Material Type

Artifact

Date

1894

Materials

WOOD, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Length

27.0

Diameter

2.2(HANDLE)

Description

CLAMP STYLE STEEL TONG. WOODEN HANDLE, PAINTED BLACK.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

FROM MCKELVIE ESTATE. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A PAIR OF EYEGLASSES DONATED BY A.L. MCKELVIE’S ESTATE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. ALEXANDER LORNE MCKELVIE WAS BORN IN 1875 IN STE. JULIE, QC AND MOVED WEST GRADUALLY WITH HIS FAMILY. THE MCKELVIE FAMILY INITIALLY MOVED TO ONTARIO, THEN BRANDON, MB IN 1882. BY 1900, ALEXANDER WAS IN EDMONTON, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS, WORKING AT A WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE. HE THEN SPENT ABOUT A YEAR IN CALGARY, FINALLY ARRIVING IN LETHBRIDGE IN APRIL 1902 TO WORK FOR THE BENTLEY COMPANY, A DEPARTMENT STORE IN THE CITY. IN 1905, ALEXANDER WENT INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH A.R. MCGUIRE AND THE TWO OPERATED A MENSWEAR STORE UNTIL 1918 WHEN THE PARTNERSHIP DISSOLVED. BOTH MEN CONTINUED IN THE MENSWEAR BUSINESS, WITH ALEXANDER ESTABLISHING HIS SUCCESSFUL “MCKELVIE’S” BUSINESS IN THE ALBERTA BLOCK ON 5TH STREET SOUTH, FOUR DOORS NORTH OF THE ALEXANDRA HOTEL. HE REMAINED IN BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION FOR 28 YEARS, RETIRING IN 1947, HAVING SOLD THE BUSINESS TO TWO WELL-KNOWN CLERKS OF THE SHOP, JOHN BLACK AND FRANK WALKER. IN TOTAL, ALEXANDER SPENT 42 YEARS AS A CITY MERCHANT. ALEXANDER WAS THE SON OF JOHN D. MCKELVIE, WHO PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 88 IN AUGUST 1910. HE HAD BEEN A RESIDENT OF BRANDON, MB FROM 1882 UNTIL ONLY A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO HIS DEATH. HE WAS INTERRED IN BRANDON. ALEXANDER DIED AT THE AGE OF 90 IN AUGUST 1965 AND LEFT A $3,000 BEQUEST TO THE LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL, TO BE USED TO PURCHASE FURNISHINGS FOR THE PATIENT ROOMS. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. *UPDATE* IN A 2018 AUDIT OF THE COLLECTION, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK RESEARCHED INFORMATION ABOUT THE DONOR'S NEXT-OF-KIN. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.

Catalogue Number

P19651822000

Acquisition Date

1965-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail