Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OFFICERS' JACKET

Date Range From

1915

Date Range To

1917

Materials

WOOL, METAL, FABRIC, LEATHER

No. Pieces

2

Length

85.5

Width

53

Description

A. BROWNISH GREEN WOOL COLLARED MILITARY SERVICE DRESS TUNIC WITH FIVE WOOD FRONT BUTTONS ATTACHED WITH LEATHER. THE TOP BUTTON LEATHER AWAY BROKE IN JANUARY 2022. THERE ARE FOUR FRONT POCKETS, TWO AT THE CHEST WITH PLEATS AND A SCALLOPED FLAP AND TWO BELOW THE WAIST. ALL POCKETS ARE CLOSED WITH WOOD AND LEATHER BUTTONS. AT THE CUFF OF EACH SLEEVE, THERE ARE DESIGNS WITH THREE LINES OF GREEN-BROWN TAPE WITH CREAM CHEVRONS. IN BETWEEN THE TAPE ARE TWO LINES OF EMBROIDERY IN GREEN. THE LINED DESIGN INTERSECTS WITH A THREE-POINTED SECTION WITH AN EMBROIDERED BROWN CROWN IN THE CENTRE. ABOVE THE UPPER POINT ON THE LEFT PROPER SLEEVE, THERE IS A 5 CM BROWN PIECE OF VERTICAL FABRIC WITH ORANGE AND GOLD EMBROIDERY. THE SLEEVES HAVE AN INNER CREAM COLOURED LINING. ON EACH SHOULDER THERE IS A LOOP SEWN AT ONE END AND ATTACHED WITH A WOOD AND LEATHER BUTTON NEAR THE COLLAR. THE INSIDE OF THE JACKET HAS A GREEN LINING THAT GOES FROM THE NECK TO THE WAIST. THE LINING HAS A JAGGED 3 CM TEAR OR CUT IN IT ABOVE THE PROPER RIGHT SLEEVE. ABOVE THE HOLE THERE ARE TWO SMALLER HORIZONTAL CUTS IN THE LINING AS WELL. AT THE CENTRE OF THE LINING ON THE BACK TO THE PROPER RIGHT OF THE MIDDLE SEAM, THE LINING FABRIC HAS SOME SMALL ABRASIONS. THE COLLAR OF THE JACKET HAS TWO GOLD METAL HOOKS ON THE RIGHT AND TWO METAL LOOPS AT THE LEFT FOR FASTENING. THEY ARE SLIGHTLY TARNISHED. THE INSIDE OF THE COLLAR HAS FIVE SILVER METAL PIECES. AT THE INSIDE BASE OF THE NECK THERE IS A HANGER LOOP AND TAGS. THE TOP TAG READS “HAWKES & CO.. I. SAVILE ROW. W.” IN BLACK ON WHITE FABRIC. THE LOWER TAG READS “J. WRIGHT” IN FADED BLACK INK ON WHITE TWILL TAPE STITCHED ON WITH LIGHT BROWN THREAD. UNDERNEATH THE “J. WRIGHT” TAG, THERE IS ANOTHER TAG CONCEALED THAT SAYS “MAJ A B STAFFORD” IN CURSIVE. ABOVE THE HEM ON THE RIGHT AT THE INSIDE OF THE JACKET, THERE IS A PINK 3 CM PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAYS “4534” IN BLACK INK. THE PAPER HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THE JACKET WITH TWO METAL STAPLES THAT CAN BE SEEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE JACKET. THE PAPER HAS CREASES. ON EACH SLEEVE ARM AT THE SHOULDER THERE IS A RECTANGULAR PIECE OF BLUE WOOL ATTACHED. ON THE BACK ON THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE WAIST AND AT THE TOP OF THE POCKETS, THERE IS ONE GOLD PRONGED BELT HOOK AT EACH SIDE. *UPDATE* WHILE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT BUTTON SECOND FROM THE BOTTOM WAS LOOSE. UPON INSPECTION IT APPEARS ONE HALF OF THE LEATHER LOOP ATTACHING IT TO THE JACKET HAS TORN SINCE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION, BUT IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE JACKET. B. 2 CM BROWN WOOD BUTTON WITH LEATHER ATTACHMENT, WHICH BROKE IN JANUARY 2022.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

ASSOCIATIONS

History

THIS UNIFORM TUNIC/JACKET WAS SELECTED FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS, POTENTIAL ACQUISITION BY THE GALT MUSEUM AS PART OF A LARGER DONATION OF ITEMS BY ‘PLAYGOERS OF LETHBRIDGE’ IN EARLY 2017. THE THEATRE WAS ABOUT TO UNDERGO AN EXPANSION, AND THE ORGANIZATION ASKED MUSEUM STAFF TO VISIT ITS THEATRE SITE TO EVALUATE/WITHDRAW COSTUME, PROP MATERIAL OF INTEREST. DURING EXAMINATION, GALT COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN DISCOVERED A HANDWRITTEN NAME UNDER A COLLAR LABEL OF A FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICER’S UNIFORM JACKET. THE LABEL RECORDED THE JACKET’S OWNER AS "MAJ. A. B. STAFFORD." IT IS UNKNOWN WHEN STAFFORD’S JACKET WAS DEPOSITED TO THE YATES COSTUME STORAGE. STAFFORD WAS BORN IN NOVA SCOTIA IN 1877. HE MARRIED MARY D. MACINTYRE OF LETHBRIDGE AND LATER ENLISTED TO FIGHT IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN DECEMBER 1915. HE WAS SENT TO EUROPE IN COMMAND OF THE 39TH BATTERY OF THE CANADIAN FIELD ARTILLERY AT THE RANK OF MAJOR. HE FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE IN APRIL 1917. MONTHS LATER, HE WAS CRITICALLY WOUNDED AT VIMY BY A GERMAN SHELL ON JUNE 23, 1917. HE DIED THE FOLLOWING DAY. HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE IS IN THE NOEUX-LES-MINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY. IN A MARCH 3RD, 2020, INTERVIEW, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN INTERVIEWED THREE LETHBRIDGE PLAYGOERS MEMBERS—GEORGE MANN, LINDA JOHNSON AND ELAINE JAGIELSKI. THEIR COMMENTS ON THE DONATED OBJECTS ARE PROVIDED BELOW. WHEN ASKED HOW OFTEN THE PRODUCTIONS BY THE PLAYGOERS WERE MILITARY-RELATED, LINDA RESPONDED: “AS FAR AS WE KNOW, IT HAS ONLY OCCURRED ONCE… GEORGE HAS THE PLAYS RIGHT FROM DAY ONE AND ONLY ONE OF THEM HAS A MILITARY BACKGROUND, AND THESE ITEMS MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED IN THAT PLAY.” GEORGE ELABORATED: “…I WAS A MEMBER OF PLAYGOERS BUT I WASN’T IN THAT PRODUCTION SO I DON’T HAVE THAT STRONG MEMORIES OF IT EITHER...IT WASN’T A REAL MILITARY SHOW, IT WAS A COMEDY ABOUT WAR.” LINDA SPOKE ABOUT HOW THE PLAYGOERS RECEIVED THE COSTUME PIECES AND WHY THEY OFFERED THE ITEMS TO THE GALT MUSEUM: “I THINK HOW WE CAME ABOUT THESE [COSTUME PIECES] WAS ON A REGULAR BASIS- BECAUSE WE HAVE…GENERAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE THESE ITEMS IN THEIR CLOSETS AND DECIDE THAT MAYBE, SOME ORGANIZATION COULD USE THEM IN SOME WAY… WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH ROOM FOR STORAGE SO WE HAVE A CAGE CLEAN OUT PERIODICALLY AND ... WE PROBABLY WEREN’T GOING TO BE USING THESE ANY TIME SOON BUT DON’T THROW THEM OUT...THERE IS HISTORY INVOLVED WITH THESE...IT ISN'T EVEN ON RECORD WHERE WE GOT THESE COSTUMES FROM." WHEN ASKED IF THE MILITARY JACKET COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN GIVEN TO THE PLAYGOERS BY SOMEONE WHO WAS DOING A CLOSET CLEAN OUT, GEORGE RESPONDED: “THAT WOULD BE IT, BECAUSE NO STAFFORD NAME EVER CAME UP IN PLAYGOERS.” ELAINE ADDED: “...SO ODDLY WE’VE HAD THESE THINGS IN OUR CARE BUT HAVEN’T REALLY UTILIZED THEM AND MAYBE THEY WERE USED ONCE AT SOME POINT BUT THAT’S EVEN QUESTIONABLE.” LINDA TALKED ABOUT THE PLAYGOERS COSTUME STORAGE IN THE GENEVIEVE E. YATES MEMORIAL CENTRE: “WE HAVE HAD STORAGE AREA IN THE YATES BASEMENT SINCE IT WAS BUILT...” GEORGE ADDED THE DATE THE CENTRE OPENED: “…IT WAS OPENED IN 1966.” ELAINE COMMENTED: “…THE VISION WAS TO ALWAYS HAVE PROVISIONS FOR PLAYGOERS TO HAVE STORAGE SPACE…” LINDA CONTINUED: “[IT WAS] GENEVIEVE YATES [IN] HER WILL. THAT PLAYGOERS BE ALLOWED TO HAVE STORAGE FOR THAT VERY THING.” FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPLEMENTARY MAJOR A.B. STAFFORD MEMORIAL CROSS MEDAL PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P20100001000. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING TO THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND REFERENCED ARTICLES, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20170006001.

Catalogue Number

P20170006001

Acquisition Date

2017-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail