Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SERVING TRAY

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1980

Materials

POTTERY, ALUMINUM, PAINT

No. Pieces

19

Description

1. TRAY IS TRIANGULAR WITH ROUNDED SIDES. IS A DARK GREEN POTTERY WITH RED AND PINK HIGHLIGHTS, IS ALMOST A FLORAL PATTERN, HAS A GLOSSY FINISH. TRAY HAS CIRCLE IN MIDDLE WITH SIDES SLOPING DOWNWARDS. HAS EDGE THAT ALSO SLOPES DOWNWARDS BUT NOT AT SUCH A SHARP ANGLE. SIDES HAVE LINED PATTERN. IN MIDDLE IS GOLD PAINTED ALUMINUM HANDLE. HAS STAND WITH CANDLESTICK BASE THAT COMES TO ROUNDED POINT AT TOP. FROM THIS IS A HOLLOW TRIANGULAR HANDLE WITH THE TOP BEING POINTED. BASE HAS TWO UNFINISHED CIRCLES AS RIM, IN MIDDLE IS SCREW THAT HOLDS HANDLE IN PLACE. IN BETWEEN OUTER AND INNER CIRCLE IS ENGRAVED "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH LOGO IN MIDDLE (CIRCLE WITH RADIATING LINES TO REPRESENT SUN). IS SOME PADDING IN BETWEEN PLATTER AND SCREW. PAINT IS PEELING OFF HANDLE. HAS SOME CIRCLE HOLES IN FINISH. IS SOME SURFACE DIRT IN BETWEEN HANDLE AND PLATTER ON TOP. 13CM (H) X 31.1CM (L) X 29.5CM (W). 2. 31.2CM (L) X 29.4CM (W) X 15CM (H). SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO #1 EXCEPT PLATE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE ROUNDED TRIANGULAR SECTIONS WITH RAISED RIDGES. THIS CHANGES THE BOTTOM SO THERE IS THREE SECTIONS OF THE RIM ON THE BOTTOM. IS NO PADDING UNDER SCREW. COLOUR IS GREEN AND BROWN, WITH FLORAL AND SWIRL PATTERN. LOGO IS ON LEFT. REMNANTS OF BLACK INK ON BOTTOM. 3. 31.8CM (L) X 30CM (W) X 16CM (H). IDENTICAL TO #2 EXCEPT IS GREEN, BLUE, WITH ORANGE AND YELLOW FLECKS. SCREW HAS "E" ON BOTTOM. 4. 34.6CM (L) X 18.3CM (W) X 3.7CM (H). YELLOW POTTERY HAS GLOSSY FINISH. IS OVAL WITH POINTED ENDS. IS CONCAVE WITH SLIGHT SLOPING EDGE THAT HAS ENGRAVED LINES FOR DECORATION. ALONG LENGTH IN MIDDLE IS RAISED EDGE FOR SEPARATION OF FOOD. ON BASE ARE TWO SEMI-CIRCLES OF UNFINISHED RIM. ON ONE SIDE IS ENGRAVED "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH LOGO TO THE RIGHT. ENGRAVING IS FAINT. HAS BUBBLED POTTERY ON BOTTOM. 5. IDENTICAL TO #4 EXCEPT HAS REMNANTS OF BLACK INK ON BOTTOM. 6. 2.1CM (H) X 28.7CM (D). YELLOW POTTERY PLATE HAS GLOSSY FINISH. SIDES SLOPE DOWN SLIGHTLY, HAS EDGE WHICH SLOPES DOWN AT A SMALLER DEGREE AND HAS RAISED LINES FOR DECORATION AROUND PLATE. IN MIDDLE OF PLATE IS RAISED LINE WHICH ENDS ON ONE SIDE WITH A CIRCLE WITH RAISED EDGES FOR SEPARATION OF FOOD. ALONG BOTTOM ARE 2 SEMI-CIRCLES AND 3 LINES OF UNFINISHED RIMS. READS IN ONE SIDE "SUNBURST CANADA MADE IN LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA" WITH LOGO IN MIDDLE. HAS "100" IN BLACK INK ON OPPOSITE SIDE. IS CIRCULAR. ENGRAVINGOF LOGO IS FAINT. 7. 2.3CM (H) X 28.7CM (D). IDENTICAL TO #6 EXCEPT "100" IS ON SAME SIDE, AND HAS HOLE IN FINISH ALONG TOP EDGE OF PLATE. 8. 2.6CM (H) X 20.9CM (D). OLIVE GREEN PLATTER HAS GLOSSY FINISH. IS A CIRCLE, HAS STEEP SLOPING SIDES. SURFACE DIVIDED BY FIVE RAISED SECTIONS. LARGEST IS BELL SHAPED, TWO ARE OVALS WITH POINTED ENDS, AND TWO SIDE BY SIDE ARE RECTANGULAR. BOTTOM HAS CIRCULAR UNFINISHED RIM INTERRUPTED BY DIVIDERS ON TOP. READS IN LARGEST SECTION "CANADA SUNBURST" WITH LOGO IN MIDDLE. HAS "50C" IN BLACK INK. 9. IDENTICAL TO #8. 10-13. 2.4CM (H) X 24.7CM (L) X 23.9CM (W). 4 ORANGE SERVING TRAYS, IS A TRIANGLE WITH ROUNDED SIDES. HAS SLOPING SIDES, SURFACE IS DIVIDED BY RAISED LINES INTO 7 SECTIONS. THE MIDDLE IS THE LARGEST AND IS A TRAPEZOID. THE OTHER SIX SECTIONS ARE AROUND THE OUTSIDE WITH TWO PAIRS BEING THE SAME SHAPE ON OPPOSITE SIDES. ARE 8 LINES OF UNFINISHED RIM ON BOTTOM. IN MIDDLE BETWEEN 2 IS ENGRAVED "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH LOGO IN MIDDLE. ONE PLATTER HAS CHIP IN RIM. ALL HAVE DARK SPOTS ON SURFACE. 14-17. IDENTICAL TO #'S 10-13 EXCEPT ARE GREEN AND DO NOT HAVE DARK SPOTS ON TOP. ONE HAS HOLES IN FINISH ON TOP, ONE HAS CHIP IN RIM. 18. 2CM (H) X 22.5CM (D). BROWN ROUND PLATTER HAS GLOSSY FINISH. HAS SLOPING SIDES, SURFACE DIVIDES INTO 7 SECTIONS WITH RAISED LINES. THE LARGEST IS THE MIDDLE WITH A CIRCULAR SHAPE THAT IS SLIGHTLY WIDER ON ONE SIDE. OTHER SECTIONS HAVE THREE GROUPS OF THE SAME SHAPE ON OPPOSITE SIDES. ON BOTTOM ARE TWO UNFINISHED CIRCLE RIMS. IN MIDDLE IS "SUNBURST CANADA". HAS NUMEROUS TINY HOLES IN FINISH. 19. 2.9CM (H) X 33.7CM (L) X 16.2CM (W). BROWN RECTANGULAR PLATTER HAS ROUNDED CORNERS AND GLOSSY FINISH. HAS SLOPING SIDES AND FLAT SURFACE. ALSO HAS FLAT EDGE THAT IS DECORATED WITH RAISED LINES AND DOTS AROUND PERIMETER. IN BOTTOM HAS UNFINISHED RECTANGLE RIM. IN MIDDLE READS "SUNBURST CANADA" WITH LOGO IN BETWEEN AND ON EITHER SIDE "LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA". IN ONE CORNER IS "NBU"? "5N". FINISH IS WEARING OFF. HAS GREEN SPOT ON EDGE.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

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

P19960004011

Acquisition Date

1996-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail