Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1985

Materials

MELAMINE

No. Pieces

2

Height

2.0

Diameter

24.5

Description

MEDIUM-DARK ORANGE MELAMINE DINNER PLATES. PLATES HAVE NO LIP (NO FLAT OUTER EDGE) AND ARE SLIGHTLY CONCAVE, ESPECIALLY AT THE RIM. UNDERSIDE OF PLATE HAS A CIRCLE WITH A DIAMTER OF 16.7CM, WHICH RAISES THE PLATE SLIGHTLY. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM OF PLATE: "DORCHESTER DINNERWARE". A: VERY GOOD CONDITION. THERE ARE A FEW SMALL SCRATCHES ON THE EATING SURFACE OF THE PLATE. THESE APPEAR WHITE IN COLOUR. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL SMALL BLACK SPOTS ON THE SURFACE. B: VERY GOOD CONDITION. THERE ARE THREE RAISED DARK STAINS NEAR THE RIM OF THE PLATE. (IF THE FACE OF THE PLATE WERE A CLOCK, THE STAINS ARE AT APPROXIMATELY 2PM, ASSUMING ONE USES THE EMBOSSED "DORCHESTER DINNERWARE" TO DETERMINE WHICH WAY IS UP.)

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

LEISURE

History

THESE PLATES ARE 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. IN AN ORAL INTERVIEW WITH THE DONOR (BARB) AND HER SISTER KIT MCRAE, CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN IN JULY 2015, BARB RECALLS THAT 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

P20100049005

Acquisition Date

2010-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail