Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"QUEEN MARY" BURNER

Date Range From

1952

Date Range To

1959

Materials

GLASS, BRASS

No. Pieces

2

Height

29

Diameter

16

Description

A: GLASS KEROSENE LAMP THAT HAS A FROSTED GLASS OIL LAMP BODY, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO A RED BASE. ON OIL LAMP BODY, THERE ARE 10 BLACK SCOTTISH TERRIERS PAINTED AROUND THE DIAMETER OF THE LAMP. THERE IS A METAL COLLAR AND BURNER WITH FOUR PRONGS ATTACHED TO HOLD THE REMOVABLE, GLASS CHIMNEY IN PLACE. THERE IS A USED WICK IN THE BURNER. IT SAYS, “QUEEN MARY” ON THE BURNER. THERE ARE SEAMS CONNECTING THE GLASS AT BOTH SIDES FOR THE LAMP BODY AND THE BASE. THE BODY SEAMS AND THE BASE SEAMS DO NOT MEET. ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LAMP THERE IS AN EMBOSSED VINE DESIGN. GOOD CONDITION. REGULAR WEAR AT THE TOP INCLUDING SLIGHT RUSTING AND BURN MARKS. THERE IS A SMALL SCRATCH TO THE LEFT OF GLASS SEAM ON THE BASE. B: GLASS, LAMP CHIMNEY WITH 22 CM IN HEIGHT AND A TOP DIAMETER OF 5 CM AND A BOTTOM DIAMETER OF 7.4 CM. GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

LIGHTING DEVICE

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ON 26 OCTOBER 2016, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH DIANE CÔTÉ (NEE ULLY), WHO DONATED A KEROSENE LAMP THAT HAD BEEN USED THROUGHOUT HER CHILDHOOD. THIS LAMP WAS USED ON THE ULLY FAMILY FARM IN PICTURE BUTTE, AND LATER WHEN THE FAMILY MOVED TO FISHBURN IN THE PINCHER CREEK AREA. IT WAS FINALLY BROUGHT TO THE HOME WHERE CÔTÉ’S PARENTS, FREDRICK CARL ULLY AND SAIMI MARY ULLY, RETIRED IN THE TOWN OF PINCHER CREEK. CÔTÉ RECALLS, “YOU KNOW I DON’T EVEN REMEMBER IF WE HAD POWER AT PICTURE BUTTE, BUT I DON’T THINK WE DID… THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK ABOUT FROM THERE IS WE HAD SEPARATE BEDROOMS IN PICTURE BUTTE. AND I COULD SEE [MY MOM] GOING INTO MOM AND DAD’S BEDROOM WITH [THE LAMP] ONE NIGHT, BUT THAT’S ALL I SEE.” CÔTÉ REMEMBERS THE LAMP’S PRESENCE ON THEIR FARM IN THE PINCHER CREEK AREA AFTER MOVING THERE IN 1952: “I CAN STILL HEAR MY MOTHER SAYING TO ME, ‘YOU DON’T TOUCH THAT LAMP,’ JUST AS PLAIN AS IF IT WAS YESTERDAY. SHE SAID SHE WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT A FIRE. I WAS TEN WHEN WE MOVED [TO FISHBURN. I LATER REALIZED SHE WAS RIGHT; I WAS] PROBABLY NOT RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE LAMP, IN CASE IT DROPPED OR [IF I] BROKE IT. WE ONLY HAD A TWO BEDROOM HOUSE, AND I HAD A BROTHER, SO I SLEPT WITH MY MOTHER AND MY BROTHER SLEPT WITH MY DAD… I REMEMBER MY MOTHER CARRYING [THE LAMP] AROUND A LOT. WHEN I THINK OF HER, I THINK OF THE LAMP TOO. EVERY NIGHT AT BEDTIME, SHE AND I WERE USUALLY THE LAST ONES TO GO TO BED, SO I REMEMBER SHE PICKED UP THE LAMP [OFF THE KITCHEN TABLE] AND WE TROTTED OFF TO BED… WE DID THAT TRIP SO MANY TIMES - EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. THAT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME…” “WHEN WE FIRST MOVED [TO FISHBURN], IT WAS [THE ONLY SOURCE OF LIGHT IN THE HOUSE]. THEN LATER ON, THEY GOT A CAMPING LAMP THAT [HAD] A HANDLE. THE HOUSE WE MOVED [INTO] WAS AN OLD, OLD, OLD LOG HOUSE. I THINK IT WAS 100 YEARS OLD WHEN WE MOVED INTO IT. IT HAD THE ACTUAL LOGS. THEY WEREN’T PLANED; THEY WERE JUST THE ACTUAL LOGS WITH WHITEWASH ON THEM. HE PUT A THING UP THERE, SO THEN WE COULD LIGHT THIS LAMP UP AND HANG IT UP ON THE ROOF. I DON’T REMEMBER WHEN WE GOT POWER. I REMEMBER THEM PUTTING THE POSTS UP IN MY YARD, BUT I DON’T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS. I WOULD THINK SOMEWHERE IN THE ‘50’S, AFTER THAT, AFTER WE GOT THAT LAMP, THEN THIS ONE WASN’T USED AS MUCH, BUT IT WAS STILL SITTING ON MY DRESSER… THAT WAS NORMAL FOR US, UNTIL DAD GOT THE ONE HE PUT IN THE ROOF. THE ONLY THING THE ONE ON THE ROOF DID WAS GIVE US WAY MORE LIGHT. OUR TABLE WAS HERE AND OUR CUPBOARD WAS WAY OVER [THERE], SO IF [THIS LAMP] WAS THE ONLY LIGHT YOU HAD, AND YOU NEEDED LIGHT, YOU HAD TO TAKE THAT FROM [HERE] TO THE CUPBOARD TO SEE WHAT YOU WERE DOING. THE OTHER LAMP PROVIDED US WITH LIGHT THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE TO MOVE, YOU COULD JUST TURN IT ON AND OFF.” CÔTÉ’S PARENTS THEN MOVED TO PINCHER CREEK, WHERE THE LAMP WAS MOVED WITH THEM. WHEN ASKED WHEN THEY MOVED, COTÉ RESPONDED, “PROBABLY 1970 OR ’71.” CÔTÉ ACQUIRED THE LAMP AFTER THE PASSING OF HER FATHER ON JANUARY 9, 2012. “YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE THE STUFF THEY HAD IN THEIR HOUSE. THEY GREW UP IN THE DIRTY THIRTIES, SO THEY COLLECTED EVERYTHING… I KNOW, PRIOR TO MY MOM’S PASSING [ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2004], THEY HAD A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE. AND THE SPARE BEDROOM AT THE BACK, [THE LANTERN] WAS SITTING ON THE DRESSER THERE.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT, THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARIES FOR FRED AND SAIMI ULLY, AND FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Catalogue Number

P20160037000

Acquisition Date

2016-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail