Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

IRON, WOOD, RUBBER

No. Pieces

1

Height

83.0

Length

78.8

Width

45.0

Description

WICKER, DOLL CARRIAGE, WOOD, RUBBER WHEELS, IRON FRAME. BODY PAINTED WHITE; APPEARS CARRIAGE HAS BEEN PAINTED MANY TIMES. RUBBER TREADS WORN AND CRACKING. WOOD HANDLE ATTACHED TO STEEL FRAME. CARRIAGE HOOD MAY BE DETACHED OR ADJUSTED.

Subjects

TOY

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

DONOR ACQUIRED 2ND HAND (1950) FROM SONJA BENSON WHO HAD ITEM AS A CHILD IN YORKTON, SASKATCHEWAN. *UPDATE* NICOLE HEMBROFF CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PALLET RACKING IN 2010. SHE CONTACTED HEATHER KIRKHAM (DAUGHTER OF GEORGE KIRKHAM) ABOUT THE DOLL CARRIAGE. ACCORDING TO KIRKHAM, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT JORDYCE AND ANDY ANDERSON GAVE THE BUGGY TO THE KIRKHAM FAMILY (RATHER THAN SONJA BENSON). IF SO, IT WAS LIKELY A CHILDHOOD TOY OF JORDYCE’S AND USED BY THEIR DAUGHTER. ANDY WORKED WITH GEORGE KIRKHAM (HEATHER KIRKHAM’S DAD) AT THE “INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY.” GEORGE WORKED AS A ZONE MANAGER. HIS JOB REQUIRED HIM TO GO TO THE VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ADVICE AND SUPPORT. HE ALSO SOLD THE TRUCKS TO THE DEALERSHIPS WHICH WOULD IN TURN BE SOLD TO THE CUSTOMERS. KIRKHAM’S MOM (MARY CLARK KIRKHAM) WAS A HOMEMAKER WITH A TOTAL OF SIX KIDS. BEFORE SHE HAD HER CHILDREN SHE WAS A PSYCHIATRIC NURSE. KIRKHAM’S MOTHER AND FATHER MET IN 1940 OR 1941 WHILE SHE WAS A NURSE AND HE WAS A GUNNERY SERGEANT STATIONED IN SHILOH, MANITOBA DURING WWII. WHEN GEORGE WAS POSTED TO ENGLAND IN 1942 HE BECAME ILL WITH PLEURISY AND TB AND CAME BACK TO CANADA IN MARCH 1944. . THE ILLNESS AFFECTED HIM ALL OF HIS LIFE. SHE SAID, “AS KIDS WE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO DEATH. HE SPENT EIGHTEEN MONTHS IN SANATORIUMS, INCLUDING TIME IN CALGARY SO MOM MOVED OUT FROM MANITOBA THERE TO BE WITH HIM.” GEORGE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GOTTEN THE BUGGY IN 1955 WHILE THE FAMILY LIVED IN CRANBROOK (1954-63). AT THE TIME HEATHER KIRKHAM WAS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD. THE BUGGY WAS USED IN CRANBROOK AND LETHBRIDGE. THE FAMILY LIVED IN CRANBROOK FOR TEN YEARS AND THEN MOVED BACK TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1963. (GEORGE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LETHBRIDGE. HIS PARENTS WERE JAMES STANLEY KIRKHAM, LAWYER AND JESSIE WALTON KIRKHAM, HOMEMAKER.)IT WAS USED BY ALL THE KIRKHAM GIRLS (FIRST SANDY AND HEATHER, THEN CATHY AND FINALLY BOBBIE JEAN) AS WELL AS GEORGE AND MARY’S GRANDCHILDREN. KIRKHAM SAID, “I REMEMBER THE DAY HE BROUGHT IT HOME. HE LOOKED SO PLEASED WITH HIMSELF THAT HE DID THIS FOR US. WE WERE A BIG FAMILY ON A SINGLE INCOME. WE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF LUXURIES BUT WE WERE WELL TAKEN CARE OF. I REMEMBER HIM LOOKING SO PROUD AND SO PLEASED. I STILL FEEL A BIT OF CHAGRIN BECAUSE I REMEMBER THINKING IT WAS SO OLD. NOW I WISH I HAD APPRECIATED IT MORE. I THINK IT IS QUITE A UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL PLAYTHING WITH GOOD MEMORIES FOR ME.” HE PROBABLY ACQUIRED THE BUGGY USED BECAUSE IT WAS MORE AFFORDABLE, PLUS HE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THE PEOPLE HE GOT IT FROM. KIRKHAM THOUGHT THE ANDERSON FAMILY MIGHT HAVE SIMPLY GIVEN THE BUGGY TO GEORGE. JORDYCE AND ANDY MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ENJOYED BY THE GIRLS. OCCASIONALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD PETS HAD TO PLAY THE PART OF THE DOLLS. KIRKHAM REMEMBERS DOGS OR CATS THAT GOT