Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PASSOVER NAPKIN

Date Range From

1980

Date Range To

1990

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

61

Description

1. NAPKINS. 12 PIECES. 11.5CM SQUARE, 32 NAPKINS ENCLOSED IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING, 11 LOOSE. NAPKINS HAVE TWO SIDES FORMING A SINGLE CORNER WITH SCALLOPED EDGING AND LIGHT BLUE BORDER. EACH OF THOSE TWO SIDES IS ALSO BORDERED BY VINES AND LEAVES WITH "A HAPPY PASSOVER" IN WHITE LETTERS. IN CORNER IS A YELLOW SQUARE. AT CENTER OF NAPKIN ARE FOUR CHALICES WITH THE HEBREW WORD FOR PASSOVER WRITTEN BETWEEN THEM. AT POINT WHERE LEAF MOTIF INTERSECTS IS A SET OF INITIALS "J E". ON BACK IN SMALL BLOCK PRINT IS COPYRIGHT SYMBOL AND "BY SHULSINGER BROS. PRINTED IN U.S.A.". PACKAGED PORTION OF NAPKINS ARE WRAPPED IN CELLOPHANE WITH CARDBOARD BOTTOM WHICH HAS BLUE BORDER AND PRINTING ON IT. IT HAS CANDLESTICK, FLOWER VASE, NAPKIN AND WINE GLASS IN CORNERS. ALONG EACH SIDE THERE ARE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR OTHER PRODUCTS. ON BACK ARE LISTS OF PRODUCTS FOR OTHER JEWISH HOLIDAYS, GIFT WRAPPING AND BOXES. ADVERTISING READS "WHATEVER THE HAPPY OCCASION... MAKE IT A GALA CELEBRATION WITH GAY, COLORFUL NAPKINS BY SHULSINGER NEW YORK.". HAND PRINTED IN RED INK ON TOP OF PACKAGE IS "49". 2. 10 PASSOVER NAPKINS 16.7CM SQUARE WITH CARDBOARD BASE FROM PACKAGING. CARDBOARD BASE IS IDENTICAL TO 1. BUT MEASURES 16.1CM X 16.7CM. NAPKIN HAS TWO SIDES FORMING A SINGLE CORNER WITH GREEN SCALLOPED BORDER. CORNER OF BORDERING HAS BUNCH OF GRAPES. LEFT OF GRAPES READS "HAPPY PASSOVER" AND RIGHT OF GRAPES HAS HEBREW PRINTING WHICH MEANS "FEAST OF JOY AND BLESSING". AT CENTER OF NAPKIN IS A GOLD CHALICE WITH RED JEWELS AND THE HEBREW WORD FOR PASSOVER ON IT ALONG WITH A CIRCLE CONTAINING FOOD. IN PINK LETTERING ABOVE CHALICE READS "THE FEAST OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALT THOU KEEP". OVER THE FOOD IN HEBREW IS THE COMMAND TO KEEP WATCH FOR AND EAT THE FEAST OF WEEKS. ON BACK IS COPYRIGHT SYMBOL WITH "BY SHULSINGER BROS. PRINTED IN U.S.A.". 3. 24 WHITE PASSOVER NAPKINS IDENTICAL IN SIZE TO 2. BUT WITH OVAL SHAPED CENTER PIECE. CENTER PIECE HAS GOLD AND BLUE BORDER WITH PINK ZIG-ZAG PATTERN. IT ALSO HAS TWO PINK CHALICES ENCIRCLED IN HEBREW WRITING. AT CENTER IS GOLD COLORED AREA WITH A LAMB AND TWO HEBREW WORDS. THE TOP WORD IS "SACRIFICE" AND THE BOTTOM WORD IS "PASSOVER". A GREY RIBBON SHAPE EXTENDS FROM SIDE AND CURVES AROUND BOTTOM AND READS "HAPPY PASSOVER". ON BACK IS COPYRIGHT SYMBOL AND "BY SHULSINGER BROS. PRINTED IN U.S.A.". 4. 14 WHITE PASSOVER NAPKINS 21.5CM SQUARE. CENTER PIECE IS GOLD AND PINK WITH BLUE WRITING. HAS CHALICE AND POURING JUG WITH VARIOUS FOOD ITEMS. IN BLUE AT BASE OF CHALICE IS "HAPPY PASSOVER". IN BLUE ALONG LEFT EDGE OF CENTER PIECE IS "YOU REDEEMED US FROM EGYPT, AND FREED US FROM THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE". ALONG RIGHT SIDE IS HEBREW OF WHAT IS WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. ON BACK IN GREEN IS COPYRIGHT SYMBOL AND "BY SHULSINGER BROS. PRINTED IN U.S.A.".

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

RELIGION

History

NAPKINS WERE USED BY MRS. ETHEL RODIN IN HER HOME DURING PASSOVER, WHICH SHE IS KNOWN TO HAVE CELEBRATED REGULARLY. NAPKINS WERE LEFT TO DONOR UPON HER DEATH. *UPDATE* IN 2019 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY ROBERT MCHARDY. INFORMATION ABOUT MCHARDY FOUND ON A GRAVESITE DATABASE STATES HE WAS BORN ON JULY 11 1938 IN NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOTIA. HE CAME TO LETHBRIDGE AFTER ACCEPTING A TEACHING POSITION IN THE CITY IN 1968. HE WAS MARRIED TO FRANCES ANDERSON IN 1968 AND HAD TWO SONS. THE INITIAL DOCUMENTATION OF THESE ARTIFACTS STATES THAT THEY BELONGED TO ETHEL RODIN (NEE DUNN). ACCORDING TO HER JULY 12, 1990 LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY, RODIN WAS BORN IN LONDON, ENGLAND ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1907. SHE IMMIGRATED TO CANADA WITH HER FAMILY, WHERE THEY INITIALLY SETTLED IN EDMONTON. SHE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHEN SHE MARRIED DAVE RODIN (DATE UNKNOWN). DAVE RODIN’S OBITUARY (PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1977) STATES HE CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1929 TO OPERATE THE BUY-RITE GROCERY STORE. DAVE RODIN PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1977 AT THE AGE OF 74 YEARS. ETHEL RODIN PASSED AWAY ON JULY 9, 1990 AT THE AGE OF 82 YEARS. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING COPIES OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARIES.

*UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING OTHER ARTIFACTS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION. RESEARCH CONDUCTED INTO THE DONOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.

Catalogue Number

P19930055006

Acquisition Date

1993-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail