Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CAMP COT

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1950

Materials

WOOD, CANVAS, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

35.0

Length

93.0

Width

68.0

Description

WOOD, STEEL, & CANVAS CONSTRUCTION. WOOD FRAME WITH STEEL BRACKETS. CANVAS MATTRESS. COT FOLDS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORTING. STEEL BRACKETS PAINTED WINE-COLORED; SOME SCRATCHES AND WEAR. 2 PIECES FOR HEAD AND FOOT. CANVAS COVER IS LIGHT BROWN WITH FADED WINE COLORED SEAM BINDING. CANVAS IS STAPLED AT SIDES, TO WOOD FRAME. THERE ARE POCKETS AT EACH END TO PUT HEAD AND FOOT PIECES IN. CANVAS IS STAINED, WITH HOLE FROM WEAR IN CENTRE. TOP SIDE OF HEAD END HAS LIGHTER CANVAS POCKET SEWN ON TO HOLD PILLOW. UNDERNEATH IS LABEL WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLAPSING COT. READS "GOLD MEDAL CAMP BED". WOOD FRAME STAINED BY WINE PAINT FROM BRACKETS. MARKED BY WEAR. SLIGHTLY BOWED ON SIDES. FOOT END HAS CANVAS STRAP NAILED ON ACROSS JOINT. BROWN STRAP NAILED TO EACH LEG. OTHER HAS WOOD-BURNED STAMP "GOLD MEDAL CAMP FURNITURE MFG. CO. RACINE WIS. U.S.A." HEAD AND FOOT BOARDS LOOSE. FOOT PIECE CRACKED.

Subjects

FURNITURE

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

DONOR IS DAUGHTER OF CHRIS GIBSON. *UPDATE* IN 2010 NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PALLET RACKING. SHE MET WITH DONOR DORIS BALCOVSKE TO DISCUSS THE CAMP COT. SEE BELOW. THE FOLDING BED CAME FROM BALCOVSKE’S AUNT MAMIE’S HOUSE. BALCOVSKE SAID SHE DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP AND USE OF THE BED. SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHY MAMIE AND HER MOTHER LOUISA WOULD HAVE HAD THE BED. SHE SPECULATED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE USED IT FOR AN EXTRA BED. BALCOVSKE DONATED THE BED TO THE GALT BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T WANT TO DISPOSE OF IT. SHE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE KEPT. HER FATHER, CHRIS GIBSON, WORKED WITH GEORGE WATSON AND GEORGE MCKILLOP WHEN THE GALT MUSEUM STARTED UP IN THE 1960S, SO SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO DONATE THE BED TO THE MUSEUM. FOR A MORE DETAILED FAMILY HISTORY SEE P19930031001 – DRESS FORM *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING A PURSE AND HAIR ORNAMENTS DONATED BY DORIS BALCOVSKE. DORIS BALCOVSKE'S OBITUARY WAS FOUND ON THE CORNERSTONE FUNERAL HOME'S WEBPAGE. IT STATES THAT SHE WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1923. SHE WORKED FOR THE BANK OF MONTREAL FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL. SHE THEN WENT ON TO BECOME THE PROPRIETOR OF MARGO LADIES WEAR THROUGH THE 1950'S. SHE MARRIED HERB BALCOVSKE AND TOGETHER THEY HAD SANDRA BALCOVSKE AND MARCIA TAYLOR. DORIS PASSED AWAY ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT THE AGE OF 92 YEARS. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19980051003 FOR FULL OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P19930031005

Acquisition Date

1993-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail