Material Type

Artifact

Materials

WOOL, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Length

90.5

Width

20.8

Description

OFF-WHITE WOOL BELT HAS DIAMOND QUILTED PATTERNS ON FRONT. ON ONE END HAS THREE COTTON TIES COMING FROM BOTTOM. ON OTHER END HAS STRIP OF COTTON ACROSS THE WOOL WITH THREE TIES COMING FROM IT. HAS "W. DUCE" WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE JUST ABOVE THE TAPE. AT SAME PLACE ON OTHER SIDE HAS SMALL COTTON PATCH POCKET WITH BUTTONHOLE AT TOP, READS "W. DUCE" IN INK ON TOP. BELT IS NOT STRAIGHT. ENDS ARE FLARED SLIGHTLY, AND IS CURVED THROUGHOUT. REVERSE IS COTTON LINING WITH SMALL HOLES ON IT. WOOL IS WORN.

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

CLOTHING-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

SEE FILE P19940037001-GA. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING ITEMS DONATED BY LENORA DUCE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND A FAMILY HISTORY DOCUMENT FROM THE CARDSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. LENORA ADELAIDE (LAIDA) DUCE (NEE SHEFFIELD) WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 2, 1898 AT CARDSTON, AB. SHE WAS THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM W. AND LENORA HUDSON SHEFFIELD. AT THE AGE OF 17 SHE TOOK A JOB WITH AGT AND ON JUNE 1, 1916 SHE WAS APPOINTED AS AGENT CHIEF OPERATOR, A POSITION SHE HELD UNTIL HER MARRIAGE ON FEBRUARY 2, 1921 TO WILLIAM HINMAN DUCE. LENORA PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2000. WILLIAM HINMAN DUCE WAS BORN IN CARDSTON, AB ON JULY 23, 1896, THE SON OF THOMAS WILLIAM AND RHODA ADELAIDE HINMAN DUCE. HE WORKED FOR DUCE BROTHERS, A STORE WHICH SOLD SHOES, MEN’S CLOTHING, AND FURNITURE. HE ALSO SERVED IN THE R.N.C.V.R. DURING WWI, TRAINING ON THE WEST COAST AND SERVING IN HALIFAX UNTIL DECEMBER 23, 1918. WILLIAM ALSO SOLD INSURANCE FOR A FEW YEARS, WORKED AT CARDSTON MOTORS, FORD MOTORS IN TABER, INSPECTED CROPS FOR PRAIRIE FARM ASSISTANCE, AND OPERATED A FARM IMPLEMENT BUSINESS. IN 1952, WILLIAM SOLD THE FAMILY HOME IN CARDSTON AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE. HE PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 27, 1971 AT THE AGE OF 74. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND THE CARDSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING A BIB AND SHORTS DONATED BY LENORA S. DUCE. ATTEMPTS MADE TO LOCATE NEXT-OF-KIN OR INDIVIDUALS ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ARTIFACTS PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. *UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING SEVERAL TEXTILES DONATED BY LENORA S. DUCE. ON OCTOBER 26, 2021, GELINAS INTERVIEWED RHODA MAZZOCCHI, THE DONOR’S DAUGHTER, ABOUT HER MOTHER’S DONATION AND HER MEMORIES OF THE OBJECTS OF THIS DONATION. IN THE INTERVIEW WITH GELINAS, MAZZOCCHI ASKED ABOUT A “CHOLERA BELT,” OR FLANNEL STRIP OF FABRIC THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED IN A MILITARY UNIFORM. MAZZOCCHI WAS UNSURE ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE BELT, HOWEVER, THE REMAINDER OF THE UNIFORM IS HELD BY THE MILITARY MUSEUMS. MAZZOCCHI EXPLAINS: “THE STOMACHER… YOU KNOW, THE PIECES – THE FLANNEL THAT WAS DONATED. AT THAT POINT [WHEN THE OBJECTS WERE DONATED], THEY [MAZZOCCHI’S SISTERS] DIDN’T ASK MY MOTHER WHAT IT WAS. SHE WOULD HAVE KNOWN, BUT MY SISTER JUST PUT IT WITH THE OTHER THINGS, AND DONATED IT, AND THEN REALIZED AFTER, WHEN THE [MILITARY] MUSEUM WAS VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THE UNIFORM. THEY WERE SO EXCITED BECAUSE IT WAS A COMPLETE UNIFORM. THEY HAD HAD LOTS OF PIECES DONATED, BUT THIS WAS A COMPLETE UNIFORM, SO IT WAS ON A MANNEQUIN, IN A CASE, AT THE MILITARY MUSEUM.” MAZZOCCHI STATED THROUGH EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE THAT SHE BELIEVED THE OBJECT TO BE PART OF A MILITARY UNIFORM CURRENTLY HELD AT THE MILITARY MUSEUMS IN CALGARY. SEE P19940028001 FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR THE PERMANENT RECORD FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND COPY OF FAMILY HISTORY COMPILED BY MAZZOCCHI.

Catalogue Number

P19940037003

Acquisition Date

1994-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail