Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1977

Date Range To

2000

Materials

COTTON

No. Pieces

5

Length

68.9

Width

106.5

Description

MEZOSEGI STYLE OF DRESS. .1: BLOUSE. MANUFACTURED. WHITE, THREE-QUARTER LENGTH SLEEVE, BUTTON-UP, TRIMMED IN LACE. BAND COLLAR, TRIMMED WITH A THIN BAND OF WHITE LACE. SLEEVES HEMMED WITH TWO RUFFLES OF WHITE LACE AND EACH BAND OF LACE IS 12.5 CM WIDE. BLOUSE CLOSES IN THE FRONT WITH 5 BUTTONS. PLACKET TRIMMED WITH THE SAME LACE FOUND AT THE COLLAR. REMNANTS OF A BLACK LABEL FOUND AT THE BACK OF NECK, INSIDE BLOUSE. L: 68.9CM W: 106.5CM OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION. .2: UNDERSKIRT. HANDMADE. IVORY COLOURED, APPROXIMATELY KNEE LENGTH, WITH MACHINE-MADE LACE DETAILING ALONG HEM. CLOSES AT WAIST WITH TWO VERY LONG IVORY COLOURED BIAS TAPE TIES, ONE OF WHICH IS 109.0 CM LONG, THE OTHER IS 136.0 CM LONG. TO INCREASE FULLNESS OF THE UNDERSKIRT, THERE IS A 27.5 CM WIDE RUFFLE ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT. THIS RUFFLE AND THE HEM LINE ARE BOTH TRIMMED IN A FLORAL PATTERNED LACE. L: 56.2CM W: 87.7CM OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. LACE TRIM HAS COME UNDONE AT THE FRONT OF THE SKIRT, ON THE UPPER RUFFLE AND ESPECIALLY ON THE LOWER RUFFLE. .3: VEST. HANDMADE. PINK AND YELLOW FLOWERS WITH GREENERY ON MAROON BACKGROUND, CLOSES IN FRONT WITH BLACK VELCRO, CROPPED LENGTH. TRIMMED WITH PINK CREPE AROUND NECKLINE AND AROUND ARMS. BAND OF PINK CREPE AROUND EACH SHOULDER STRAP, CREATING A SLIGHT SWEETHEART NECKLINE. THE SAME PINK CREPE IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEST AT THE HEM. L: 46.0CM W: 48.2CM OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION. .4: OVERSKIRT. HANDMADE. PINK AND YELLOW FLOWERS WITH GREENERY ON MAROON BACKGROUND, SEVERAL STRIPS OF FABRIC OR RIBBON ALONG HEMLINE OF SKIRT. ACCORDION PLEATS MAKE FOR A VERY FULL SKIRT. CLOSES AT WAIST WITH WHITE VELCRO AND MAROON BIAS TAPE TIES, ONE OF WHICH IS 91.5 CM LONG, THE OTHER IS 92.5 CM LONG. STRIPES OF FABRIC OR RIBBON START 24.0 CM FROM BOTTOM OF SKIRT. THE FIRST STRIP IS MADE OF YELLOW SATIN FABRIC, THEN A THIN SECTION OF THE SKIRT FABRIC. NEXT IS A 10.7 CM WIDE STRIP OF PINK: A THIN SATIN RIBBON OF LIGHT PINK IS SEWN ONTO THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF A PIECE OF DARKER PINK CREPE, MUCH LIKE THAT FOUND ON THE TRIM OF THE VEST (P20150038002.3). BELOW THE TWO-TONED PINK STRIPE IS ANOTHER STRIP OF SKIRT FABRIC. THEN THERE IS A STRIP OF YELLOW SATIN RIBBON, BABY BLUE SATIN RIBBON, AND FINALLY AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE HEMLINE, A STRIP OF RED SATIN RIBBON. WIDTH OF SKIRT IS MEASURED ALONG HEM. THE SKIRT IS 69.0 CM WIDE WITH THE PLEATS PRESSED CLOSELY TOGETHER. SKIRT IS 287.5 CM WIDE WHEN THE PLEATS ARE FLATTENED. L: 65.0CM W: 287.5CM OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION. .5 APRON. HANDMADE. WHITE, EYELET LACE, COTTON, TWO VERTICAL RIBBON STRIPS ON FRONT. THREE PANEL CONSTRUCTION. FLORAL PATTERNED EYELET LACE, WITH MORE FLOWERS TOWARDS THE HEMLINE OF THE APRON. CENTRE PANEL IS SOLID FABRIC AT THE WAISTBAND. SIDE PANELS ARE EYELET LACE. SIDES AND BOTTOM OF APRON HAVE A SCALLOPED