WHIP

Description: RUSTY-BROWN COLOURED PLASTIC WHIP, WITH AN IMITATION BRAIDED DESIGN ON HANDLE AND SHAFT OF WHIP. BRAIDING ON END OF WHIP IS SEPERATING AND BREAKING. TIED TO END OF BRAIDING ARE BLACK AND WHITE NYLON HAIR. BELOW HANDLE IS THE REMNANT OF A SILVER PAPER LABEL, WRITING ILLEGIBLE. SURFACE SOILED AND DAMAGED.

History: ACCORDING TO DONOR ITEM BELONGED TO A RANCHER BY THE NAME OF DAVE GARTNER, WHO USED IT TO BRING CATTLE ACROSS THE OLDMAN RIVER. *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.