DIAPER

Description: SQUARE PIECE OF WHITE LINEN CLOTH. ONE EDGE IS FACTORY-FINISHED; OPPOSITE EDGE IS FRAYED. THE TWO REMAINING EDGES ARE HEMMED WITH MACHINE STITCHING. GENERAL CREASING FROM PREVIOUS FOLDING. MINOR DISCOLOURATIONS THROUGHOUT; SMALL DOTS OF BROWN STAINING AT CENTRE.

History: ON APRIL 4, 2013, COLLECTION TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE DONOR, GWEN KLONE, ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD ON HER FAMILY’S FARM NEAR BARONS, ALBERTA AND THE TWO RELATED OBJECTS SHE DONATED TO THE GALT: A CLOTH DIAPER (P20130016001-GA) AND A BABY CARRIAGE (P20130016002-GA). KLONE SAID: “I FEEL THAT WE GREW UP IN THE BEST POSSIBLE ERA. IN THE BEST POSSIBLE PLACE, TO BE RAISED ON A FARM WAS ABSOLUTELY GREAT. WE FOUND OUR OWN FUN.” REGARDING THIS ARTIFACT, KLONE SAID: “THIS WAS A DIAPER… IT LOOKS LIKE [IT WAS MADE FROM A] FLOUR SACK… [MY MOTHER] SHE JUST SAVED… IT WAS IN MY MUM’S TRUNK AND I KNEW IT WAS THERE. WE ALWAYS KNEW THESE THINGS WERE THERE… IT MEANT SOMETHING TO THEM, SENTIMENTAL… MY MUM AND DAD SAVED PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING. WE’VE STILL GOT OUR ORIGINAL CRIBS… THEY SAVED IT FOR US TO SAVE… IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD TO JUST SHARE. JUST SHARE. IT IS PART OF OUR LIFE AND NOW IT IS PART OF HISTORY. TIME SNUCK UP ON US AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT’S THIS MANY YEARS LATER. I MEAN, WE ARE GOING ON TO SEVENTY. THIS STUFF IS STILL HERE.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR A COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW.