Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

STRAIGHT

Date Range From

1886

Date Range To

1888

Materials

IVORY, STEEL

No. Pieces

2

Length

15.9

Width

1.9

Description

RAZOR BLADE BADLY CORRODED AND RUSTED. BROKEN AWAY FROM CASING. IVORY HANDLE IS DISCOLORED FROM EXPOSURE OR HEAT. RUST STAINS APPEAR AROUND RIVETS AND BLADE END. IVORY BROKEN THROUGH AT RIVET THAT HOLDS THE BLADE. INITIALS SCRATCHED IN THE IVORY HANDLE "N.W.L". ALSO WORD "LEIGHT" AT ONE END WITH DESIGN "STAR" ABOVE IT.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

FOUND AT ORIGINAL FT. WHOOP-UP SITE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING ONE DONATED BY DR. ALEX JOHNSTON (P19820062000). WHILE SHE WAS UNABLE TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE ARTIFACTS DONATED BY JOHNSTON, A TRIBUTE ARTICLE FROM THE APRIL 13, 1989 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PROVIDES BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION. JOHNSTON WAS BORN IN 1920 IN WORKED FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AS A RANGELAND ECOLOGIST AT THE LETHBRIDGE RESEARCH STATION. HIS CAREER AS A LOCAL HISTORIAN STARTED IN THE MID-1960S, AND BY HIS DEATH HE HAD AUTHORED OVER ONE HUNDRED ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS. HE WORKED AT THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES, AND SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARITFACTS AND ACQUISITION COMMITTEE AT THE FORT WHOOP UP INTERPRETIVE SOCIETY. JOHNSON RECEIVED AN HONOURARY DOCTORATE OF LAWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE AND WAS INDUCTED IN THE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE HALL OF EXCELLENCE FOR HIS ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RESEARCH SUBSTATION WEST OF STAVELY - A DEMONSTRATION FARM USED TO DEVELOP THE PRESERVATION OF NATIVE PRAIRIE GRASSES. JOHNSTON WAS A CONFIRMED BACHELOR AND LIVED FOR MANY YEARS AT THE MARQUIS HOTEL. HE DIED ON APRIL 12, 1989. *UPDATE* DURING A 2018 COLLECTION AUDIT, WHICH INCLUDED THIS STRAIGHT RAZOR, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK NOTED A DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO THE ARTIFACT'S PERMANENT RECORD. THE NOTE IS UNDATED, BUT APPEARS TO BE FROM THE TIME OF DONATION. IT READS: "THIS STRAIGHT RAZOR WAS FOUND AT THE SITE OF THE ORIGINAL FORT WHOOP-UP BY MRS. G. CHATAWAY, BAR S RANCH, NANTON, ALBERTA. MRS. CHATAWAY FOUND THE RAZOR WHEN VISITING THE SITE ABOUT 1937. SHE NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF WHITE MATERIAL AT THE SIDE OF A BADGER HOLE, WHICH, UPON INVESTIGATION, TURNED OUT TO BE PART OF THE WHITE IVORY HANDLE OF THIS STRAIGHT RAZOR. AT THIS TIME MRS. CHATAWAY WAS MAXINE MCLEAY... THE RAZOR WAS DONATED WITH THE THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE USED IN SOME OF THE EXHIBITS OF THE RECONSTRUCTED FORT WHOOP-UP. THE INITIALS "J. M. N." APPEAR ON THE RAZOR. ALSO THE NAME "LEIGHT" APPEARS IN THE LOWER RIGHT PORTION OF THE SAME SIDE OF THE HANDLE... WE HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS A NAME IN CONNECTION WITH FORT WHOOP-UP THAT FITS THE INITIALS. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO OBTAIN THE NAMES OF THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE STATIONED THERE AROUND 1886-88, JUST BEFORE THE OLD FORT BURNED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL IF THE BROWNISH DISCOLORATION OF THE HANDLE WAS DUE TO ITS (PRESUMABLY) LONG BURIAL OR TO THE HEAT OF A FIRE." THE NOTE IS SIGNED BY ALEX JOHNSTON. FOR FULL DONATION NOTES, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19760037000

Acquisition Date

1976-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail