Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CURLING MEDAL 1898

Date

1898

Materials

STERLING SILVER, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

11

Length

5.1

Description

CURLING MEDAL "LETHBRIDGE" ON CLASP. ABOVE 2 CROSSED BROOMS CONNECTED TO CHAIN BETWEEN CLASP & MEDAL. CENTRE OF MEDAL CURLING STONE WITH BRASS LAUREL LEAVES & BEAVER. "DISTRICT MEDAL 1898"

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

SPORTS

History

MEDAL BELONGED TO MARG WELCH'S GRANDFATHER NORMAN MACLEOD. MACLEOD WAS AN AVID CURLER, PLAYING ON A LETHBRIDGE RINK LOCATED BETWEEN 12TH AND 13TH STREETS AND 4TH AND 5TH AVENUES. HE HAD HIS OWN ROCKS AND WAS KNOWN TO REFEREE SHIRTSLEEVE BONSPEILS. HE WAS ACTIVE IN THE LOCAL CURLING CLUB FROM C.1896-1897. EARLY MEMBERS OWNED THEIR OWN ROCKS. THE BONSPIEL WAS HELD IN THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY IN BOTH THE ARENA AND CURLING CLUB AFTER IT HAD ARTIFICIAL ICE. RINKS FROM ALBERTA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA PARTICIPATED IN THE BONSPIEL AND THE CURLERS FROM CRESTON OFTEN BROUGHT APPLES FOR THE PARTICIPANTS TO SNACK ON. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING ONE DONATED BY MARJORIE WELCH'S MOTHER, NORA EVERSON. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHERLOCK/MACLEOD FAMILY, SEE RECORDS P19960108000 AND P19740093000.

*UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING SEVERAL TEXTILES DONATED BY MARJORIE AND JACK WELCH. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2021, GELINAS INTERVIEWED PADDIE WALMSLEY, THE DONORS’ DAUGHTER, ABOUT HER PARENTS’ DONATION AND HER MEMORIES OF THE OBJECTS OF THIS DONATION, INCLUDING SOME CURLING MEDALS. NORMAN MACLEOD, WHO WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE WON THE MEDALS WAS WALMSLEY’S “GRANDMOTHER’S FATHER,” ALTHOUGH SHE THOUGHT HER GRANDPARENTS MAY HAVE ALSO ATTAINED SOME RECOGNITION FOR THEIR CURLING ABILITIES. WALMSLEY WAS UNSURE OF WHO HAD WON THE MEDAL, ELABORATING THAT HER GRANDPARENTS WERE BOTH “BIG CURLERS.” WALMSLEY STATED THAT OBJECTS OF THE COLLECTION WERE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM BY HER PARENTS AS A WAY TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY: “SHE [MARJORIE WELCH] KNEW THE VALUE OF HISTORY AND THAT WAS KIND HER THING… AND MOM JUST WANTED, WOULD WANT SOMEBODY ELSE TO ENJOY THEM, AND YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THE HISTORY AND SEE IT.”

Catalogue Number

P19920058002

Acquisition Date

1992-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail