Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1980

Materials

WICKER, LEATHER, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

24.3

Length

51.5

Width

38.7

Description

RECTANGULAR, UNPAINTED WICKER PICNIC BASKET. TWO ADJUSTABLE HANDLES, ATTACHED TO BASKET WITH WICKER. HINGED LID, CLOSES WITH SIMPLE HOOK AND EYE CLOSURE. THERE ARE TWO THIN LEATHER STRIPS, WITH METAL BUCKLES, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LID. THESE STRAPS CONTINUE INTO THE BASKET AND HOLD A WOODEN ORGANIZATION INSERT TO THE UNDERSIDE THE INSIDE OF THE LID. INSERT HAS LEATHER STRAPS FOR PLATES AND CUTLERY. TWO PIECES OF LEATHER, AT EITHER END OF BASKET, ATTACH LID TO BASE. OVERALL IN VERY GOOD/EXCELLENT CONDITION. FRONT LEFT HANDLE ATTACHED WITH LEATHER STRING, RATHER THAN WICKER. BACK RIGHT HANDLE HAS A FEW SPOTS OF WHITE PAINT. LEATHER STRAPS HAVE A FEW MOISTURE STAINS.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

LEISURE

History

THIS PICNIC BASKET WAS USED TO HOLD ALL OF THE GLASSES, DISHES, TABLECLOTH, ETC. NECESSARY FOR A PICNIC. IN AN ORAL INTERVIEW WITH THE DONOR, BARB CAVERS, AND HER SISTER KIT MCRAE, CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN IN JULY 2015, BARB RECALLED THAT “WE DIDN’T HAVE THIS WHEN WE WERE KIDS … THEY ACQUIRED THAT, I THINK, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING FAMILY PICNICS IN THE ‘70s, ‘80s.” IN A SHORT NARRATIVE HISTORY, SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF DONATION, BARB EXPLAIND THAT "I DON'T HAVE AS MANY MEMORIES OF THE PICNIC BASKET, AS I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED AFTER I LEFT HOME. IN MY CHILDHOOD, OUR PLATES AND OTHER SUPPLIES WERE SIMPLY PACKED IN A CARDBOARD BOX." THESE PICNIC ITEMS WERE 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 A CHANCE FOR GEORGE TO RELAX FOLLOWING A LONG WORK WEEK. THE PICNICS WERE AN OPPORTUNITY 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, SAYING: “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

P20100049003

Acquisition Date

2010-11

Collection

Museum

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