Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1980

Materials

POTTERY, VELOUR

No. Pieces

12

Description

1. ASHTRAY. 2.7CM (H) X 17.9CM (L) X 13.7CM (W). ASHTRAY IS BROWN ON BOTTOM AND GREEN ON TOP, POTTERY HAS GLOSSY FINISH. IS AN ODD SHAPE THAT IS ALMOST TRIANGULAR. HAS TWO DEPRESSED TRIANGLES FOR TRAYS OPPOSITE EACH OTHER. ARE SEPARATED BY A RAISED MIDDLE WITH FIVE DEPRESSED GROOVES FOR PLACING CIGARETTES ON. BOTTOM IS CONVEX IN SHAPE WITH A DEPRESSED LINE THROUGH THE CENTRE WHERE CIGARETTES REST. HAS UNFINISHED RIM AND READS INSIDE "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH A CIRCLE WITH RADIATING LINES TO REPRESENT THE SUN. ON OTHER SIDE IS "107". FINISH IS WEARING OFF IN PLACES. 2. ASHTRAY: 21.5CM (L) X 20.3CM (W) X 3.1CM (H). POTTERY HAS AN ORANGE TOP WITH BROWN HIGHLIGHTS BOTTOM IS BROWN. IS TRAINGLE WITH CONCAVE MIDDLE. HAS RAISED EDGE AROUND MIDDLE WHERE FIFTEEN CIGARETTES CAN REST IN BETWEEN LONG PIECES OF THE EDGE. UNDERNEATH RAISES IN TWO LEVELS TOWARDS THE MIDDLE. HAS UNFINISHED RIM AND INSIDE READS "SUNBURST" WITH LOGO BELOW AND THEN "CANADA". AT BOTTOM READS "105". HAS MINOR CRACKS IN MIDDLE. 3. ASHTRAY: 30.1CM (L) X 16.7CM (W) X 3.5CM (H). ASHTRAY IS SHAPE OF WAVY BANNER/FLAG. MIDDLE IS YELLOW, GREEN, AND REDDISH-ORANGE DESIGN, IS SMOOTH AND SLOPES CONCAVE. REST IS BROWN WITH GLOSSY FINISH, HAS FOUR PARALLEL GROOVES FOR CIGARETTES ON EACH END. GROOVES ARE VISIBLE ON REVERSE, HAS UNFINISHED OVAL WITH FOUR KNOBS AS RIM. IN MIDDLE ENGRAVED IS "SUNBURST CANADA 33" WITH SUNBURST LOGO IN MIDDLE. 4. ASHTRAY: 16.2CM (W) X 30CM (L) X 3.5CM (H). IDENTICAL TO #1 EXCEPT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN WAVY SHAPE. 5. ASHTRAY: 19.7CM (W) X 20.4CM (L) 3.5CM (H). TRIANGULAR ASHTRAY IS BROWN ON BOTTOM AND EDGES WITH CONCAVE MIDDLE. ON EACH ROUNDED POINT ARE TWO GROOVES FOR CIGARETTES. MIDDLE IS YELLOW, GREEN AND RED. ON REVERSE IS CONVEX WITH UNFINISHED CIRCLE RIM. READS "SUNBURST CANADA 12" WITH LOGO IN MIDDLE. HAS "2.00" IN BLACK FELT ON BOTTOM. HAS SMALL SOILING ALONG ONE CORNER. 6. ASHTRAY: 19.2CM (L) X 15.9CM (W) X 4CM (H). OVAL ASHTRAY IS BROWN ON BOTTOM AND DARK GREEN AND BROWN IN MIDDLE, POTTERY HAS GLOSSY, PEARL FINISH. IS CONCAVE WITH RAISED DIAGONAL PEAK IN MIDDLE WITH FIVE GROOVES FOR CIGARETTES MOLDED IN PEAK. ON REVERSE IS TWO SEMI-CIRCLE UNFINISHED RIMS. READS "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH LOGO ON ONE SIDE, MIDDLE IS A DEEP GROOVE WHERE PEAK IS, AND ON OPPOSITE SIDE IS "106". FINISH IS WEARING OFF IN SPOTS. HAS SMALL CIRCULAR DENTS IN POTTERY. 