Material Type

Artifact

Date

1891

Materials

LEATHER, WOOL

No. Pieces

1

Length

70.0

Width

44.0

Description

LEATHER JACKET, SHEEPSKIN LINED COLLAR WITH A NAVY BLUE & WHITE PLAID LINING. VARIOUS DIFFERENT BUTTONS. LINING POSSIBLY ADDED SOMETIME AFTER JACKET MADE. LABEL MARKED "ISSUED BY AUTHORITY OF UNITED GARMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA APRIL 12, 1891.". SEE CONSERVATION REPORT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

JACKET BROUGHT TO CANADA FROM UKRAINE IN 1911. BELONGED TO MARY CHARNETSKI'S FATHER. *UPDATED* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING SEVERAL CLOTHING PIECES DONATED BY EMILY CHARNETSKI. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, ALBERTAONRECORD.CA, THE BOOK “SPRUCE, SWAMP AND STONE”, AND FROM EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DONOR. ALEXANDER JOHN CHARNETSKI WAS BORN ON MARCH 20, 1901 IN GIMLI, MB, THE FIRST SON BORN TO JOHN AND PELAGIA CHARNETSKI (NEE GIZYM). ALEXANDER WORKED AS THE SUPERVISOR OF AGRICULTURE WITH THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT AND WORKED SEVERAL PLACES IN ALBERTA, INCLUDING MYRNAM, EDSON, EMPRESS, STETTLER, AND EDMONTON. HE RETIRED IN 1966. ALEXANDER PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 78 ON FEBRUARY 16, 1980. IN 1982, HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE HALL OF FAME. MARY CHARNETSKI (NEE TURECKI, CHANGED TO TURKO IN CANADA) WAS BORN ON AUGUST 24, 1909 IN THE VILLAGE OF YURKIVTSI, COUNTY OF ZASTAVNA, PROVINCE OF BUKOVINA, AUSTRIA (NOW UKRAINE), THE DAUGHTER OF WASYL (WILLIAM IN CANADA) AND SANCHIRA TURECKI (TURKO IN CANADA). MARY IMMIGRATED TO EDMONTON WITH HER MOTHER AND SISTER IN 1921. ON NOVEMBER 15, 1930, MARY WAS MARRIED TO ALEXANDER JOHN CHARNETSKI. SHE MOVED TO WHITE ROCK, BC TO BE CLOSER TO HER DAUGHTER IN ABOUT 1987. MARY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 98 ON DECEMBER 10, 2007. FROM EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DONOR: “THE JACKET SHOWN HERE IS KNOWN AS ‘KOZHUK’. IT WAS MADE OF A HAND TANNED SHEEP (PROBABLY LOCALLY GROWN) HIDE EXTERIOR WITH THE WOOL BEING ON THE INSIDE. IT WAS THE CHARACTERISTIC ‘SHEEPSKIN COAT’ WORN BY THE UKRAINIAN IMMIGRANTS. THERE WAS A WOMEN’S VERSION OF THIS COAT KNOWN AS ‘KOZHUSHANKA’. OCCASIONALLY, IT WAS IN THE FORM OF A VEST. THIS PARTICULAR COAT BELONGED TO WASYL TURECKI. THE NAME WAS LATER CHANGED TO WILLIAM TURKO. HE ARRIVED IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA IN 1912 FROM THE VILLAGE OF YURKIVTSI, COUNTY OF ZASTAVNA, PROVINCE OF BUKOVINA, AUSTRIA (NOW UKRAINE). HE WORKED AS A CARPENTER ON THE NORTHERN ALBERTA RAILROAD AND LATER SETTLED DOWN AS A CARPENTER IN THE BUILDING TRADE. THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I RESULTED IN DELAYING THE IMMIGRATION OF HIS FAMILY, A WIFE SANCHIRA AND TWO DAUGHTERS, MARY 12 YEARS OLD, AND KATHERINE, ABOUT 8. THEY ARRIVED IN EDMONTON IN 1921. THEY LATER MOVED TO VANCOUVER WHERE HE LIVED TILL HIS PASSING IN 1960.” SEE PERAMENT FILE P19870012 FOR COPIES OF ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, ALBERTAONRECORD.CA, THE BOOK “SPRUCE, SWAMP AND STONE”, AND FOR EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DONOR.

Catalogue Number

P19880070000

Acquisition Date

1988-08

Collection

Museum

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