Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PEAKED CAP AND BADGE

Date Range From

1945

Date Range To

1977

Materials

POLYESTER, VINYL, NICKEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

13.2

Length

26.5

Width

23

Description

NAVY BLUE, CITY OF LETHBRIDGE METER REPAIRMAN’S CAP. METAL CREST WITH CROWN, LEAVES, OVAL AND SASH. TEXT ON CREST READS, “CITY OF LETHBRIDGE METER REPAIRMAN”. BRIM IS BLACK VINYL WITH GLOSSY SURFACE. BRIM IS FLANKED WITH TWO METAL BUTTONS ON WHICH ARE CROWNS AND TEXT WHICH READS, “POLICE FORCE”. MIDSECTION OF HAT HAS VINYL MESH. TOP OF HAT IS NAVY POLYESTER WITH BROWN STITCHING. INSIDE TOP IS LINED WITH RED POLYESTER WITH ADHESIVE RESIDUE IN THE CENTER.

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

PROFESSIONS

History

CAP AND BADGE BELONGED TO THE DONOR’S LATE HUSBAND JOSEPH (JOEY) EDWARD SKRUKWA. ON OCTOBER 2, 2012, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT DAVID SMITH MET WITH MARY SKRUKWA, THE FOLLOWING IS PARAPHRASED FROM THE INTERVIEW: “JOEY BEGAN DRIVING TRUCKS FOR THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE AFTER HE RETURNED FROM THE ARMY IN 1946. HE STARTED SOMETIME IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER. IN THOSE DAYS, STREET SWEEPING WAS DONE BY HAND. SOMEONE WOULD SWEEP THE STREET WITH A BIG BROOM AND LEAVE A PILE OF DIRT AND THE END. JOEY WORKED WITH ANOTHER MAN NAMED JOE WHO WOULD JUMP OUT OF THE TRUCK AND SHOVEL UP THE DIRT PILES. AT SOME POINT IN THE 1950S JOEY BEGAN READING METERS FOR THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. JOEY WAS A QUIET BUT FRIENDLY AND LIKABLE MAN. HE LOVED HIS WORK VERY MUCH AND WAS WELL LIKED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. THE ELDERLY CITIZENS HE ENCOUNTERED WOULD OFTEN ASK HIM TO DO OTHER ODD TASKS WHILE IN THEIR HOMES. FOR THE LAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS OF HIS TIME WITH THE CITY, HE BEGAN DOING WHAT WAS CALLED FINAL READINGS. THESE WERE TAKEN AS PEOPLE WERE MOVING OUT OF HOMES. HE RETIRED IN 1977 AT THE AGE OF 61 YEARS AND PASSED AWAY ONLY THREE YEARS LATER ON OCTOBER 14, 1980 AT THE AGE OF 64. HE WORKED 25 YEARS FOR THE CITY AND WAS AWARDED A WATCH AND RING UPON HIS RETIREMENT. JOEY RECEIVED THE HAT AFTER HE HAD FINISHED DRIVING TRUCK AND BEGAN READING METERS SOMETIME IN THE 1950S. IT WAS NECESSARY TO BE IDENTIFIED AS A CITY WORKER IF YOU WERE ENTERING THE HOMES OF CITIZENS. MARY RECALLS HER THREE CHILDREN PLAYING WITH THE HAT WHEN JOEY WAS OFF DUTY.” FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20100042002

Acquisition Date

2010-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail