Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ST. JOHN'S AMBULANCE

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1970

Materials

RAYON, ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

3

Length

9

Diameter

3.8

Description

BLACK RAYON RIBBED RIBBON IS THREADED THROUGH A METAL LINK AND THE ENDS ARE HELD TOGETHER BY A SAFETY PIN. METAL LINK IS ROUND WITH A SMALL CUT, AND HAS ANOTHER LINK LOOPED THROUGH IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THIS LINK IS SOLDERED TO A ROUND BLACK LACQUERED METAL (ALUMINUM?) MEDAL. IS A HOLLOW CIRCLE WITH A MALTESE CROSS IN THE MIDDLE. FROM THE CENTRE OF THE CROSS IN BETWEEN EACH ARM ARE THE FIGURES OF TWO LIONS AND TWO UNICORNS. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS THE ST. JOHN'S AMBULANCE SYMBOL. ENDS OF RIBBON ARE FRAYING. METAL IS PITTING. LACQUER AND PAINT ARE WEARING OFF IN PLACES, ESPECIALLY ON THE BACK. RIBBON HAS PIN HOLES IN IT.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

COMMEMORATIVE

History

DONATED IN MEMORY OF MRS. AGNES SHORT, WHO WAS A NURSE IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL C. 1970. HELPED WITH FIRST POLIO VACCINATION HERE, AND WAS PART OF THE HEALTH CLINIC FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. FATHER WAS WILLIAM H. SHORT, WHO WAS THE LAST FIRE CHIEF OF THE OLD NO.1 FIREHALL IN LETHBRIDGE. SAFETY PIN HAS BEEN REMOVED AND RIBBON IS NOW HELD IN PLACE BY A STITCH. *UPDATE* IN 2016 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A BELT DONATED BY SHARON DEREK. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. THE DONOR, SHARON DERRICK, IS THE NIECE OF AGNES SHORT. AGNES CHRISTINA SHORT WAS BORN ON APRIL 20, 1916 TO WILLIAM H. AND BERTHA SHORT (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). SHE GRADUATED FROM LETHBRIDGE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE AND THEN ATTDNED THE CALGARY GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR NURSING TRAINING, WHICH SHE GRADUATED FROM IN 1939. AGNES WAS THE SUPERVISOR AT THE GALT HOSPITAL FROM 1939-1945. SHE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE NURSING STAFF OF LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT #51 FROM 1947 UNTIL 1958. SHE WAS ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF NURSING AT THE LETHBRIDGE HEALTH UNIT FROM 1964 UNTIL HER RETIREMENT. SHE RETIRED IN 1980 AFTER 42 YEARS OF NURSING. AGNES PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 78 ON OCTOBER 20, 1994. WILLIAM HENRY SHORT WAS AGNES’S FATHER. HE WAS BORN IN LONDON, ENGLAND IN 1889 AND MOVED TO CANADA IN 1909. HE INITIALLY WORKED FOR THE CITY WATERWORKS DEPARTMENT IN LETHBRIDGE FOR TWO YEARS, BEFORE SPENDING 51 YEARS IN SERVICE OF THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE OVERSAW THE INTRODUCTION OF MOTORIZED FIRE ENGINES, SWITCHING FROM HORSE POWERED WAGONS, IN 1913. HE ALSO SAW THE DEPARTMENT GROW IN SIZE FROM ONLY 13 TO 49 MEN. HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 84 ON NOVEMBER 18, 1974. WILLIAM’S WIFE BERTHA L. SHORT PASSED AWAY ON JULY 28, 1989. ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT AGNES’S LIFE, THE SHORT FAMILY LIVED IN NUMBER 1 FIRE HALL, WHERE WILLIAM WAS FIRE CHIEF. WILLIAM H. AND BERTHA ALSO HAD ANOTHER CHILD, WILLIAM D. SHORT. HE WAS BORN ON AUGUST 16, 1916 AND PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 5, 1990. HE WAS MARRIED TO MYRTLE (NEE NELSON) SHORT AND THEIR CHILDREN INCLUDE THE DONOR, SHARON DERRICK. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY SHARON DERRICK. ON 1 MARCH 2018, PUNDYK INTERVIEWED DERRICK REGARDING HER DONATION. THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: DERRICK WAS ABLE TO RECALL THIS TIE CLIP. SHE SAID, “MY GRANDFATHER [W. H. SHORT] WAS AWARDED SOMETHING (I FORGET WHAT THE AWARD WAS) FROM THE ST. JOHN’S AMBULANCE. IN HIS EARLY YEARS, HE ALSO TAUGHT FOR THEM ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS.” FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE CAREER OF W. H. SHORT, PLEASE SEE P19950037002. PLEASE PERMANENT FILE P19950037001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19950038023

Acquisition Date

1995-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail