VEST

Description: LIGHT YELLOW COTTON VEST WITH DECORATIVE STITCHING ACROSS FRONT POCKET FLAP. HAS A LIGHT GREY SATIN RIBBON AT NECK USED TO TIE FRONT CLOSED. IS SEWN AT SHOULDER SEAMS AND FASTENED AT THE SIDE WITH A STEEL SAFETY PIN AT THE BOTTOM. VEST IS COMPLETELY SQUARE. RIBBON IS INTACT ON RIGHT SIDE, BUT RIBBON ON LEFT IS BROKEN AND IS INSIDE ONE OF THE FRONT POCKETS.

History: ITEM WAS USED BY DONOR'S MOTHER, MARY WAGNESS, AS A TEENAGER DURING THE 1920'S AS A COVERUP TO PROTECT HER CLOTHING WHILE SHE WAS STYLING HER HAIR. THE POCKETS IN THE FRONT WEAR USED TO HOLD BOBBY PINS, AND OTHER ACCESSORIES. SEE P19970007001-GA AND ARCHIVES FOR FAMILY HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE BOXED TEXTILE COLLECTION. ON 8 MARCH 2018, PUNDYK INTERVIEWED SISTERS SHIRLEY TUCKER AND JEAN SCMITT ABOUT THE ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TUCKER. WHEN ASKED IF THEY REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT: JEAN: “[OUR MOTHER MARY WAGNESS] HAD A ‘MARCEL’, IN THE EARLY YEARS. SHE HAD THE OLD IRON THAT SHE WOULD TWIRL AROUND. THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE MARQUIS HOTEL – THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE HAD EVERY TWO WEEKS, I GUESS, SHE’D HAVE THE ‘MARCEL’.” SHIRLEY: “SHE NEVER DID WASH, AND DO HER HAIR AT HOME, NEVER IN ALL THE YEARS. WE’RE IN AND OUT OF SHOWERS CONSTANTLY, BUT THAT WAS AN ERA THAT YOU JUST WENT AND GOT YOUR HAIR DONE EVERY SECOND WEEK, AND WE HAD OUR MUSIC LESSONS IN HERE, AT THE SAME TIME. …OH, I DON’T REMEMBER THAT, REALLY, THAT MUCH, BECAUSE WE NEVER SAW HER DO HER OWN HAIR, UNLESS SHE WORE IT WHEN SHE CAME IN TO HAVE IT DONE.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN THE PERMANENT FILE P19970007001.