Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COMPLETE

Date Range From

1913

Date Range To

1920

Materials

LINEN, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Length

110.5

Description

SIZE 10. MID CALF LENGTH, WHITE. "MARGARET HAMILTON" LABEL IN NECK. LONG SLEEVES WITH FALSE CUFFS. SIX FRONT BUTTON HOLES, OVERLAPPED BODICE, TWO LARGE PATCH POCKETS ON SKIRT. SKIRT IS SLIGHTLY GATHERED AT WAIST. LIGHTER SPOT WITH SEW HOLES INDICATES THAT THERE WERE ONCE TWO MORE POCKETS DIRECTLY BENEATH POCKET ON SKIRT. TWO SMALL TEARS ON NECKLINE; ONE ON LEFT SIDE HAS BEEN REINFORCED WITH STITCHING. GENERALLY YELLOWED SLIGHTLY. SMALL HOLE IN FABRIC ON RIGHT SHOULDER; BLACK AREA NEAR NECKLINE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

WORN BY MARGARET HAMILTON, ONE OF THE STUDENTS IN THE 1ST GRADUATING CLASS OF THE GALT HOSPITAL IN 1915, UNDER DR. MEWBURN. COSTUME DATE IS ESTIMATED BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS, STYLE & DATE OF GRADUATION. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING PARTS OF A NURSING UNIFORM DONATED BY TILLY HAMILTON. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND THE PIONEER PEMMICAN CLUB ROUNDUP 1885-1985. MARGARET HAMILTON WAS BORN IN 1878 IN SINGHAMPTON, ON. SHE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WITH HER BROTHERS WILLIAM ALFRED HAMILTON AND JAMES FREDERICK HAMILTON. PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 90 ON FEBRUARY 11, 1969. MARGARET WAS PART OF THE 1915 GRADUATES OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING. IN AN ARTICLE FROM OCTOBER 20, 1962, MARGARET RECOUNTED SOME OF HER MEMORIES OF THE NURSING SCHOOL: “THERE WERE 15 OF US AT THE START OF THE COURSE, BUT ONLY THREE REMAINED TO GRADUATE. TOUGH AS THE TRAINING WAS, SEVER AS WERE THE CONDITIONS, I HAVE MANY HAPPY MEMORIES OF THE OLD RESIDENCE, NOW EVEN MORE MELLOWED WITH AGE.” SHE RECALLED “A 12-HOUR SHIFT WAS STANDARD PRACTICE AND ONLY HALF A DAY OUT OF EACH SEVEN WAS FREE.” THERE WERE STRICT RULES, ESPECIALLY GOVERNING CURFEW AND MARGARET REMEMBERS “THE FIRE ESCAPE WAS OFFICIALLY USED AS A MAKESHIFT CLOTHESLINE, BUT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION IT UNOFFICIALLY HELPED SMUGGLE LATE ARRIVALS SAFELY BACK INTO THE HOUSE BEFORE DAWN. THOSE NOT SO LUCKY WERE INSTANTLY DISMISSED FROM THE COURSE.” TO START THE COURSE “EACH GIRL HAD TO BRING TWO GINGHAM DRESSES, EIGHT LARGE FLOOR-LENGTH WHITE APRONS AND A GOOD SUPPLY OF PLAIN WHITE UNDERWEAR.” AN ARTICLE FROM JANUARY 8, 1915 LISTS THE THREE GRADUATES OF THE PROGRAM AS: “MISSES VIOLET ALEXANDRENA BEASLEY, MARGARET HAMILTON, AND BESSIE LOUISE COOK. … AFTER FOUR YEARS OF ARDUOUS WORK AND DILIGENT STUDY THESE YOUNG LADIES HAVE REALIZED THEIR FONDEST DREAM IN BEING OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS COMPETENT TO PRACTICE ONE OF THE NOBELEST PROFESSIONS THAT COMES WITHIN THE RANGE OF FEMININE POSSIBILITIES.” MARGET’S BROTHERS WERE ALSO WELL KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY: JAMES FREDERICK HAMILTON, AKA FRED, WAS BORN IN 1868 IN SINGHAMPTON, ON. IN 1901 FRED WAS IN MILK RIVER, AB, WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. IN 1902 HE HELPED TO SURVEY LAND TO BE IRRIGATED EAST OF CALGARY. IN 1907 FRED MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WORKED AS A LAND SURVEYOR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1962. HE PASSED AWAY IN JUNE 1963. WILLIAM ALFRED HAMILTON WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 14, 1867 IN SINGHAMPTON, ON. WILLIAM STUDIED IN HAMILTON, ON TO BECOME A TEACHER. IN 1899 WILLIAM HEADED WEST AT THE AGE OF 32, HAVING RESPONDED TO AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR TEACHERS IN LETHBRIDGE. WHEN HE ARRIVED, THERE WERE ONLY TWO SCHOOLS IN LETHBRIDGE AND HE WAS THE SIXTH TEACHER LISTED ON THE ROSTER. IN ADDITION TO TEACHING, WILLIAM WAS ALSO A POLICE MAGISTRATE FROM 1923 TO 1938. HE HAD A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HIM: HAMILTON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. WILLIAM PASSED AWAY IN MAY 1963. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND FROM THE PIONEER PEMMICAN CLUB ROUNDUP 1885-1985.

Catalogue Number

P19662323000

Acquisition Date

1966-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail