Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1985

Materials

METAL, GLASS, CORK

No. Pieces

3

Height

34.5

Width

27

Diameter

21.5

Description

A: LARGE, GREEN AND SILVER PORTABLE THERMAL JUG. MAIN BODY OF THE JUG IS FOREST GREEN, WITH THE UPPER PORTION MADE OF SILVER COLOURED METAL. LARGE SILVER HANDLE ON SIDE AND TWO SILVER POSTS OPPOSITE EACH OTHER, (POSSIBLY FOR A STRAP TO BE ATTACHED). INTERIOR IS LINED WITH GLASS. "WILLOUGHBY" WRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER ON BOTTOM. B: REMOVABLE LID IS METAL AND CORK, WITH A METAL SECTION ON THE INSIDE TO PROTECT THE CORK FROM THE LIQUID WITHIN. ADJUSTABLE HANDLE ON TOP HAS A BOLT THAT CAN BE SCREWED INTO THE LID, TO KEEP THE LID IN PLACE. C: SMALL CORK STOPPER IN THE SPOUT ON THE LID. JUG HAS BEEN WELL USED. GREEN PORTION IS IN GOOD CONDITION, WITH ONLY A FEW SPOTS WHERE THE FINISH HAS WORN OFF. UPPER SILVER PORTION HAS SEVERAL SEVERAL DENTS, SCUFF MARKS, AND A LARGE DRIP OF GREY PAINT. SIDE HANDLE HAS A YELLOW SUBSTANCE ON THE METAL. CORK IN LID DARK AND DISCOLOURED ON LOWER PORTION. INTERIOR METAL PORTION OF LID HAS COME AWAY FROM THE CORK SLIGHTLY. CORK STOPPER WELL WORN AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN HAND CARVED, POSSIBLY FROM A WINE CORK. INTERIOR GLASS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

LEISURE

History

THIS WATER COOLER/THERMAL JUG USUALLY HELD LEMONADE, EITHER FROZEN OR POWERED “LEMON SQUASH”. IN AN ORAL INTERVIEW WITH THE DONOR, BARB CAVERS, AND HER SISTER KIT MCRAE, CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN IN JULY 2015, BARB RECALLED THAT “DAD WOULD SELL POWDERED LEMON SQUASH. HE HAD A BIN OF IT IN THE BASEMENT OF THE STORE … HE WOULD PROVIDE IT FOR THE SOUTHMINSTER SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNICS … BUT WE HAD THE FROZEN LEMONADE TOO, THAT WAS A TREAT.” BARB ELABORATED FURTHER IN A SHORT HISTORY SHE WROTE, SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF DONATION, SAYING: "WE WOULD HAVE LEMONADE IN THE BIG GREEN THERMOS, WITH ANOTHER THERMOS OF COFFEE FOR MUM. COKES WERE ALWAYS A TREAT. WE WOULD HAVE BUNS FROM ERICKSEN’S AND CARROT AND CELERY STICKS. THERE WAS OFTEN POTATO SALAD, BUT I DIDN’T CARE FOR IT. THERE WAS ALWAYS DESSERT, EVEN ON PICNICS – USUALLY HOMEMADE COOKIES. I’M SURE THERE WAS MORE, AS MUM WAS A GREAT COOK, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT STAND OUT.” THIS WATER COOLER IS PART OF A PICNIC SET, WHICH WAS USED BY THE WILLOUGHBY FAMILY, BEGINNING IN THE 1950s UNTIL THE 1980s. GEORGE AND JEAN WOULD TAKE THEIR DAUGHTERS, BARB AND KIT (CATHERINE), FOR PICNICS IN THE SUMMER, ON SUNDAYS. THE FAMILY OUTINGS WERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GEORGE TO RELAX FOLLOWING A LONG WORK WEEK. THE PICNICS WERE A CHANCE FOR GEORGE TO “GET OUT IN HIS NICE CAR AND GO FOR A DRIVE”, ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PASTTIMES. PICNICS WERE HELD IN VARIOUS PLACES, INCLUDING LITTLE BOW, CHAIN LAKES, WILLOW CREEK CAMPGROUND, PARK LAKE, WATERTON NATIONAL PARK, AND THE ST. MARY’S DAM. IN HER NARRATIVE HISTORY, SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF DONATION, BARB CONTINUED: “OUR SUNDAY DRIVES TOOK US TO MANY PLACES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. EARLY TRIPS WERE TO THE ST. MARY RIVER. WE WOULD PUT ON OUR SNEAKERS AND WADE ACROSS THE RIVER TO THE HUGE SAND BAR, WHERE WE WOULD PLAY IN THE SAND FOR HOURS.” IN HER NARRATIVE HISTORY, BARB EXPLAINED THAT “OUR PICNIC MEALS WERE OFTEN QUITE ELABORATE. MUM WOULD BE UP EARLY MAKING FRIED CHICKEN, WHICH SHE WOULD PACK IN A SMALL ROUND ROASTER AND WRAP IT IN NEWSPAPER BEFORE PACKING IT INTO A CARDBOARD BOX, WHERE IT WOULD STAY WARM FOR SEVERAL HOURS. OTHER PICNICS MIGHT BE JUST SANDWICHES INSTEAD OF THE CHICKEN. I REMEMBER SLICED CHICKEN, TUNA SALAD, AND CHEESE IN DOUBLE DECKER SANDWICHES, AND OF COURSE, PEANUT BUTTER AND CRABAPPLE JELLY WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER." ACCORDING TO JEAN’S OBITUARY, GEORGE AND JEAN WERE CLASSMATES IN THE FACULTY OF PHARMACY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THEIR DEGREES, THEY WERE MARRIED IN EDMONTON IN SEPTEMBER 1941. THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1948 WITH THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS AND OPERATED WILLOUGHBY DRUGS (LATER KNOWN AS THE MARQUIS DRUGSTORE), LOCATED IN THE MARQUIS HOTEL. JEAN RENEWED HER PHARMACIST LICENSE IN 1961 AND SHE AND GEORGE WORKED TOGETHER UNTIL 1980, WHEN THEY RETIRED. GEORGE PASSED AWAY IN 2005 AT THE AGE OF 90 AND JEAN IN 2009 AT THE AGE OF 93. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WILLOUGHBY FAMILY.

Catalogue Number

P20100049001

Acquisition Date

2010-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail