Material Type

Artifact

Date

1926

Materials

RUBBER, PLASTIC, BONE, ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

4

Description

1. DIRECTIONS: 15.9CM (L) X 8.8CM (W). BLUE PAMPHLET UNFOLDS INTO SIX SECTIONS. FRONT IS BLUE AND WHITE, IN WHITE CIRCLE ON TOP READS "FINEST QUALITY SINCE 1817 SEAMLESS" WITH AN "SR" IN THE MIDDLE. IN WHITE BAND ACROSS MIDDLE IT READS "SEAMLESS HOSPITAL STANDARD URINALS" AND IN WHITE PRINT ON BOTTOM "THE SEAMLESS RUBBER COMPANY NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT". ON BACK IS WHITE PAGE AND IN BLUE PRINT READS ON TOP "DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE SANITARY RESERVOIR OUTLET VALVE". THEN HAS INSTRUCTIONS AND A DIAGRAM. AT BOTTOM READS "SP 433 PRINTED IN U.S.A.". WHEN FOLDED OUT HAS NUMEROUS DIAGRAMS AND DIRECTIONS. 2. SR969 NO. 6 FEMALE URINAL: 46CM (L) X 32.5CM (W). GREEN RUBBER URINAL HAS "U" SHAPED TOP WITH TWO LOOPS AT THE ENDS ON EACH SIDE. THIS IS DOUBLE LAYERED AND OPENS ON TOP AND SIDES. HAS TWO STRAPS TOWARDS END OF "U" ON BOTH LAYERS. HAS THREE BUTTON HOLES AT END OF STRAPS, ENDS COME TO POINT. ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF "U" IN SAME PLACE ARE TWO BONE BUTTONS ONE ON EACH LAYER. HAS STAMPED ON ONE SIDE "SEAMLESS HOSPITAL STANDARD URINAL MADE IN U.S.A.". INSIDE THIS TOP PIECE ON EACH LAYER ARE THREE PROTRUDING LINES IN "W" SHAPE. AT BOTTOM OF "U" IT CLOSES AROUND A BLACK PLASTIC VALVE. THIS IS A ONE-WAY VALVE THAT OPENS INTO THE RESERVOIR. THE RESERVOIR IS OVAL SHAPED AND HAS DOUBLE LAYER OF RUBBER WHICH IS PINKED AT END ON BOTH SIDES. HAS A BELT LOOP IN MIDDLE ON ONE SIDE. AT BOTTOM A BLACK PLASTIC OUTLET VALVE AT BOTTOM WHICH IS THREADED. THIS IS WHERE THE PLUG FITS IN. SOME CRACKING OF RUBBER AROUND CREASES AND HIGH-STRESS AREAS. HAS A WHITE RESIDUE. RUBBER IS DRY IN AREAS. 3. PLUG: 3.3CM (L) X 1.4CM (W). BLACK PLASTIC PLUG HAS TWO FLAT ENDS ON THUMB SCREW. IS HOLLOW IN MIDDLE AT THAT END. IS THREADED BELOW, AND VERY END IS PIN WITH HOLE ON ONE SIDE. HAS WHITE RESIDUE. 4. THIGH STRAP: 53.7CM (L) X 1.7CM (W). GREEN RUBBER STRAP IS POINTED AT ONE END. OTHER END HAS ALUMINUM BUCKLE. BUCKLE HAS SLIDING MIDDLE PIECE WHICH READS "PAT. DEC. 21 26". END OF BUCKLE IS ZIG-ZAGS. BUCKLE IS CREASED, HAS SOME WHITE RESIDUE. MINOR SOILING. IS DRY AND CRACKED IN ONE PLACE. *NOTE* THIGH STRAP AND URINAL FOUND ON SHELF BROKEN INTO 17 PIECES, AUG/04.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

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. *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. DURING THAT INTERVIEW, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS ARTIFACT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE DONOR. PLEASE PERMANENT FILE P19950037001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19950038024

Acquisition Date

1995-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail