POKER

Description: STEEL POKER AND LONG-HANDLED SPOON SET. POKER HAS A SLIGHTLY RED SHAFT WITH A STEEL AND BRASS STRIPED HANDLE. SCOOP HAS A LONG NARROW SHAFT, WITH A LOOP AT ONE END TO HANG, AND A SPOON AT THE OTHER END. BASIN OF SPOON IS VERY RUSTY, AND RED COLOUR ON SHAFT IS WEARING ON THE BOTTOM.

History: USED BY DONOR'S FATHER, JOSEPH CHERVINSKI, WHO WAS THE LAST BLACKSMITH IN LETHBRIDGE FROM THE 1930'S ON. HE WAS A MACHINIST AND BLACKSMITH WITH THE FEDERAL MINE AND JJ HAMILTON MINE. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED A BIOGRAPHY OF AB CHERVINSKI, THE DONOR OF THIS OBJECT, WITH INFORMATION FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1982, 1989, AND 2011. ADAM ABRAHAM 'AB" CHERVINSKI WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 24, 1920 IN LETHBRIDGE. AS A TEENAGER HE WORKED AS A MESSENGER BOY FOR THE CPR TELEGRAPH OFFICE. CHERVINSKI BRIEFLY LIVED IN ONTARIO DURING HIS SERVICE WITH THE AIR FORCE, BUT RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WORKED FOR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT TELEPHONES FOR 37 YEARS. HE WAS A LIFELONG COLLECTOR OF ANTIQUES, AVID LOCAL HISTORIAN, AND HEAVILY INVOLVED IN MUSICAL THEATRE. AB CHERVINSKI DIED ON JUNE 2, 2011. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970107001-GA FOR HARDCOPIES OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT CHERVINSKI. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY ADAM ABRAHAM CHERVINSKI. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE DONOR'S LIVING NEXT-OF-KIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.