DRESSED UP AND PLUNKED INTO THE CARRIAGE BY HER YOUNGER SISTERS. SHE THINKS IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CATS SUFFERED THAT FATE. THE FAMILY DID HAVE A DOG NAMED BOOTS BUT HEATHER COULDN’T REMEMBER IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE BUGGY. WHEN THEY WEREN’T PLAYING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PETS, THE KIRKHAM GIRLS PLAYED HOUSE WITH THEIR DOLLS. KIRKHAM SAID THEY WERE “JUST GIRLS PLAYING HOUSE OR PLAYING MOM.” THE CARRIAGE WAS PASSED ON FROM ONE GIRL TO THE NEXT. SHE RECALLS THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME SHARING OF THE DOLL BUGGY, HOWEVER; BY THE TIME HER SISTER BOBBIE (ROBERTA) CAME ALONG HEATHER HAD GROWN OUT OF THE CARRIAGE. THE GIRLS GOT A LOT OF ENJOYMENT OUT OF THE BUGGY. KIRKHAM ALSO REMEMBERED A WICKER DOLL CRADLE THAT BELONGED TO HER FAMILY. IT WAS MADE BY THE PATIENTS OF HER MOTHER’S HOSPITAL IN BRANDON, MANITOBA. SHE WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE CRADLE FROM HER PATIENTS. THE GIRLS PLAYED WITH THE BUGGY AND THE CRADLE TOGETHER. WHEN HER FATHER FIRST BROUGHT THE BUGGY HOME HEATHER WASN’T EXCITED ABOUT IT. SHE SAID, “AT THE TIME, MY FRIENDS HAD NEW METAL BUGGIES (LONG SINCE RELEGATED TO THE DUMP!), SO I THOUGHT THIS OLD, USED BUGGY WASN’T QUITE WHAT I HAD IN MIND BECAUSE I LIKED MY FRIENDS’ SLEEK NEW BUGGIES.” LATER ON, KIRKHAM REALIZED THE BUGGY WAS UNIQUE. “IT WAS KIND OF CLUNKY. IT DIDN’T MOVE SMOOTHLY. THE SWIVEL FEATURE WAS SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T EXIST ON MY FRIENDS’ NEWER METAL BUGGIES. IT WAS UNUSUAL AND YOU COULD TURN THE DOLL TO FACE YOU. THE WHOLE THING SEEMED TO BE VERY STURDY.” SHE ALSO REMEMBERS A FAVORITE DOLL SHE PLAYED WITH IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BUGGY. IT WAS ONE HER “DAD ORDERED OUT OF THE SEARS CATALOGUE FOR CHRISTMAS. I WAS EIGHT. IT WAS REVOLUTIONARY AT THE TIME AS IT WET ITS PANTS. IT WAS A BABY DOLL, ABOUT A THREE MONTH OLD BABY. IT WAS ALL THE RAGE AT THE TIME. MY FRIEND CAROL HAD ONE THAT WAS A LITTLE PRETTIER THAN MINE. BUT THIS WAS MY FAVORITE DOLL. I DRESSED HER IN BABY NIGHTIES THAT HAD BEEN USED BY THE KIDS FROM THE FAMILY [FOR EXAMPLE HER BABY BROTHER GEORGE]. THEY WERE WAY TOO BIG ON THE DOLL. THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE A HOSPITAL GOWN. IT MADE FOR EASY ACCESS TO GET AT THE DIAPERS. I HAD TO ROLL UP THE SLEEVES TO MAKE THE NIGHTIES FIT BETTER.” AFTER THE GIRLS GREW OUT OF THE BUGGY IT REMAINED IN GEORGE’S HOUSE. KIRKHAM SAID, “WHEN WE WOULD GO TO VISIT, MY DAUGHTER TAMARA AND MY NIECES JOCELYN, JACQUIE, ALISON, TARA AND NIKKI WOULD USE IT.” SHE REMEMBERS A PHOTO OF NIKKI SITTING IN THE CARRIAGE. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO OF NICOLE KIRKHAM KOWAL) AFTER HIS CHILDREN MOVED OUT, GEORGE KEPT THE DOLL BUGGY IN THE GARAGE, BUT IT WAS HAULED OUT WHEN THE GRANDCHILDREN WANTED TO PLAY WITH IT. HE STORED IT UNTIL HE CLEANED OUT THE HOUSE AND DONATED IT TO THE GALT. KIRKHAM SAID, “MY DAUGHTER WOULD HAVE BEEN A TEENAGER THEN. THERE JUST WEREN’T ANY LITTLE GIRLS COMING TO THE HOUSE ANY MORE TO USE IT.” GEORGE LIKELY DONATED IT TO THE GALT BECAUSE HE HAD A RESPECT FOR HISTORY, A RESPECT FOR SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND HE WAS BORN AT THE GALT HOSPITAL. THE BUILDING AND AREA WERE SENTIMENTAL LOCATIONS FOR HIM. KIRKHAM WAS GLAD HE DONATED IT TO THE MUSEUM, ALTHOUGH SHE SOMETIMES WISHES IT HAD STAYED IN THE FAMILY SO THAT HER DAUGHTER COULD HAVE USED IT FOR HER OWN KIDS. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P19880039000

Acquisition Date

1988-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail