Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“SILVA LTD. TORONTO”

Date Range From

1958

Date Range To

1963

Materials

PLASTIC, TIN

No. Pieces

1

Height

1.75

Length

5

Width

7.5

Description

SILVER-COLOURED METAL RING MOUNTED TO A RECTAGULAR PIECE OF CLEAR PLASTIC. OUTER RING PERIMETER IS MEASURED WITH BLACK LINES AND NUMBERS, AND INNER RING PERIMETER WITH LINES, DOTS, AND THE LETTERS “N E S W”. AT THE RING’S CENTRE, BEHIND GLASS, A METAL ARROW WITH A RED TIP IS BALANCED ON A CENTRAL POST, ALLOWING IT TO SPIN. BELOW THE METAL ARROW IS TEXT READING “RED END OF NEEDLE NORTH” AND A GRAPHIC OF AN ARROW, IN BLACK. CLEAR PLASTIC BASE IS MEASURED WITH RED LINES AND NUMBERS, AND AN ARROW GRAPHIC AT CENTRE TOP WITH TEXT READING “DIRECTION OF TRAVEL”. RED TEXT ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE OF PLASTIC BASE READS “REG.US PAT.OFF. – SILVA SYSTEM”. SOME DISCOLOURATION ALONG LEFT EDGE OF PLASTIC BASE; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

SURVEYING & NAVIGATIONAL T&E

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

THIS NECK SCARF BELONGED TO THE DONOR, DON CHAPMAN. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE CHAPMAN FAMILY WAS PROVIDED BY THE DONOR AT THE TIME OF DONATION. THE CHAPMANS RESIDED IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1958 TO 1963. THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE FROM LACOMBE, ALBERTA, AFTER DON’S FATHER STUART ACCEPTED THE POSITION OF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE GALT REHABILITATION CENTRE, LOCATED IN THE OLD GALT HOSPITAL BUILDING. IN 1963 THE FAMILY MOVED TO LANGLEY, B.C. WHERE STUART BECAME THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE LANGLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. WHILE IN LETHBRIDGE, DON WAS ACTIVE IN BOY SCOUTS, ATTAINING QUEEN’S SCOUT STATUS AND BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF TWO LETHBRIDGE SCOUTS TO TRAVEL TO NEW MEXICO ON AN “ADVENTURE TRIP” IN 1963. ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED DON CHAPMAN ABOUT HIS FAMILY’S TIME IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEMORIES RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC DONATED OBJECTS. CHAPMAN SAID: “I WAS BORN IN 1947 AND WE CAME [TO LETHBRIDGE] BECAUSE MY FATHER GOT A JOB HERE… IT WAS EXCITING. WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE LETHBRIDGE WAS… IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, FINALLY THE FAMILY IS GETTING A FINANCIAL FOOTING AND THERE WAS A CAREER PATH AHEAD… THE MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE WAS KIND OF LIKE A NEW START… CERTAINLY FOR ME, LETHBRIDGE WAS FORMATIVE YEARS… SCOUTING WAS A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING IN MY LIFE, I WAS QUITE COMMITTED TO IT… IT WAS A WAY TO LEARN FUNDAMENTAL LIFE SKILLS AND MEMBERSHIP… YOU WOULD LEARN WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN A GROUP, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ON A TEAM… I BELONGED TO THE 14TH LETHBRIDGE SCOUT TROOP AND IT WAS CENTERED IN THE MCKILLOP UNITED CHURCH… A LOT OF IT WAS CENTERED AROUND AN ANNUAL CAMP. WE WOULD GO OUT FOR AT LEAST A WEEK… INTO THE EASTERN SLOPE OF THE ROCKIES… YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO COOK… YOU HAD TO LEARN SURVIVAL SKILLS, YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO TIE KNOTS, SINGING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AT MEETINGS… IT WAS KIND OF A FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.” OF THIS OBJECT, CHAPMAN SAID: “THAT COMPASS IS NOT RELATED TO THE [NEW MEXICO] TRIP, BUT [IS] RELATED TO MY NORMAL SCOUTING… AS I PROGRESSED, YOU ARE DOING MAP READING AND ORIENTATION [USING THE COMPASS].” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS REPORTING ON CHAPMAN’S NEW MEXICO TRIP.

Catalogue Number

P20140034010

Acquisition Date

2014-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail