Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BEADED HANDBAG

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

GLASS, IRON, COTTON, RAYON

No. Pieces

1

Length

28.8

Width

17

Description

BLACK AND WHITE BEADS STITCHED TOGETHER WITH HEAVY COTTON THREAD. THE EXTERIOR IS A CHECKERBOARD PATTERN THAT HAS ORNAMENTAL FRINGES HANGING FROM THE BOTTOM. THE BEADS ATTACH TO IRON FRAME ON THE INSIDE AND DECORATED WITH COLORFUL RAYON FABRIC IN A RUFFLED PATTERN AND GLASS BEADS. THE FRAME IS HINGED AND HAS A METAL CLASP ON THE TOP CENTRE. EACH SIDE OF THE FRAME HAS A METAL LOOP WHERE THE IRON CHAIN IS CONNECTED. ONE CLASP OF THE CHAIN IS BROKEN BUT REPAIRED WITH COTTON STRING. BODY OF PURSE HAS DAMAGE WITH 6 HOLES AND THE FRINGE ON ONE CORNER HAS ONLY STRINGS HANGING WITH NO BEADS.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

PURSE BELONGED TO MRS. JEAN (MACINDOE) SNOWDEN, ERNIE'S MOTHER. ERNIE WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE AND TRAINED IN B.C.T PLANT AT PIERCE. ERNIE'S WIFE GOLDIE WAS BORN IN BARONS AND TAUGHT IN MCNALLY SINCE 1940. GEORGE RICHARD (SON OF JENNY) LIVES IN GARDEN LODGE. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING THIS PURSE DONATED BY ERNIE AND GOLDIE SNOWDEN. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS GLEANED FROM RESEARCH CONDUCTED FOR A PREVIOUS AUDIT BY RUTHANN LABLANCE IN 2017, WHICH WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, AND TWO LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS: “WHERE WATER FLOWS” (VAUXHALL & DISTRICT) AND “WATER WORKS WONDERS: A HISTORY OF THE WHITE, WILSON, MCMAHON, RIVER JUNCTION SCHOOL DISTRICTS.” ERNEST “ERNIE” SNOWDEN WAS BORN AT THE VAL HARLEM HOSPITAL IN LETHBRIDGE AND WAS RAISED ON A DAIRY FARM. HE JOINED THE RCAF IN 1941, RECEIVED HIS WINGS IN 1942, AND SERVED AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN HIGH RIVER, PEARCE, AND CALGARY, AND ARNPRIOR, ON BEFORE RETIRING IN 1945. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE DAIRY FARM, WHICH HE TOOK OVER IN 1952, AND RAN IT UNTIL HE SOLD THE DAIRY OPERATION IN 1966. ERNIE WAS THE SON OF LANCELOT SNOWDEN AND JEAN SNOWDEN (NEE MACINDOE). HE WAS ACTIVE IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WAS MOST EXTENSIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT EXHIBITION, WHICH HE BEGAN SERVING AS A YOUTH. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE EXHIBITION HALL OF FAME IN 1998. ERNIE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 87 ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2006. GOLDIE ELAINE SNOWDEN (NEE KITTLESON) WAS BORN ON APRIL 4, 1921 ON THE FAMILY HOMESTEAD IN BARONS, AB AND ATTENDED NORMAL SCHOOL IN CALGARY. SHE BEGAN HER TEACHING CAREER IN 1939 AT RIDGEWAY, A ONE ROOM SCHOOL NEAR CARMANGAY, AND WHITE SCHOOL (LATER MCNALLY SCHOOL). SHE WAS MARRIED TO ERNIE SNOWDEN ON MAY 1, 1942 IN BARONS, WHILE ERNIE WAS ON WEEKEND LEAVE. SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 93 ON AUGUST 24, 2014. GOLDIE WAS THE ELDEST OF FIVE CHILDREN BORN TO CARL SALVASON KITTLESON AND JANET MORRIS KITTLESON (NEE GOLDIE) (JANET WAS THE DAUGHTER OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM GOLDIE – HER MOTHER’S NAME IS NOT KNOWN). LANCELOT SNOWDEN WAS BORN IN HALIFAX, COUNTY OF YORK, ENGLAND IN 1888. HIS BROTHER JOSEPH SNOWDEN HAD EMIGRATED TO WINNIPEG IN 1903 AND ENCOURAGED HIS SIBLINGS AND FATHER TO COME TO CANADA. THE SNOWDEN FAMILY (FATHER GEORGE AND CHILDREN LANCELOT, THOMAS, BELLE, ALICE, NELLIE, AND JOHN) ARRIVED IN 1910 ABOARD THE “GRAMPIAN”. GEORGE’S FIRST WIFE PASSED AWAY IN ENGLAND. SEVERAL SNOWDEN MEN FILED FOR HOMESTEADS IN THE GODDARD, AB AREA (NEAR FOREMOST), BUT AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF CROP FAILURE, THE FARMS WERE ABANDONED. LANCELOT MOVED TO THE LETHBRIDGE AREA, WHERE HE STARTED HAULING COAL, AND WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE JEAN MACINDOE. ON APRIL 17, 1917 LANCELOT AND JEAN WERE MARRIED. LANCELOT PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 91 ON DECEMBER 18, 1979. LANCELOT’S FATHER GEORGE SNOWDEN PASSED AWAY IN 1936 AND HIS STEP-MOTHER ALICE JANE SNOWDEN (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) PASSED AWAY IN 1949. JEAN SNOWDEN (NEE MACINDOE) WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 24, 1897 IN BARRHEAD, SCOTLAND, THE DAUGHTER OF GEORGE MACINDOE AND MARTHA MACINDOE (NEE CASKIE). SEVERAL OF JEAN’S OLDER SIBLINGS WERE ALREADY IN WESTERN CANADA, SO AFTER THE DEATH OF HER FATHER, HER MOTHER MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WITH HER FOUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN: MARTHA, JEAN, MARION, AND ROBERT. ONE OF THE SISTERS ALREADY IN CANADA WAS JENNY RICHARDS (NEE MACINDOE). JEAN MARRIED LANCELOT SNOWDEN ON APRIL 17, 1917. JEAN PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 70 ON DECEMBER 25, 1967. ATTEMPTS MADE TO LOCATE NEXT-OF-KIN WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, AND TWO LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS: “WHERE WATER FLOWS” (VAUXHALL & DISTRICT) AND “WATER WORKS WONDERS: A HISTORY OF THE WHITE, WILSON, MCMAHON, RIVER JUNCTION SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

Catalogue Number

P19960067002

Acquisition Date

1996-07

Collection

Museum

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