Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SACK

Date Range From

1910

Date Range To

1940

Materials

COTTON

No. Pieces

9

Description

1. SUGAR SACK: 62.2CM (L) X 32.5CM (W). APPROXIMATELY A 20 LB SUGAR SACK IS A COARSE WEAVE COTTON PIECE OF MATERIAL FOLDED OVER AND THE OTHER TWO SIDES ARE SEWN WITH A CHAIN STITCH, THE CORNER IS ROUNDED NOT SHARP. THE TOP WAS LEFT OPEN. HAS A FEW SOILED SPOTS ALONG STITCHING. EDGES ARE FRAYED. 2. COTTON FEATHER TICK: 62.4CM (L) X 41.6CM (W). OFF-WHITE CASE IS PIECE OF LONG MATERIAL FOLDED IN HALF AND HAS THE TWO OPPOSITE SIDES SEWN TOGETHER. HAS REMNANTS OF A RED PRINT PATTERN. SEAM'S EDGES ARE FRAYING. TOP IS SLIGHTLY FRAYED. 3. PARTS BAG: 39.8CM (L) X 30.2CM (W). OFF-WHITE CANVAS BAG HAS BEEN SEWN TOGETHER AS #1. TOP HAS BEEN ROLLED DOWN. STAMP ON MIDDLE OF ONE SIDE READS "ALLIS CHALMERS RUMELY LTD. MADE & PRINTED IN U.S.A.". IS WORN ALONG CREASES. HAS MINOR STAINS AND SOILING. MAY HAVE HELD TEETH FOR CUTTER BAR. 4. PATTERN: 62.9CM (L) X 50.9CM (W). WHITE COTTON MATERIAL HAS VERTICAL LINES OF EMBROIDERY. EACH IS BORDERED WITH SOLID LINES ON EACH SIDE, AND HAS ZIG-ZAGS IN MIDDLE WITH DOTS ALONG INSIDE. APPEARS TO BE BACK OF SHIRT PATTERN, NECK AND ARM HOLES ARE SEMI-CIRCLES, REST IS CUT STRAIGHT. ALL EDGES ARE UNFINISHED AND FRAYING. 5. TABLECLOTH: 93.3CM (W) X 95.7CM (L). WHITE COTTON FLOUR SACK HAS BEEN TAKEN APART AND CONVERTED INTO A TABLECLOTH. IN MIDDLE IS LARGE SQUARE WITH SQUARE EXTENSIONS PROTRUDING FROM THE MIDDLE OF EACH SIDE. THE OUTLINE OF THE SQUARE IS A RED AND WHITE CHECKED MATERIAL FINELY SEWN ON TO SACK. TWO OF THE SQUARE EXTENSIONS ARE FILLED IN WITH THIS MATERIAL. SACK AND MATERIAL ENDS ARE FRAYED. SACK HAS NO SEAMS, HAS SMALL HOLES WORN THROUGH IN AREAS, ALSO HAS MINOR STAINS ON SACK. RED AND WHITE CHECKED MATERIAL ALSO HAS RIPS AND HOLES. 6. MATERIAL FRAGMENT: 79.1CM (L) X 43.3CM (W). UNBLEACHED COTTON CLOTH FRAGMENT HAS SEAM SEWN ALONG ONE SIDE, AND AN ADJOINING SIDE HAS A FOLDED SEAM. THE OTHER TWO SIDES ARE STRAIGHT AND UNFINISHED. ONE SIDE CHANGES ITS WIDTH WITH A SMALL STEP IN THE MATERIAL. ALL EDGES ARE FRAYED, HAS SMALL HOLE WORN THROUGH THE MATERIAL. 7. FLOUR SACK/PILLOW CASE?: 73.5CM (L) X 35.7CM (W). COTTON SACK IS PIECE OF MATERIAL FOLDED WITH TWO SIDES SEWN TOGETHER WITH A CHAIN STITCH. TOP IS LEFT OPEN. EDGES OF SEAMS ARE FRAYED. HAS VERY FAINT RED FLOWERS AND GREEN LEAVES PRINTED ON IT. 8. COTTON FLANNELETTE: 102CM (L) X 46.2CM (W). RECTANGULAR PIECE OF WHITE FLANNELETTE HAS THREE UNFINISHED SIDES WHICH ARE BADLY FRAYED, AND THE FOURTH IS FINISHED. PIECE HAS SMALL CUT IN FABRIC ON EACH SIDE TO MAKE THE SIDE HAVE A STEP IN IT. 9. COTTON FLANNELETTE: 151.6CM (L) X 56.9CM (W). TWO PIECES OF COTTON FLANNELETTE ARE SEWN TOGETHER. ONE PIECE IS LONG AND RECTANGULAR WITH ONE FINISHED SIDE, AND THREE PARALLEL PINK STRIPS ON THE SIDE. IS SEWN TO ANOTHER PIECE WITH PINK THREAD. IS RECTANGULAR PIECE WITH THREE UNFINISHED SIDES, ONE SIDE HAS THREE NARROW PINK STRIPES ON VERY EDGE, ARE PERPENDICULAR TO STRIPES ON OTHER PIECE. UNFINISHED SIDES ARE FRAYED. HAS EXTRA TRIANGULAR MATERIAL SEWN ON TO EDGE OF LONGER PIECE.

Subjects

CONTAINER

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

*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 P19940037001 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 “LAIDA” 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, INCLUDING A COLLECTION OF TEXTILES CONSISTING OF A SUGAR SACK, SOME COTTON FEATHER TICK, A PARTS BAG, A PATTERN, A MATERIAL FRAGMENT, A FLOUR SACK/PILLOW CASE, AND SEVERAL PIECES OF COTTON FLANNELETTE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ITEMS OF THE TEXTILE COLLECTION, MAZZOCCHI WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT OBJECTS. GELINAS ASKED MAZZOCCHI ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE PARTS BAG, WHICH WAS RECORDED AS POSSIBLY HOLDING TEETH FOR A CUTTER BAR, AND SHE STATED THAT HER MOTHER “DIDN’T HAVE ONE OF THOSE. IF IT WAS AVAILABLE TO HER, SHE WOULD HAVE USED IT.” WHILE MAZZOCCHI WAS NOT ABLE TO EXPLICITLY IDENTIFY MANY OF THE OBJECTS IN THE TEXTILE COLLECTION, SHE DID DESCRIBE HOW HER MOTHER, LENORA DUCE, USED SIMILAR OBJECTS MORE GENERALLY. “SHE DID EVERYTHING. WHEN SOMETHING CAME INTO THE HOME, IT WAS MADE USE OF, SOMEHOW. THE SUGAR SACKS, THE FLOUR SACKS, EVERYTHING BECAME TABLECLOTHS, OR PILLOW CASES, OR DISH TOWELS, OR SOMETHING. SHE ALWAYS MADE SOMETHING FROM THEM. THEY WERE NOT EVER ABANDONED, AND NOT USED… EVERYTHING WAS USED!” MAZZOCCHI EXPLAINED THAT HER MOTHER VALUE OF RE-USING MATERIALS STEMMED FROM HER LIFE GROWING UP, AS WELL AS HER ADULT LIFE AFTER WORLD WAR I. “SHE WAS MARRIED IN 1921. TIMES WERE TOUGH, AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR WAS JUST OVER, AND SHE HAD 10 MONTHS BEFORE HER FIRST CHILD CAME, AND SO SHE WAS VERY BUSY QUICKLY DOING THINGS.” MAZZOCCHI STATED THAT HER MOTHER OFTEN USED THE CLOTHES HANDED DOWN FROM FAMILY AND RELATIVES TO MAKE ‘NEW’ CLOTHES FOR MAZZOCCHI AND HER SIBLINGS. “A LOT OF CLOTHES WERE DONATED TO THE FAMILY, AND WERE ALWAYS CUT DOWN, AND MADE INTO SOMETHING VERY SUITABLE, AND VERY LOVELY. WE WERE NEVER EMBARRASSED TO WEAR THESE THINGS THAT SHE MADE FOR US. VERY PROUD OF OUR NEW CLOTHES, WHEN SHE MADE THEM, BUT THE THING THAT FASCINATES ME NOW WAS THAT SHE WOULD TAKE A MAN’S SUIT APART, AND MAKE A BOY’S SUIT OUT OF IT. JUST CUT IT DOWN TO THE RIGHT SIZE, AND IT BECAME A BOY’S SUIT. AND, THAT WAS NOT VERY COMMON. NOT MANY BOYS HAD SUITS, SO IT WAS REALLY QUITE NICE.” HER MOTHER LEARNED TO SEW AS A CHILD, MAZZOCCHI DESCRIBED: “THERE’S A STORY IN THERE [THE FAMILY HISTORY COMPILATION WRITTEN BY MAZZOCCHI] ABOUT HER MOTHER BEING CROSS WHEN SHE TOOK OVER THE HEMMING OF HER DRESS, WHEN SHE WAS 13. SHE HAD SEWN ALL HER LIFE, AND HER MOTHER [LENORA “NORA” SHEFFIELD] HAD BEEN A SEAMSTRESS… THERE WAS A LOT OF SEWING IN THE FAMILY FOR MANY GENERATIONS, SO SHE DID LEARN TO SEW.” IN THE FAMILY HISTORY, MAZZOCCHI WRITES THAT “NORA [HER MOTHER’S MOTHER] HAD SEWED A NEW PRINT DRESS FOR LAIDA [HER MOTHER]… NORA MADE ALL THE REST OF THE FAMILY CLOTHING. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP, LAIDA USED THE SEWING MACHINE FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE HAD SEWN FIVE ROWS OF NARROW TAPE ON THE SKIRT OF HER NEW DRESS. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS EVEN AND VERY NICELY DONE, BUT NORA HADN’T EXPECTED HER TO DO IT AND HER NERVES WERE PROBABLY A BIT FRAYED. SHE GAVE LAIDA A ‘TONGUE LASHING.’ [LAIDA] DIDN’T THINK SHE WOULD EVER SEW AGAIN AS LONG AS SHE LIVED. SHE DID, HOWEVER, AND BECAME AN EXCELLENT SEAMSTRESS, MAKING MOST OF THE CLOTHES FOR HER OWN CHILDREN, OFTEN FROM HAND-ME-DOWNS FROM OLDER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. AND EVEN MAKING A LIVING AT IT AS A FUR FINISHER IN HER LATER YEARS.” MAZZOCCHI FURTHER EXPLAINED, “SHE LOVED TO DO THINGS; TO MAKE THINGS WITH HER HANDS. I REMEMBER, AN EVENING, OR ANY AFTERNOON, I SAW HER SITTING, SHE WAS NEVER JUST SITTING. SHE WAS EITHER STUDYING, WHICH SHE LOVED TO DO, OR SHE WAS DOING SOMETHING WITH HER HANDS, EITHER EMBROIDERING, OR DARNING SOCKS, OR CROCHETING, OR KNITTING, OR CROSS-STITCH, OR ANY OF THE ABOVE. SHE LOVED JUST MAKING THINGS; BEING CREATIVE. AND, SHE PRODUCED VERY LOVELY WORKS. THINGS FOR HER HOME, AND THINGS THAT WERE GIFTS. TABLECLOTHS WERE ONE OF THE FAVOURITE THINGS TO MAKE. I REMEMBER HER DOING A LOT OF TABLECLOTHS, AND THEY WERE VERY BEAUTIFUL, AND VERY LOVELY ON THE TABLE.” CRAFTING AND SEWING WERE A WAY FOR HER MOTHER TO INTERACT AND SOCIALIZE WITH HER FRIENDS, MAZZOCCHI STATED: “IN THE MORNING, AFTER HER CHILDREN WERE IN SCHOOL, SHE WOULD CLEAN THE HOUSE, AND GET EVERYTHING DONE THAT SHE WANTED TO DO. AND, THE AFTERNOONS WERE FOR SPENDING WITH HER FRIENDS, AND HER VISITING, AND STUFF. AND, THEY WOULD GET TOGETHER AT SOMEBODY’S HOME. THEY WOULD ALWAYS BRING THEIR WORK WITH THEM, SO, SHE HAD VARIOUS LITTLE BAGS PREPARED, AND MADE, THAT WOULD CARRY HER WORK WITH HER, AND WERE ALWAYS RATHER INGENIOUS I THINK. THEY WOULD DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS. THEY WOULD NOT JUST SIT AND GOSSIP. THEY DID, I’M SURE, A FAIR AMOUNT OF THAT, TOO, BUT THEY ALSO PLANNED THINGS OF HOW THEY COULD BE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, OR HOW THEY COULD HELP SOMEBODY THAT NEEDED SOME HELP. THEY WERE ALWAYS INTO SERVING OTHERS.” MAZZOCCHI DESCRIBED HOW LATER IN HER LIFE, HER MOTHER WON PRIZES FOR HER SEWING: “THERE’S A PICTURE… OF HER, I THINK IT’S AT THE REMINGTON MUSEUM, SITTING IN A WAGON, HOLDING ONE OF HER QUILTS. I THINK THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT AN EXHIBITION THERE, AND SHE WON A PRIZE FOR IT, SO SHE CLIMBED INTO THE WAGON TO HAVE HER PICTURE TAKEN… SHE ALWAYS, EVERY YEAR, WHEN THE FAIR AND EXHIBITION CAME, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD GO TO SEE THE RODEO PART, SHE WOULD GO TO ENTER, AND EVEN HELP WITH THE EXHIBITION. SHE WON PRIZES ALMOST EVERY YEAR, WITH HER CANNING, AND HER SEWING, AND HER EMBROIDERY.” AT THE INTERVIEW, MAZZOCCHI ALSO BROUGHT A FAMILY HISTORY SHE HAD COMPILED ABOUT HER MOTHER’S (LENORA “LAIDA” DUCE) AND GRANDMOTHER’S (LENORA “NORA” SHEFFIELD) LIVES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DONOR’S LIFE, SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND COPY OF FAMILY HISTORY COMPILED BY MAZZOCCHI IN THE PERMANENT FILE OR P19940028001.

Catalogue Number

P19940028003

Acquisition Date

1994-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail