ACCORDING TO THE MACLEOD GAZETTE FROM APRIL 21, 1944, ESTHER WEAVER DIED ON APRIL 13, 1944, AFTER SUFFERING FROM TYPHOID FEVER. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT SHE CONTRACTED THE TYPHOID FROM CONSUMING CONTAMINATED CHEESE. ACCORDING TO THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD FROM MAY 19, 1944, 65-70 CASES OF TYPHOID WERE DISCOVERED IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA WHEN A CHEESE PLANT BASED OUT OF MEDICINE HAT DISTRIBUTED A CONTAMINATED BATCH. CONCERNS ABOUT THE EPIDEMIC WERE RAISED IN OTTAWA AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WHEN DR. F. W. GERSHAW URGED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PASS A REGULATION ON MAY 18, 1944 OBLIGING CHEESE MAKERS TO PASTEURIZE RAW CHEESE TO KEEP IT IN STOCK A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME TO MAKE IT ‘SAFE’. ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, HER LATE SISTER PASSED AWAY IN 1944 AND “THE OBJECTS WERE PUT AWAY AND I DON’T KNOW IF SHE [HER MOTHER?] LOOKED AT THEM AGAIN”. DONOR REMEMBERS THE TRUNK IN THE BACK OF A CLOSET BUT NEVER ASKED TO LOOK AT IT. DONOR SAID IT WAS “NEVER OPENED IN MY MEMORY”. IN 1990 THE DONOR’S MOTHER SAID “THAT WAS YOUR SISTER’S” AND “NOT THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE”. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.