CUTOUT LACE EDGING. VERTICAL STRIPS ARE WHITE RIBBON WITH MACHINE EMBROIDERED RED ROSES. WAISTBAND TIES HAVE SAME EYELET LACE AND SCALLOPING. L:53.2CM W: 185.0CM OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. YELLOW STAINING ON FRONT OF APRON BETWEEN THE TWO VERTICAL STRIPES, AS WELL AS ON THE WEARER’S LEFT SIDE, TOWARDS THE HEMLINE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM A VARIETY OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DONOR, MARIA JOKUTY, CONDUCTED BY KEVIN MACLEAN IN DECEMBER 2015, AND A BOOKLET ENTITLED “REMEMBRANCES OF OUR JOURNEY.” A DESCRIPTION OF MARIA’S EMBROIDERY AND SEWING WORK, THE HISTORY OF THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA, AND THE JOKUTY’S JOURNEY TO CANADA CAN BE FOUND BELOW THE HISTORY OF THE ARTIFACTS. .1: BLOUSE. MARIA INDICATED THAT THIS ITEM OF CLOTHING IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SHE DIDN'T MAKE HERSELF. SHE DID ADD THE LACE RUFFLE TO THE SLEEVE. .4: OVER SKIRT. MARIA INDICATED IN HER INTERVIEW THAT THE PLEATING ALLOWED THE SKIRT TO FLARE WHEN THE DANCER SPINS: "THE SKIRT, WHEN YOU DANCE WITH THE SKIRT, WHEN YOU SPIN, THE GIRL SPINNING, YOU KNOW, IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL. BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO EVERYTHING HOMEMADE. I MADE IT, OKAY, AND SENT IT TO MONTREAL FOR SPECIAL PRESSING, YOU KNOW, BUT LOOK AT THAT.” MARIA BEGAN WORKING ON 16 DANCE OUTFITS IN 1977 AND IT TOOK HER “THREE-FOUR YEARS TO DO IT. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I DESIGNED THE FLOWERS, AND THEN YOU KNOW THE EMBROIDERY, AND TO PUT IT TOGETHER WAS A VERY HARD JOB.” MAKING THE DANCE COSTUMES WAS IMPORTANT TO MARIA “BECAUSE [SHE] WAS PROUD OF BEING HUNGARIAN AND [SHE] WANTED TO SHOW SOMETHING DIFFERENT.” SHE LEARNED TO EMBROIDER AT THE AGE OF 12/13 FROM A NEIGHBOUR NAMED MARISSA IN HUNGARY. MARIA THINKS THAT MARISSA WAS ABOUT 25/26 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE TAUGHT MARIA HOW TO EMBROIDER. MARIA GETS A GREAT DEAL OF ENJOYMENT SEEING HER CREATIONS ON DANCERS WHILE THEY COMPETE: “VERY IMPORTANT. YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE ME. YOU PUT ALL ENERGY INTO IT TO BE ABLE TO FINISH IT AND THAT – BECAUSE HAPPINESS WAS WHEN THE GIRLS, THEY WAS DANCING ON A STAGE AND THEY’VE ALL GOT THE COSTUMES. YOU KNOW WHAT, WOW! YOU JUST CAN’T EX – I CAN’T EXPLAIN TO YOU.” MARIA GOT SOME OF HER PATTERNS FOR EMBROIDERY FROM THE EDMONTON HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY AND LATER RETURNED TO HUNGARY TO IMPROVE HER SKILLS, AS WELL AS TO LEARN HOW TO DO MACHINE EMBROIDERY. MARIA AND HER HUSBAND, CHESTER, RETURNED TO HUNGARY ABOUT 3 TIMES, STAYING EACH TIME FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS SO THAT MARIA COULD IMPROVE HER SKILLS. IN ADDITION TO CREATING THE COSTUMES, MARIA ALSO CARED FOR THEM, ENSURING THEY WERE AVAILABLE WHEN A DANCER WOULD NEED TO WEAR THEM: “YES, I WAS IN CHARGE. DRY CLEANING, WASHING, AND EVERYTHING. I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, LONG YEARS UNTIL WE MOVED AND THEN WE DIDN’T HAVE NO ROOM. AND THEN WE HAD A MEETING, THEY WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEM, ‘CAUSE YOU SHOULD’VE SEEN THE GIRLS THEY WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, “NO, MRS. JOKUTY, YOU TAKE GOOD CARE!” AND I DID.” ACCORDING TO CHESTER (GEZA) JOKUTY’S OBITUARY, CHESTER AND MARIA WERE MARRIED IN HUNGARY ON OCTOBER 3, 1949. CHESTER SERVED IN THE HUNGARIAN ARMY IN 1940, WAS TAKEN PRISONER BY THE RUSSIANS IN 1945, AND HELD PRISONER IN RUSSIA FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. IN THE BOOKLET “REMEMBRANCES OF OUR JOURNEY” MARIA INDICATES THAT CHESTER WAS NOT KEEN TO REMAIN IN HUNGARY FOLLOWING THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION, BECAUSE OF HIS TREATMENT AT THE HANDS OF THE RUSSIANS. SAID MARIA: “SO, ON NOVEMBER 4TH [1956], WE DECIDED WE WOULD LEAVE … SO WE GATHERED OUR FAMILY AND MY MOTHER AND BEGAN WALKING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TOWARDS AUSTRIA – ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR’S WALK FROM WHERE WE LIVED.” THE JOKUTY FAMILY REMAINED IN AUSTRIA FOR 6 MONTHS, WHERE MARIA RECALLS BEING WELL TREATED. THEY LEFT AUSTRIA AND ARRIVED IN ST. JOHN, NB AFTER A 12 DAY CROSSING, ON APRIL 22, 1957. AFTER A LONG TRAIN RIDE, THEY ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE. SHORTLY AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL THEY BEGAN WORK AS FARM LABOURERS IN THE SUGAR BEET FIELDS. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON OCTOBER 29, 1979 HAD THE FOLLOWING TO SAY ABOUT THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION: “DESCRIBED SIMPLY, THE REVOLUTION ESTABLISHED A GOVERNMENT THAT TRIED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SOVIET UNION’S INFLUENCE. THE SOVIET UNION, SUBSEQUENTLY, SENT ARMED TROOPS INTO HUNGARY TO REASSERT ITS INFLUENCE. IN THE AFTERMATH, MANY PEOPLE FLED, ABOUT 37,000 TO CANADA ACCORDING TO FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION STATISTICS … CHESTER JOKUTY OF THE ASSOCIATION SAID ABOUT 2,000 PERSONS OF HUNGARIAN ORIGINS LIVE IN LETHBRIDGE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.” MARIA INDICATED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH THE COURSE OF HER INTERVIEW THAT LIFE WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE JOKUTY FAMILY WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE. THE FAMILY’S FIRST ACCOMMODATIONS LEFT LITTLE TO BE DESIRED: “WE DIDN’T HAVE RUNNING WATER, TOILET, WE HAVE TO PULL THE WATER FROM THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND CHOP THE WOOD TO MAKE BREAKFAST. AND WINTERTIME, WE WAS SCARED TO DEATH THAT KIDS, WE’LL FREEZE TO DEATH. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO STAY UP, OR MY HUSBAND DID TO BE SURE THE WOOD, YOU KNOW THE STOVE IN THE KITCHEN – ONLY THING – THAT GIVE US A LITTLE BIT WARMTH. IT WAS VERY, VERY HARD.” MARIA RECALLS HAVING TO HITCH HIKE TO GET GROCERIES AND RELIED ON THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS TO GET HOME AGAIN: “AND NO CAR. YOU KNOW WHAT I DID? WE WAS SO HUNGRY, SO I SAID I HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE. MY HUSBAND WAS WORKING AND KIDS WAS IN MCNALLY SCHOOL AND THEN I WENT ON THE ROAD, PUT MY HAND UP, AND WHATEVER HAPPENED, HAPPENED ... THEY DROP ME ON 5TH AVENUE SOMEWHERE, OR SAFEWAY, THEY DROP ME OVER THERE, BUT I HEARD THAT LOTS OF HUNGARIAN BACHELORS AND PEOPLE GO TO THE GARDEN HOTEL DRINKING BEER. SO WHEN I WENT OVER THERE, I COULDN’T SPEAK ENGLISH, SO THEN I LISTENED TO THE LANGUAGES WHERE I HEAR THE HUNGARIAN LANGUAGES. SO THEN I HEARD IT, AND I WENT AND I INTRODUCED MYSELF, WHO I AM, AND, “WE ARE ON THE SUGAR BEETS SOWING, WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP US? I NEED A GROCERY, WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP US …?” AND THEY FIND US SOMEBODY WHO WAS DRIVING, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NAME, WHAT THE NAME WAS, BECAUSE LONG TIME AGO, THEY GOT MY GROCERY IN THE CAR AND TOOK ME TO THE FARM FREE. CAN YOU IMAGINE? I WISH I COULD GIVE HIM A BIG HUG AND THANKFUL.” CHESTER’S OBITUARY INDICATES THAT HE “WAS A VERY PROUD HUNGARIAN AND A FOUNDING LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA IN 1977 AND SERVED AS PRESIDENT FOR TEN YEARS. HE ALSO WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA ETHNIC ASSOCIATION IN 1977.” IN A HERALD ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 14, 1989, MARGARET GUGYELKA (SECRETARY OF THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY) INDICATED THAT THE SOCIETY STARTED IN 1977: “’THERE WAS AN OLDTIMERS’ GROUP BEFORE THAT, BUT IT WAS MORE LIKE A FRATERNITY … THE SOCIETY WAS STARTED BY A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO CARRY ON HUNGARIAN TRADITIONS.’” AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2, 1983 INDICATES THAT THE SOCIETY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE WESTERN CANADIAN HUNGARIAN FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL. IN THE ARTICLE, CHESTER SAID THAT THE “FESTIVAL IS NOT A COMPETITION BUT RATHER AN EVENT DESIGNED TO KEEP CULTURAL HERITAGE ALIVE AND DANCE GROUPS IN TOUCH … JOKUTY SAYS HUNGARIAN DANCING HAS PROVEN ‘VERY, VERY POPULAR’ BECAUSE OF THE VARIETY OF DANCES – 46 IN ALL OF AT THE 1982 FESTIVAL HELD IN LETHBRIDGE – AND THE COLOURFUL COSTUMES UNIQUE TO EACH PROVINCE. THE COSTUMES HAVE PROVEN TO BE A BIG EXPENSE FOR THE SOCIETY SINCE ONE OUTFIT CAN COST UP TO $600 TO MAKE. MADE TO MEASURE BOOTS FROM MONTREAL ARE AS MUCH AS $150.” MARIA LAMENTS THAT THE SOCIETY ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THERE SIMPLY ISN’T THE VOLUNTEER LABOUR FORCE TO CONTINUE DOING ALL THAT THE SOCIETY USED TO: “EVERY YEAR BEFORE CHRISTMAS WE USED TO MAKE FOUR THOUSAND, FIVE THOUSAND CABBAGE ROLLS AND WE ADVERTISE, WE LET THE PEOPLE KNOW YOU HAVE TO PUT THE NAME AHEAD AND YOU HAVE TO COME PICK. ALL DAY WE WAS WORKING, BUT FIVE O’CLOCK, SIX O’CLOCK PEOPLE CAME AND TAKE [THE CABBAGE ROLLS] BECAUSE WE USED TO HAVE IT IN A BILL KERGAN CENTER, AND OVER THERE IS WALK-IN COLLER. BUT NOW, THIS YEAR [2015], NO CABBAGE ROLLS AND PEOPLE ARE DISAPPOINTED, BUT WE DON’T HAVE NO VOLUNTEERS. YOU KNOW, GOLDEN YEARS CATCH UP WITH PEOPLE.” SEE PERMANENT RECORD FOR COPIES OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES, THE BOOKLET ENTITLED “REMEMBRANCES OF OUR JOURNEY” AND FOR A TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW.

Catalogue Number

P20150038002

Acquisition Date

2015-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail