Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LAMB'S FUR

Date

1943

Materials

LAMB FUR, SATIN, BAKELITE

No. Pieces

1

Length

123

Width

81

Description

BLACK PERSIAN LAMB COAT HAS COLLAR WHICH HAS ROUNDED FLAPS. SLEEVES ARE LONG WITH FOLDED UP CUFFS THAT HAVE A POINT ON THE TOP OF THE ARM. COAT OPENS DOWN CENTRE AND FASTENS WITH ONE ROUND BLACK BAKELITE BUTTON WITH CORD LOOP UNDER COLLAR AND TWO LARGER ROUND BAKELITE BUTTONS THAT ARE DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTIONS EACH HAVING A PETAL ON IT AND CORD LOOPS IN MIDDLE OF JACKET BESIDE WELT POCKETS. IS LINED WITH BLACK SATIN. LINING HAS A HALF-ELLIPTICAL PIECE OF SATIN ON THE BACK OF THE NECK, AND HALF DIAMOND SHAPES UNDER THE ARM HOLES. UNDER RIGHT ARM HOLE ARE TWO BLACK SATIN TIES, IT APPEARS THE ONES ON THE LEFT HAVE RIPPED OFF. FUR SHOWS MINOR SIGNS OF WEAR, LINING HAS A FEW MINOR RUNS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

COAT WAS MADE FOR DONOR'S MOTHER, MARGARET (BREWSTER) HUSTAD IN 1943 OR 1944. DONOR SUSPECTS BY A LOCAL TAILOR AND IS SURE OF DATE DUE TO A PICTURE SHE HAS OF HER MOTHER WEARING THE COAT WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH THE DONOR. DONOR'S PARENTS LIVED IN GRANUM AT THIS TIME, AND THE FATHER WAS FAIRLY WEALTHY. ***UPDATE: ON 16 NOVEMBER 2015, COLLECTIONS STAFF RE-CONNECTED WITH COAT DONOR PAT DEBOER (NEE HUSTAD), TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECORD HER MEMORIES OF THE COAT AND ITS USE BY HER MOTHER (MARGARET HUSTAD). ON THE SUBJECT DEBOER SAID, “MY MOTHER NEVER GAVE IT AWAY. SHE KEPT IT IN HER CLOSET. AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME, I’M THINKING PROBABLY AFTER MOM DIED [IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1980], AND WE WERE CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE, THEN IT CAME TO MY HOUSE. BUT IT WAS IN MOTHER’S CLOSET… FOREVER…MY MOTHER HAD TWO PERSIAN LAMB JACKETS. THE SECOND PERSIAN LAMB JACKET, WHEN I GOT MARRIED THE FIRST TIME [IN 1960], [SHE TOOK IT] INTO SOMEONE AND HAD IT REMADE FOR ME. IT WAS A BLACK PERSIAN LAMB WITH A GREY COLLAR, AND SHE HAD IT CUT DOWN FOR ME…[MY] COAT HAS NOW BEEN MADE INTO TEDDY BEARS…BUT AS FAR AS THIS COAT…MOM LIKED IT. IT WAS A FAVOURITE COAT OF HERS. SHE LOOKED AFTER IT VERY WELL. SHE PUT IT IN STORAGE EVERY SUMMER. AND TO HER IT WAS IMPORTANT [TO HER].” ACCORDING TO DEBOER, IT WAS MOVED “FROM THIS CLOSET TO THAT CLOSET” BETWEEN 1980 AND 1993, NOT BEING WORN, UNTIL ITS DONATION TO THE MUSEUM. AS TO ITS ORIGINS AND ACQUISITION BY HER MOM, SHE CLAIMED THAT HER MOM ACQUIRED THE JACKET WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HER (THE DONOR) IN 1944. CONTINUED DEBOER, “AND SHE LIKED TO WEAR IT, YOU KNOW? WHEN IT WAS COLD, OUT WOULD COME THE COAT. AND YOU KNOW IT WAS HEAVY AND…IT WASN’T THE MOST STYLISH THING AROUND. BUT MOM LIKED IT…SHE HAD OTHER COATS, BUT WHEN IT GOT REALLY COLD, YOU KNOW, OUT CAME THE PERSIAN LAMB.” FOR MORE DETAILS COMMUNICATED BY THE DONOR VIA THE 2015 INTERVIEW, PLEASE CONSULT THE COAT DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19940036000

Acquisition Date

1994-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail