Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1985

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

15

Length

17.0

Width

16.0

Description

A-P: OFF-WHITE PAPER NAPKINS. IMPRINTED INTO THE NAPKIN IS A FLORAL DESIGN: TWO FLOWERS WITH STEMS AND LEAVES IN THE CORNER, WITH A SCALLOPED DESIGN FORMING AN "L" AROUND THE FLOWERS. THE FLOWERS HAVE SIX PRIMARY PETALS WITH AN INNER RING OF TEN PETALS. BACKGROUND PATTERN OF NAPKIN IS FLORAL AS WELL, WITH MANY SMALL PETALS AND FLOWERS. NAPKINS UNFOLD TWICE TO MAKE A LARGER ROUGHLY SQUARE SHAPE THAT IS 31.6CM X 33.8CM. EXCELLENT CONDITION. NAPKINS HAVE YELLOWED SLIGHTLY WITH AGE.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

LEISURE

History

THESE NAPKINS 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

P20100049015

Acquisition Date

2010-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail