Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WROUGHT IRON STANDING ASHTRAY

Date Range From

1935

Date Range To

1945

Materials

STEEL

No. Pieces

3

Height

70

Length

16

Width

30

Description

WROUGHT IRON DOUBLE ASHTRAY ON A TALL STAND WITH A HANDLE ON THE TOP. NEXT TO THE ASHTRAYS ARE A CIGARETTE HOLDER AND A RECTANGULAR BAR POSSIBLY USED AS A MATCH STRIKER. BOTH ASHTRAYS ARE REMOVABLE. SHAFT OF STAND AND HANDLE ARE TWISTED AND ATTACHED TO AN ORNATE BASE. REMNANTS OF GREEN PAINT AND SPOTS OF RUST COVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE.

Subjects

HOUSEHOLD ACCESSORY

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR ITEM IS FROM THE GREYHOUND BUS DEPOT BEHIND THE ALEXANDER HOTEL. THE BUILDING CLOSED IN 1942 AND DONOR RECEIVED FROM THE FORMER MANAGER OF THE DEPOT. *UPDATE* IN 2010, NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PALLET RACKING. SHE CONTACTED THE DONOR TO GAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASHTRAY. HIS COMMENTS ARE BELOW: ACCORDING TO DONOR AB CHERVINSKI, THIS ASHTRAY IS FROM THE GREYHOUND BUS DEPOT BEHIND THE ALEXANDRIA HOTEL. THE DEPOT CLOSED IN 1942 AND THE ASHTRAY WAS GIFTED TO CHERVENSKI FROM THE DEPOT’S FORMER MANAGER (EITHER TOM PIZZEY OR MR. DUPEN) POST-CLOSURE. CHERVENSKI WAS INTERESTED IN THE ASHTRAY BECAUSE HE LIKED TO COLLECT ANTIQUES AND ITEMS RELATED TO THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. THE ASHTRAY WAS NOT PERSONALLY USED BY CHERVENSKI, JUST STORED. *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.

Catalogue Number

P19970107019

Acquisition Date

1997-10

Collection

Museum

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