7. ASHTRAY: 22.2CM (L) X 11.9CM (W) X 4.8CM (H). RECTANGULAR TRAY IS BROWNISH-ORANGE ON BOTTOM WITH TWO PARALLEL UNFINISHED LEGS RUNNING THE WIDTH OF THE TRAY. HAS "SUNBURST CANADA 18" WITH THE LOGO ENGRAVED ONTO THE BACK. IS A CONVEX CURVE. ON TOP IS CONCAVE SLOPE OF RECTANGLE. ENDS ARE PART OF SLOPE, LENGTH HAS WALLS UP WITH HANDLE/LIPS IN MIDDLE ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER. HAS FOUR GROOVES FOR CIGARETTES ON EACH LIP. HAS MINOR FLAWS ON TRAY. IS LOSING FINISH IN SPOTS. 8. ASHTRAY: 33.3CM (L) X 14.7CM (W) X 3.3CM (H). POTTERY IS A GREENISH-BROWN ON BOTTOM AND HAS THIS COLOUR MIXED WITH LIME-GREEN INSIDE. IS AN ODD SHAPE WHICH LOOKS GENERALLY LIKE A RECTANGLE WITH FIVE POINTS. SIDES SLOPE DOWN WITH A FLAT SURFACE THAT HAS A RAISED ZIG-ZAG PATTERN IN MIDDLE (LOOKS LIKE AN "M" WITH LONG LINES AT BEGINNING AND END OF LETTER). UNDERNEATH HAS RAISED UNFINISHED RIM WITH KNOBS. READS IN CORNER "SUNBURST CANADA 15" WITH THE LOGO ON THE LEFT. HAS SMALL HOLES IN POTTERY. 9. ASHTRAY: 33.6CM (L) X 14.9CM (W) X 3.6CM (H). ASHTRAY IS SIMILAR TO #8 EXCEPT SWIRL PATTERN OF LIME GREEN ON SURFACE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND LIGHTER. ALSO UNFINISHED RIM IS COVERED IN BLUE VELOUR AND READS "1.50" IN BLACK MARKER ON BOTTOM. VELOUR HAS LOOSE THREADS, SOME SOILING ON SURFACE. 10. ASHTRAY: 14.2CM (L) X 14.2CM (W) X 3.7CM (H). YELLOW-BROWN-GREEN SQUARE ASHTRAY HAS LIME GREEN EDGES. SURFACE IS FLAT WITH A MAPLE LEAF IMAGE MADE OF EQUILATERAL TRIANGLES THAT ARE BOTH ENGRAVED AND ETCHED. ETCHED ALONG BOTTOM IS "1867 1967". ON BOTTOM IS A SQUARE UNFINISHED RIM. ENGRAVED IN MIDDLE IS "SUNBURST CANADA". TOP LEFT CORNER IS CRACKED AND HAS BEEN GLUED TOGETHER, PIECES ARE MISSING. 11. ASHTRAY: 42.8CM (L) X 19.1CM (W) X 4.5CM (H). GREEN AND BLUE TRAY IS OVAL WITH POINTED ENDS AND HAS SMALL POINT ALONG ONE LENGTH SIDE. HAS RAISED RIDGE IN MIDDLE WITH FIVE GROOVES FOR CIGARETTES. SURFACE IS A SOLID DARK BLUE. BOTTOM HAS TWO LONG UNFINISHED RIMS WITH FOUR KNOBS ON BOTH. READS "SUNBURST CANADA 11" WITH LOGO ON LEFT. HAS DEEP GROOVE WHERE RIDGE IS ON TOP. HAS LONG CHIP OUT OF RIM. MINOR SOILING ON TOP. 12. ASHTRAY: 28.2CM (L) X 18.2CM (W) X 4.1CM (H). GENERALLY OVAL TRAY IS WIDER ON ONE SIDE THAN THE OTHER. ON WIDE SIDE HAS A ROUNDED BULGE WITH A TRIANGLE IN IT THAT READS "AUTOLEC". IN MIDDLE IS RAISED AREA THAT HAS FOUR GROOVES ON TOP FOR CIGARETTES. ON BOTTOM MIDDLE IS INDENTED AND HAS LOGO THAT READS "22 SUNBURST CANADA". ON BACK OF BULGE ENGRAVED IS "AUTO ELECTRIC SERVICE COMPANY, LIMITED 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1918-1968". PIN-HOLES IN BACK AND A FEW ON TOP.

Subjects

HOUSEHOLD ACCESSORY

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

INDUSTRY

History

FOR MORE HISTORY ON SUNBURST COMPANY OPERATION, SEE P19960004001-GA AND PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS INTERN KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS. ON 26 NOVEMBER 2018, SCHAMUHN INTERVIEWED RUTH DAW REGARDING HER PRREVIOUS DONATIONS. THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: ON THE DONATION OF MEDALTA POTTERY, DAW RECOUNTED HER MEMORIES OF MEDALTA: “I WORKED AT MEDALTA POTTERY THE SUMMER BETWEEN GRADE 11 AND GRADE 12.” “I ACTUALLY WORKED [FOR] TEN DOLLARS A WEEK! AND WE WORKED [WITH] PRISONERS OF WAR. THEY WORE BLUE SHIRTS AND THEY DID THE HEAVY WORK—BLUE SHIRTS WITH A BIG RED CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR BACKS.” “IT WAS REALLY GOOD. IT WAS VERY HOT. WE HAD TO RIDE OUR BICYCLE ALL OVER THE FLATS.” “THEY PUT THE GLOSSY COAT ON AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SPONGE THE BOTTOM OFF, SO THAT THE GLOSSY COAT DIDN’T STICK. SO THAT’S WHAT I WAS DOING. WORKING WITH THAT AND DIPPING AND WORKING…AND STACKING AND IF THERE WAS SOME STUFF THAT HAD TO BE CLEANED UP, THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT I WAS DOING AS WELL. AT THAT TIME IT WAS QUITE A PRIMITIVE SET-UP AND THEY DIDN’T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES VERY MUCH AT ALL. THE WAGES WERE VERY POOR BUT IT WAS A JOB.” “WE WERE DOING THE HEAVY RESTAURANT WARE, THE WHITE WITH THE GREEN LITTLE CIRCLE AROUND IT, WHICH THEY DON’T MAKE ANYMORE, [BECAUSE] THEY DON’T REALLY NEED TO HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT ANYMORE. THEN WHEN THESE THINGS CAME FOR SALE, OF COURSE I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE [FROM] AND WHAT THEY CAME FOR.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER MOTIVATION TO COLLECT MEDALTA POTTERY, DAW ELABORATED, “I HAD A SPECIAL COLLECTION. I WAS COLLECTING…BECAUSE I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE [FROM], I KNEW HOW THEY WERE MADE. AND I’D ACTUALLY HELPED THEM MAKING SOME OF THEM AND SO I WAS JUST DOING IT FOR A COLLECTION AND THEN I DECIDED I’M GOING TO MAKE THE MOVE. MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY…ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO AND I HAD TO MOVE TO A SMALLER PLACE SO I HAD TO PRETTY WELL GET RID OF EVERYTHING AND THAT’S WHEN I TRIED TO FIND [THE COLLECTION] A GOOD HOME. BUT YOU DON’T REALLY SEE THEM ON THE SHELVES ANYMORE.” “I HAD WORKED IN MEDALTA AND I WAS INTERESTED IN THE TYPES OF [POTTERY], I THOUGHT THEY WERE DECORATIVE AND I USED THEM FOR THAT. I WOULD HAVE THEM FOR A DISPLAY OR FOR EVEN ON THE WALL. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF LOCAL POTTERY.” “I WOULD JUST PICK THEM UP – THEY WERE KEPT ON THE SALE RACKS IN THE ‘70S AND THE ‘80S BECAUSE THEY REALLY WEREN’T BEING USED ANYMORE.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE POTTERY IN HER HOME, DAW RECALLED, “I HAD LITTLE KIDS SO YOU COULDN’T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING AROUND THEM THAT WAS REALLY BREAKABLE. I DON’T KNOW [IF I] REALLY MADE MUCH USE OF THEM, BUT THEY WERE DECORATIVE. THE HOUSES WERE TOO SMALL TO HAVE VERY MUCH AROUND IF YOU HAD SMALL CHILDREN AROUND.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19960004001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19960004007

Acquisition Date

1996-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail