Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

STEEL, VINYL

No. Pieces

1

Height

102.0

Length

61.0

Width

50.8

Description

4 LEGGED BASE. STEEL FRAME, ARMS, BACK. BACK AND FRAME PAINTED WHITE. HEADREST IS BLACK IMITATION LEATHER. CIRCULAR SEAT. SEAT COVER IS A REPLACEMENT PINK VINYL. ARMS SWING BACK AND FORTH.

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

ON LOAN TO CARDSTON MUSEUM? *UPDATE* THIS ARTIFACT WAS INCLUDED IN A 2010 PALLET RACKING SURVEY CONDUCTED BY NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT. ON OCTOBER 21, 2010 HEMBROFF MET WITH BRYAN BEERLING (SON OF LESLIE W. BEERLING) TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION FROM HIM ABOUT THIS ARTIFACT. ACCORDING TO BRYAN BEERLING, THE CHAIR (AS WELL AS A DENTAL SPUTUM BASIN) CAME FROM THE "MEDICAL AND DENTAL BUILDING" (PREVIOUSLY LOCATED AT 437 7TH ST. SOUTH). THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD STATES THAT ON JULY 14, 1954 AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE "LETHBRIDGE DENTAL LABORATORIES" LOCATED IN THE "MEDICAL AND DENTAL BUILDING." THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED WHEN A BOTTLE OF WAX SOLVENT (COMPOSED OF A 50/50 SOLUTION OF KEROSENE AND ETHER) WAS DROPPED AND THE FUMES IGNITED. ONE WOMAN, EDITH SHIELDS, DIED AND FOUR OTHERS WERE BURNED. SHEILDS' DRESS CAUGHT ON FIRE AND SHE DIED FROM BURNS THAT COVERED APPROXIMATELY 85% OF HER BODY. BEERLING SAID HIS FATHER, LESLIE BEERLING, ACQUIRED THE CHAIR AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPLOSION. ONE OF THE DENTISTS, DR. ELMO FLETCHER, GAVE IT TO LESLIE BEERLING IN ORDER FOR HIM TO REFURBISH IT. DR. FLETCHER WOULD HAVE KNOWN BEERLING DID THIS TYPE OF WORK THROUGH A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP THEY DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF BEERLING'S POSITION AT THE IMPERIAL SURGICAL/OPTICAL CO. BEYOND THAT, BRYAN BEERLING SAID, "DAD WAS A VERY SOCIABLE PERSON AND THE OPTOMETRISTS (AND OTHERS WHO DID BUSINESS WITH HIM) WERE MORE THAN CLIENTS FOR HIM, BUT ALSO FRIENDS. I REMEMBER GOING TO THEIR HOMES FOR SUPPER OR THEM COMING TO OURS FOR BBQS. DAD LOVED TO BBQ. HE WAS ALSO VERY ACTIVE IN THE LETHBRIDGE CURLING CLUB AND THE LETHBRIDGE FIGURE SKATING CLUB." ACCORDING TO BRYAN BEERLING, "DAD HAD A ROOM IN THE BASEMENT WHERE HE DID A LOT OF REFURBISHING. WINTER NIGHTS WERE TOO LONG FOR HIM. HE STARTED DOING IT IN THE 1950S. I ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM DOING THAT." LESLIE BEERLING ALWAYS REFURBISHED ITEMS OF A MEDICAL NATURE, FOR EXAMPLE, BRYAN BEERLING REMEMBERS HIM WORKING ON AN EXAMINATION TABLE. THE CHAIR TOOK HIM ABOUT THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TO REFURBISH. "HE DID IT OVER THE WINTER IN AROUND 1955 OR 1656." LATER, LESLIE BEERLING LIKELY TRIED TO SELL THE CHAIR. THIS WAS A DIFFICULT TASK BECAUSE AROUND THAT TIME HYDRAULIC CHAIRS WERE BECOMING POPULAR. HE WAS PROBABLY UNABLE TO SELL IT DUE TO THAT FACT THAT "DOCTORS ALWAYS WANTED THE BEST [I.E. HYDRAULIC CHAIRS]." BEERLING CONTINUED TO REFURBISH CHAIRS AND EQUIPMENT AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED. HE STOPPED DOING HIS HOBBY IN 1970 WHEN HE WAS SEMI-RETIRED. HE STAYED ON WITH IMPERIAL OPTICAL/SURGICAL CO. FOR A FEW YEARS AS AN ADVISOR UNTIL HE FULLY RETIRED IN 1973. LESLIE BEERLING PASSED AWAY IN 1978. SEE ALSO P19651980000 AND P19662020000. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION. SEE ARCHIVES 199210449001, 1994051404 to 19941051407.

Catalogue Number

P19662019000

Acquisition Date

1966-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail