Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1949

Materials

WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Length

26

Width

7.8

Description

HANDMADE, WOODEN SOUP LADLE. FINISHED WITH WOOD VARNISH. IT HAS A SKINNY HANDLE THAT IS APPROX. 1 CM IN WIDTH. A HOLE HAS BEEN DRILLED AT THE END OF THE HANDLE. GOOD CONDITION. SEVERE STAINING/DARKENING AT THE BOWL OF THE SPOON. WOOD VARNISH IS CHIPPING ON OVERALL SURFACE OF THE SPOON.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

ETHNOGRAPHIC

DOMESTIC

History

THE KONKINS WERE A RUSSIAN-SPEAKING FAMILY FROM THE TOWN OF SHOULDICE, ALBERTA, NEAR CALGARY. THEY AND MANY OTHER RUSSIAN FAMILIES COMPOSED THAT TOWN’S DOUKHOBOR COLONY. IT WAS THERE WILLIAM KONKIN MARRIED ELIZABETH WISHLOW. IN 1928, THEIR DAUGHTER, ELSIE WAS BORN. THEY LATER MOVED TO A FARM IN VAUXHALL, ALBERTA. THE PRECEDING AND FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM A TWO-PART INTERVIEW WITH DONOR ELSIE MORRIS, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED BY COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2016. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COMES FROM FAMILY HISTORIES AND TEXTS PROVIDED BY THE DONOR. A FULL HISTORY OF THE KONKIN FAMILY CAN BE FOUND WITH THE RECORD P20160003001. A NOTE WRITTEN BY ELSIE MORRIS WAS ATTACHED TO THIS ARTIFACT AT THE TIME OF DONATION. IT EXPLAINED THAT THIS LADLE WAS HAND CARVED BY WILLIAM KONKIN C.1940. IN THE INTERVIEW MORRIS EXPLAINS: “OKAY THE LADLES ARE ALWAYS USED FOR LIFTING UP SOUP AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS TO BE A LIQUID. IT’S EASIER. THIS IS A SMALL ONE SO THEY WERE SMALLER HELPINGS OR WHATEVER IT WAS THAT YOU WERE DOING... THAT’S THE LAST ONE HE MADE.” OF THIS LADLE, MORRIS REMEMBERS: “OH JUST THAT WE ATE SOUP AND BORSCH WITH IT.” WILLIAM KONKIN MADE MANY ITEMS USED BY THE FAMILY AND CONSTRUCTED THE FAMILY HOMES OF VAUXHALL AND LETHBRIDGE. MORRIS STATES, ”SEE MY DAD WAS VERY GIFTED, I ONLY NOW APPRECIATING HIM.” PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, OBITUARIES, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND FAMILY HISTORIES.

Catalogue Number

P20160003003

Acquisition Date

2016-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail