Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1951

Materials

LEATHER, BRONZE, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Length

76

Width

7

Description

DOUBLE-BUCKLED BROWN LEATHER BELT, FLOWER IN CENTER WITH FILIGREE DESIGN. TWO BUCKLES STAMPED “SOLID BRONZE.” 38 CM FROM BUCKLE TO BUCKLE ON ONE SIDE. BELT IS 2 CM IN WIDTH ON BACK AND MOST OF FRONT, FRONT CENTER DESIGN IS 7 CM AT WIDEST POINT. MINOR WEAR ON LEATHER AROUND BUCKLES FROM BENDING. FOUR BUCKLE HOLES ON EACH SIDE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2018, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED MIRIAM SMITH REGARDING HER DONATION OF A LEATHER BELT. THE BELT WAS GIVEN TO SMITH BY A RESEARCH STATION CO-WORKER NAMED ALEC JOHNSTONE, WHO DID LEATHER WORK. ON THE BELT, SMITH RECALLED, “[I FIRST ACQUIRED THE BELT] WHEN I WAS WORKING AT THE RESEARCH STATION. NOW, I THINK I GRADUATED IN’47, ’48…AND MY FIRST JOB WAS WITH THE ROYAL BANK. I WORKED THERE FOR A YEAR AND THEN I WENT OUT TO THE RESEARCH STATION. I WORKED FOR A FELLA BY THE NAME OF ARNOLD PLATT…I WAS IN THE RESEARCH STATION AND ALEC JOHNSTONE WORKED OVER IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM, WE USED TO CALL IT AT THE TIME, AND HE WAS DOING TOOL LEATHER WORK AND HE MADE ME THIS BELT AS A GIFT…” “WE WERE MORE RELAXED, WE DIDN’T DO THE THINGS THAT [THE OTHER WORKERS] DID…I ALWAYS REMEMBER ALEC JOHNSTONE, HE WAS A TALL, GOOD-LOOKING RED-HEADED FELLOW AND I USED TO THINK HE WAS PRETTY CUTE…HE MADE ME THIS BELT…I ASKED HIM [TO MAKE ME THIS BELT]…IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ’50, ’51…BUT HE WAS DOING TOOL LEATHER AND IT WAS REALLY VERY NICE, AND HE SHOWED ME AND I ASKED IF HE’D MAKE ME A BELT AND HE DID. HE DIDN’T EVEN CHARGE ME FOR IT. “[I WOULDN’T HAVE MUCH CONTACT WITH ALEC] BECAUSE HE WORKED ON THE EXPERIMENTAL SIDE, AND YOU KNOW MAYBE HE STOPPED IN ONCE IN A WHILE TO VISIT WITH ARNOLD PLATT OR SOMEBODY THAT WORKED THERE.” “I WORE [THE BELT] QUITE A LOT A LONG TIME AGO, BUT BELTS USED TO BE THE IN THING…I [HAVE] A DRAWER FULL OF BELTS AND I DON’T WEAR THEM…I USED TO WEAR IT WHEN I WENT TO WORK WITH A SKIRT YOU KNOW YOU…IT WAS LIKE A PIECE OF A NECKLACE.” SMITH ELABORATED ON HER TIME WORKING WITH THE RESEARCH STATION, NOTING, “THE REASON I WENT TO THE RESEARCH STATION IS MY GIRLFRIEND, HER NAME WAS IRA DORE, AND HER DAD, JOHN DORE, WORKED THERE AND ALICE HARPER, SHE WAS ALICE WAHL AT THAT TIME, HER AND I HAD BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT’S HOW I APPLIED AND GOT THE JOB AND IT WAS A VERY NICE JOB. GOT PICKED UP AT HOME AT 8:00[AM] GOT DRIVEN HOME AT 4:00[PM] OR 4:30[PM] AND WAS JUST REALLY A NICE PLACE. MET LOTS OF NICE PEOPLE…I WAS MARRIED IN ’52 AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WHEN YOU GOT MARRIED, AND IF YOU WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT ONCE YOU WERE MARRIED, YOU DIDN’T WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT ANYMORE, SO IT WOULD BE MAYBE IN [1949-1951] THAT I WORKED OUT THERE…[DOING] SECRETARIAL WORK.” “[THE RESEARCH STATION WAS WORKING ON] CEREALS, AND THEY WOULD PLANT DIFFERENT TYPES OF WHEAT AND BARLEY…AND CHECK IT AND SEE…I WAS IN THE...SCIENCE RESEARCH BUILDING BUT A LOT OF OUR WORKERS WERE OVER IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM…” “[THE RESEARCH STATION] WAS JUST A PLEASANT PLACE TO WORK. EVERYBODY WAS RELAXED AND PLANNED, THERE WAS A CAFETERIA [RUN BY NORA HAHN]…” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20180026000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20180026000

Acquisition Date

2018-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail