Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SHAM

Materials

COTTON

No. Pieces

2

Length

77.3

Width

52.2

Description

TWO WHITE COTTON PILLOW CASES WITH A FLOWERED EMBROIDERED DESIGN WITH A LARGE RED ROSE IN THE CENTRE SURROUNDED BY LIGHT PURPLE FLOWERS AND BROWN BRANCHES WITH GREEN LEAVES. AROUND THE EMBROIDERY AND ACROSS THE TOP SIDE NEAR THE OPEN END, IS AN ORNATE DESIGN IN THE FABRIC. ONE PILLOWCASE HAD A BRIGHT ORANGE TAG MARKED "SPECIAL THIS WEEK 0.99 $", AND INSIDE THE OTHER CASE WAS A LABEL MARKED "HAND EMBROIDERY NO. SP1662/2 SIZE 22X32 QUANT MADE IN CHINA". THE LABEL IS ATTACHED WITH ONLY ONE THREAD, AND THE PRICE TAG ON THE OTHER CASE HAS BEEN REMOVED BUT THE STAPLES LEFT A MARK IN THE FABRIC. ALTHOUGH BOTH CASES HAVE NEVER BEEN USED THEY ARE DIRTY ALONG THE FOLDS.

Subjects

BEDDING

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ITEMS WERE CONTAINED IN A TRUNK BELONGING TO THE DONOR'S MOTHER, WHO WAS BORN IN 1902 AND WAS RAISED ON A DOUKHOBOR COMMUNE UNTIL SHE AND FRED EVDOKIMOFF LEFT WHEN THEY WERE 18 YEARS OLD TO GET MARRIED. MANY OF THE ITEMS DATE BACK TO THE EARLY 1900'S, WHILE OTHERS ARE MODERN AND DATE TO THE 1980'S. DONOR'S PARENTS MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1952. MRS. EVDOKIMOFF DIED IN 1986 AT THE AGE OF 84 YEARS OLD. *UPDATE* NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT, MET WITH DONOR WALLY EVDOKIMOFF IN 2010 TO DISCUSS HIS DONATION OF THE TRUNK AND ITS CONTENTS. SEE BELOW. ACCORDING TO EVDOKIMOFF, THE PILLOW CASES WERE LIKELY KEPT BECAUSE THEY LOOKED PRETTY. HIS MOTHER TOOK A LOT OF PRIDE IN KEEPING A CLEAN, WELL KEPT HOME. HE SAID, "VIRTUALLY YOU COULD EAT OFF THE FLOOR... THAT WAS THEIR LIFE, RAISING THEIR KIDS AND KEEPING THEIR HOME FIRES BURNING, THAT WAS THEIR WHOLE EXISTENCE." ACCORDING TO EVDOKIMOFF HIS MOTHER WOULD HAVE USED SIMPLER LINENS FOR EVERY DAY USE. THESE WOULD HAVE BEEN KEPT AS HEIRLOOMS. HE IMAGINED THAT THESE PILLOWCASES WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIS PARENTS WHEN THEY WERE NEWLY-WEDS. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCSSORIES, INCLUDING A TOILET SET AND JACKET DONATED BY WALLY EVDOKIMOFF. DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH PUNDYK IN 2018, EVDOKIMOFF STATED HIS FAMILY LIVED IN YORKTON, SASKATCHEWAN AND BRILLIANT, BRITISH COLUMBIA. THEY WERE MOST LIKELY A PART OF THE DOUKHOBOR COMMUNITIES IN THOSE AREAS. HE CONFIRMED THAT HIS PARENTS FIRST ARRIVED IN ALBERTA IN 1952.

Catalogue Number

P19950075021

Acquisition Date

1995-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail