Material Type

Artifact

Date

1920

Materials

METAL, WOOD, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Length

31.7

Description

A: CURLING IRON: 12 CM METAL CURLING ROD WITH 20 RIDGES APPROXIMATELY 5 MM DEEP AND SPACED APPROXIMATELY 5 MM APART ON ONE SIDE AND THE OPPOSING SIDE IS SMOOTH WITH “SUBPEDO” MARKED ON IT. THE ROD TAPERS TO A POINT AT THE TOP. THE ROD IS SURROUNDED BY A CLASP THAT IS MARKED WITH “MADE IN CANADA” AND “MARCEL WAVER COMPANY OF CANADA”. IT IS ALSO MARKED "LE BIJOU PAT. FEB. 3 - 20". A LEVER WITH A BLACK WOODEN HANDLE EXTENDS THE CURLING ROD FROM THE CLASP. SCISSOR-STYLE HANDLES WITH ONE BLACK WOODEN END THAT IS 9.5 CM IN LENGTH AND ONE METAL END THAT IS 7 CM IN LENGTH OPEN AND CLOSE THE CLASP. A 2-PRONG ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR IS ATTACHED TO THE SMOOTH SIDE OF THE ROD. OVERALL LENGTH OF THE IRON IS 31.7 CM. B: ELECTRICAL CORD: APPROX. 172 CM IN LENGTH. BURGUNDY, CLOTH-BOUND CORD WITH ROUND, BROWN PLASTIC PLUG AT ONE END, AND BROWN ADAPTOR AT THE OTHER. GOOD CONDITION. SOME CHARRING NEAR THE TOP END OF THE CURLING ROD. THERE IS SLIGHT WEAR OF THE LETTERING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CLASP AND SOME RUSTING NEAR THE HINGES. THE ELECTRICAL CORD IS FRAYING IN SOME AREAS AND THERE ARE WIRES EXPOSED ON THE PLUG.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

IN THE EARLY 1970S, ANGELINA OWENS, CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE CURLING IRON WHEN HER MOTHER, FILOMENA COSTANZO, MOVED OUT OF HER HOUSE LOCATED IN BLAIRMORE, ALBERTA. IN AN INTERVIEW, CONDUCTED BY COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN IN FEBRUARY 2016, OWENS PROVIDED FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIFACT. “[THE CURLING IRON] WAS MY MOTHER’S AND IT WAS IN A DRAWER DOWN IN THE BASEMENT. IT HAD TO BE THERE MANY, MANY YEARS … IT WAS USED ONLY FOR THE FRONT OF HER HAIR, TO MAKE LITTLE WAVES. … WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I ALWAYS USED TO LIKE TO WATCH HER DO HER HAIR. SHE WAS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT HER HAIR. SHE WORE IT IN A BUN IN THE BACK BUT SHE ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE THESE LITTLE KINKS IN THE FRONT. SHE NEVER HESITATED TO GO AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE HOW SHE LOOKED WITH HER HAIR. I USED TO TELL MY SISTER, 'WELL, THERE GOES YOUR MOTHER, JUST LOOKING AT HERSELF.' THAT’S ABOUT IT.” FILOMENA COSTANZO CAME TO CANADA FROM ITALY, MARRYING ANGELO RUSTO – THE DONOR’S FATHER. AS AN ITALIAN WOMAN LIVING IN BLAIRMORE, COSTANZO TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN HER APPEARANCE. OWEN CONTINUED, “... I LIVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY WERE ALL KINDS OF NATIONALITIES. WE HAD LIKE A LITTLE UNITED NATIONS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN SOUTH OF THE TRACKS IN THE CROWSNEST PASS, IN BLAIRMORE. THERE WASN’T TOO MANY ITALIANS IN THAT AREA, BUT THERE WAS SCOTCH, ENGLISH, ANY KIND OF NATIONALITY … SHE ALWAYS WORE A LITTLE APRON; SHE NEVER WENT WITHOUT HER LITTLE APRON. NO, A VERY, VERY - HOW WOULD YOU SAY? ALWAYS NICELY DRESSED AND CLEAN. A SHORT LITTLE WRAITH. HER LITTLE HAIR IN THE BUN AND SHE’D GO THROUGH THE BACK ALLEY OR SHE’D GO AND VISIT SOME OF HER ITALIAN FRIENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SHE’D GO VISITING THEM WITH HER LITTLE APRON AND LITTLE WAVES … IN MY MIND, MY MOTHER WAS SPECIAL. SHE WAS NEVER ENVIOUS OF ANY OF THE OTHER LADIES. [SHE] KEPT TO HER SORT OF [ITALIAN] ROOTS.” THIS ARTIFACT IS A REMINDER OF THE DONOR’S MOTHER AND THE INFLUENCE SHE HAD ON OWENS OWN LIFE: “[MY MOTHER INFLUENCES] EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE. HER STRENGTH, HER APPEARANCE. SHE WAS STRONG. SHE MADE HERSELF UNDERSTOOD; SHE DIDN’T SPEAK PERFECT ENGLISH, BUT SHE COULD MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND IF THERE WAS SOMETHING SHE DID NOT LIKE. SHE STOOD UP TO WHATEVER SHE BELIEVED IN HER REALLY BROKEN ENGLISH. BUT SHE FIT IN." COSTANZO WAS THE LAST NAME FILOMENA TOOK IN HER SECOND MARRIAGE. COSTANZO PASSED AWAY IN BLAIRMORE IN 1992. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND THE OBITUARY OF FILOMENA COSTANZO, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20160002000

Acquisition Date

2016-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail