Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GENUINE CANADA CENTENNIAL AIR 1967

Date

1967

Materials

TIN, PAPER, AIR

No. Pieces

1

Height

10

Diameter

6.81

Description

TIN CAN, UNOPENED. LABEL IS BLUE, RED, BLACK AND WHITE WITH TEXT THAT READS, “GENUINE CANADA CENTENNIAL AIR © 1967. GUARANTEED FRESH, NOTHING TO ADD, REFRIGERATION UNNECESSARY UNLESS USED IN WARM CLIMATE. CANNED IN CANADA 1967. FROM, ADDRESS 5¢ STAMP U.S.A. CANADA, FOREIGN EXTRA.” LINES FOR ADDRESSES. SIX WHITE CENTENNIAL LOGOS ON RED BACKGROUND AT THE BOTTOM WITH MAPLE LEAF MOTIF AND TEXT THAT READS, “1867 – 1967 CONFEDERATION.” TEXT AT BACK OF CAN READS, “NET WEIGHT OZ. NIL, DIRECTIONS FOR USE, PLACE OPENER IN POSITION AND POISE NOSTRILS AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO PUNCTURE. IN HALE VIGOROUSLY THE INVIGORATING AIR DIRECTLY INTO THE LUNGS. NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ONLY THOSE WITH A PROMINENT PROBOSCIS PERFORM THE ABOVE. ONCE OPENED GUARANTEE NULL AND VOID.” BOTTOM HAS STAMPED, “1867 1967.”

Subjects

MERCHANDISING T&E

CONTAINER

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

CAN WAS PURCHASED BY DONOR TREVOR BENNETT IN LETHBRIDGE'S CLUB CIGAR STORE. AT THE TIME OF DONATION, BENNETT SAID THAT, “EVERYONE WAS BUYING SOMETHING SILLY. AS I GOT OLDER I THOUGHT IT WAS EMBARRASSING. [THE CLUB CIGAR] WAS A GOOD PLACE TO BUY USEFUL PAPERBACKS IF YOU LOOKED ON THE BACK WALL. THEY HAD KIDS’ BOOKS ON THE RACK OF INTERMEDIATE BOOKS. THEY HAD THINGS SOUTHERN STATIONERS WOULDN’T CARRY. THEY HAD NOVELTIES ON THE SHELVES. AS I RECALL IT WAS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE NOVELTY THERE. I PURCHASED IT FOR NINETY-EIGHT CENTS, MAYBE. IT WAS ON A SHELF WAY UP HIGH NEAR THE CEILING. I LIKED THE IDEA THAT IT COULD BE PUT THROUGH THE MAIL AND THE POST OFFICE WOULD MAIL IT. IN 1967, I WAS IN GRADE TWELVE AND NINETEEN YEARS OLD. I RECALL MR. TRUDEAU CAME TO LETHBRIDGE, SIGNED THINGS, THE MAN NEVER STUCK AROUND, HIS EGO WAS TOO GREAT. I ALWAYS LIKED UNUSUAL THINGS. I CAN’T THINK WHY I BOUGHT SOMETHING SO ESSENTIALLY VALUELESS, BUT FUNNY.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: “…THIS WAS THE YEAR I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. AND I THINK ALL OF US GOT ONE OF THESE CANS OF AIR FROM OUR HOME ROOM TEACHER. WE HAD A TEACHER WITH A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. I [DISPLAYED] IT ON TOP OF THE PIANO. AND IT JUST DISAPPEARED. IT WAS JUST GONE ONE DAY. SOMEBODY WANTED IT MORE THAN I DID.” ON HOW THIS CAN WAS THEN IN THE MUSEUM, “IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO HIGH SCHOOL, YOU REALIZE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS TALK AND THEY SHARE THINGS AND I ASKED IF ANYONE HAD AN AIR CAN AND SOMEONE HAD IT SO I BOUGHT IT. [I DONATED IT] BECAUSE IT’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND I KNOW THIS MUSEUM HAS LOTS OF THINGS. SOME ARE EXPECTED AND SOME ARE NOT EXPECTED. SOME ARE KEPT JUST TO SHOW, JUST TO USE TO SHOW THAT PEOPLE THINK OF THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WHAT ONE PERSON THINKS AS VALUABLE ANOTHER THINKS IS JUNK. AND THAT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAN GO EITHER WAY. WE JUST HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT ONE DAY AND IT ENDED UP HERE. SOMEONE AGREED WITH MY SENSE OF HUMOR.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE P20060032001.

Catalogue Number

P20120035001

Acquisition Date

2012-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail