PLATE, LICENSE

Description: FLAT PIECE OF METAL CUT INTO SHEILD SHAPE, BENT IN AT EDGES. STAMPED WITH TEXT READING “BICYCLE LICENSE 107 LETHBRIDGE 1940”. METAL BRACKET IS ATTACHED TO BACK OF PLATE WITH TWO SCREWS SQUARE WASHERS. GENERAL WEAR AND SCRATCHES; BLACK PAINT ON LETTERING IS WORN AWAY IN SOME AREAS. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

History: THIS BIKE LICENSE WAS COLLECTED BY ART DE JAGER, THE BROTHER OF THE DONOR, JERRY DE JAGER. ON NOVEMBER 25, 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED JERRY ABOUT THE LICENSE PLATE AND HIS BROTHER. JERRY SAID: “[ART] WAS A COLLECTOR OF ALMOST ANYTHING… EVER SINCE I WAS A SMALL CHILD, I KNEW HE WAS COLLECTING STUFF… AFTER HE PASSED ON THE FAMILY HAD TO CLEAN UP HIS APARTMENT… SO I TOOK SOME BOXES FULL OF STUFF AND IN THAT BOX I FOUND THIS BICYCLE LICENSE… I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE GOT IT, HOW LONG HE’S HAD IT, BUT THAT’S THE TYPE OF STUFF HE COLLECTED… [1940, THE YEAR ON THE LICENSE PLATE] WAS AT LEAST 12 TO 13 YEARS BEFORE WE CAME TO CANADA [FROM HOLLAND] SO IT WAS NOT A FAMILY OBJECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE… IT COULD HAVE BEEN ON A BIKE WHEN SOMEBODY IN THE FAMILY BOUGHT IT… I WAS QUITE SHOCKED WHEN I FOUND IT AND LOOKED AT THE DATE… I’M SURE BY THE TIME THE WAR STARTED [THEY] WERE NOT BEING MADE OUT OF THAT MATERIAL ANYMORE.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT.