Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“WATERTON LAKES” HAT

Date Range From

1990

Date Range To

1993

Materials

CANVAS, COTTON, LEATHERETTE

No. Pieces

1

Height

12.5

Length

23

Width

22.5

Description

SAILOR-STYLE HAT WITH BLACK BRIM AND BAND, AND WHITE CANVAS UPPER. SQUARE BLACK PATCH AT CENTRE PEAK EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD THREAD IN A LIFE PRESERVER AND ANCHOR DESIGN. TEXT ALONG BAND READS “WATERTON LAKES CANADA” IN YELLOW, FLANKED BY ANCHOR SYMBOLS. LIGHT WATER STAINING ON WHITE CANVAS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

TRANSPORTATION

PROFESSIONS

History

THE COLLECTION OF OBJECTS BELONGING TO THE MEISSER FAMILY WAS DONATED BY JUDY WRIGHT, NIECE OF LOWELL MEISSER, WHO OPERATED A FARM OUTSIDE WARNER WITH HIS BROTHER ROME AS THE ‘MEISSER BROS’ FROM 1929 TO 1946. JUDY’S MOTHER WAS THE SISTER OF LOWELL’S WIFE ELINOR, AND SHE SPENT MUCH OF HER CHILDHOOD LIVING WITH THEM AND ROME MEISSER, DUE TO HER MOTHER BEING UNWELL. IN HER LATER ADULT LIFE, JUDY TOOK CARE OF “UNC” ROME AT HIS WATERTON RESIDENCE, AND BECAUSE ROME AND HIS BROTHER LOWELL DID NOT HAVE ANY LIVING DIRECT DESCENDANTS, JUDY WAS LEFT THE FAMILY BELONGINGS WHEN ROME DIED IN 2004. SEE RECORD P20130004001 FOR THE MEISSER FAMILY HISTORY. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ARTIFACT WAS EXTRACTED FROM AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH THE DONOR BY COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON NOVEMBER 14, 2013, AS WELL AS FROM A DOCUMENT WRITTEN BY HER AT THE TIME OF THE DONATION. WRIGHT SAID: “THIS CAP WAS WORN BY ROME MEISSER’S GREAT NEPHEW, JEFFRY [GRANDSON OF LOWELL MEISSER, SON OF JERALD MEISSER], WHEN HE WAS AN INTERPRETER ON THE [M.V.] INTERNATIONAL BOAT IN WATERTON IN THE SUMMER OF 1992…THEY JUST THOUGHT HE WAS AN ENTERTAINER ON THE BOAT. HE WAS JUST REALLY PERSONABLE… HE WORKED IN THE PIZZA PLACE IN WATERTON WHEN IT WAS IN THE HOUSE… [JEFFRY] SPENT LOTS OF SUMMERS IN WATERTON WITH AUNT AND UNCLE [HIS GRANDPARENTS, ELINOR AND LOWELL]… HE WAS REALLY INTO MUSIC… A VERY FASCINATING GUY… WHEN MY AUNT [ELINOR] DIED IN ’92, HE CAME RIGHT UP TO LIVE WITH MY UNCLE [UNTIL JEFFRY] BOUGHT HIS HOUSE IN PINCHER… HE LIVED AT YARROW CREEK, JUST HALFWAY BETWEEN WATERTON AND PINCHER CREEK… BUT HE WAS STILL VERY MUCH AT EVERY CHRISTMAS AND EVERY EVENT… HE WAS STILL VERY MUCH A PART OF MY UNCLE’S LIFE… HE KILLED HIMSELF IN A CAR ACCIDENT… AND WHEN WE GOT THE NEWS THAT HE DIED, MY UNCLE [ROME] JUST WENT ‘THAT’S THE END OF THE MEISSER NAME. THERE’S NO MORE MEISSERS.’” ACCORDING TO THE SHIPS' LOGS OF THE WATERTON BOAT CO. INC. - THE COMPANY WHICH OWNS AND MANAGES THE MOTOR VESSEL INTERNATIONAL - JEFFRY MEISSER PERFORMED NO OFFICIAL, PAID SERVICE ABOARD THE M.V. INTERNATIONAL, INCLUDING DURING THE PRE- AND POST-REPAIR SEASONS. THE LOGS OF THE MOTOR VESSEL INTERNATIONAL LIST THE NAMES OF THE CAPTAIN AND CREW FOR EVERY VOYAGE. IN THE PRE- AND POST-SEASONS (SPRING AND FALL), WHEN REPAIRS ARE DONE TO THE VESSEL, THE LOGS LIST THE SHIPWRIGHT AS WELL AS HIS/HER HELPERS. THE LOGS ARE IN THE CARE OF ROD KRETZ, COMPANY DIRECTOR AND OPERATIONS MANAGER. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR A FULL TRANSCIPT OF THE INTERVIEW, WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION ON THE MEISSER FAMILY BY JUDY WRIGHT AND ROME MEISSER, OBITUARIES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAMILY MEMBERS, AND FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT EACH ARTIFACT COMPRISING THE DONATION.

Catalogue Number

P20130004004

Acquisition Date

2013-03

Collection

Museum

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