TRAY, BED

Description: A WHITE METAL BED TRAY WITH TWO FOLD IN WIRE LEGS. THE TRAY HAS THREE WALLS, THE TWO ON THE SIDE MERELY A WIRE RAIL. ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY, HANDWRITTEN IN GREEN INK ARE THE WORDS “WARD C 1923.” AND “1923 WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR.” THE TRAY IS 6 CM IN HEIGHT. FAIR CONDITION: MASKING TAPE IS ATTACHED TO THE LEGS AND THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY, RIPPED APART AND NO LONGER SECURING THE LEGS. THE WHITE PAINT IS SCRATCHED ALL OVER, PARTICULARLY ON THE LEGS AND EDGES.

History: UPON DONATION TO THE MUSEUM, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ASKED MEMBERS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING (GSN) ALUMNAE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN ANSWERS ON QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO EACH ARTIFACT DONATED IN THE COLLECTION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS COME FROM THOSE RESPONSES CORRESPONDING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ARTIFACT. THIS IS AN OVER BED TRAY USED FOR SERVING MEALS TO PATIENTS. THE INTENDED USER FOR THIS TYPE OF ARTIFACT WERE THE PATIENTS AND ONE COULD HAVE SEEN A TRAY OF THIS TYPE IN USE IN ANY OF THE HOSPITAL ROOMS. THIS TRAY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN USE FROM 1914 TO 1940. THIS ARTIFACT IS AMONG A COLLECTION DONATED NEAR THE END OF 2014, BEING THE SECOND WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS ACQUIRED THAT YEAR. WITH THE FIRST WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS COLLECTED IN SUMMER 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE PAST ARCHIVISTS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING COLLECTION, SHIRLEY HIGA, ELAINE HAMILTON, AND SUE KYLLO, ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GSN ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION AND THE HISTORY OF ARTIFACTS DONATED. FOR THAT INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO P20140006001. PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.