Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ORANGE BLOSSOMS & WEDDING VEIL

Date

1925

Materials

TULLE, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Length

176

Width

175

Diameter

23.5 (HEADPIECE)

Description

LARGE SQUARE TULLE VEIL WITH WHITE STITCHED WAVY BORDER AND FLORAL PATTERN ON EACH CORNER. SECOND PIECE IS A HALF CIRCLE HEADPIECE MADE OF ARTIFICAL WHITE ORANGE BLOSSOMS WITH GREEN LEAVES. HOOK ON BOTH ENDS TO ATTACH THE VEIL. SEVERAL, HOLES IN THE TULLE. BLOSSOMS COVERED IN WAX, WHICH IS CRACKING.

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

WORN BY SAM'S MOTHER, FLORENCE OSGOODE, DURING HER MARRIAGE TO SAM MATHESON, DONOR'S FATHER. MARRIED JUNE 24, 1925 IN LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATED* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING TWO WEDDING DRESSES DONATED BY SAM AND MARG MATHESON. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DONORS AND ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. FLORENCE ISABELLE MATHESON (NEE OSGOOD) WAS BORN ON JUNE 18, 1900 IN NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, ENGLAND. SHE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1913 AND WAS MARRIED TO SAMUEL MATHESON ON JUNE 24, 1925. THE COUPLE’S WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT SAID THE FOLLOWING: “A VERY PRETTY WEDDING WAS SOLEMNIZED … AT THE HOME OF MRS. W. WILSON, 530 12TH ST. A. NORTH, WHEN FLORENCE ISABELLE OSGOOD BECAME THE BRIDE OF SAMUEL MATHESON. THE WEDDING MARCH WAS PLAYED AS THE BRIDGE ENTERED THE DRAWING-ROOM ON THE ARM OF HER UNCLE, W. WILSON. SHE WAS DRESSED IN TURQUOISE SILK WITH A VEIL AND WREATH OF ORANGE BLOSSOMS, AND CARRIED A BOUQUET OF OPHELIA ROSES … FOLLOWING THE WEDDING THE COMPANY SAT DOWN TO THE WEDDING BREAKFAST, AFTER WHICH THE HAPPY COUPLE LEFT ON THE HONEYMOON TRIP. THE BRIDGE TRAVELLED IN A GREEN CREPE DE CHINE DRESS AND HAT TO MATCH, WITH NAVY BLUE COAT TRIMMED WITH SQUIRREL FUR. AN EXTENDED TRIP IS PLANNED THROUGH B.C. TO THE COAST AND INTO THE UNITED STATES, AND ON THEIR RETURN MR. AND MRS. MATHESON WILL RESIDE IN THE CITY.” THIS WEDDING DRESS WAS FOUND IN A TRUNK THAT BELONGED TO SAM’S FATHER. MARGARET SAID “ACTUALLY, SAM INHERITED THIS TRUNK OF HIS FATHER’S, AND THAT’S WHERE WE FOUND THIS – AND THE ORANGE BLOSSOM – AND SOME HEADWEAR THAT HIS MOM HAD.” SAM AND MARGARET’S DAUGHTER WORE THIS HEADPIECE WHEN SHE WAS MARRIED. ASKED WHERE HIS PARENTS WERE MARRIED, SAM SAID: “IT WAS IN A HOME HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE. I BELIEVE THAT’S WHERE THEY WERE MARRIED, AS FAR AS WE KNOW. DAD WAS A VERY QUIET MAN. HE DIDN’T TALK TOO MUCH. HE WOULD, BUT HE PREFERRED TO JUST LIVE BY HIMSELF. BUT, ANYWAY, THEY WERE MARRIED ON THE NORTH SIDE HERE, AND IN A HOUSE. IN FACT, THE HOUSE IS STILL THERE. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IT’S BEEN FIXED UP SINCE THEN; IT’S NOT THE ORIGINAL; IT’S BEEN ADDED-TO IT; RENOVATIONS. THAT WAS IN ’25 THEY WERE MARRIED.” SAM WASN’T SURE IF THERE WAS A RECEPTION AFTERWARDS: “NO IDEA. DAD DIDN’T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT. AFTER HE DIED, WE GOT GOING THROUGH THE TRUNK, AND ALL THAT WAS THERE WAS MOTHER’S DRESS, AND HER HEADDRESS, AND COMBS AND BRUSHES ... BUT THAT’S ABOUT ALL WE FOUND OUT FROM DAD. HE DIDN’T TALK TOO MUCH.” MARGARET ADDED: “WELL, IT WAS KIND OF A SAD SUBJECT FOR HIM TOO. HE DIDN’T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT THE BOY’S MOTHER, BECAUSE THEY DON’T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER. I THINK IT HURT TOO MUCH FOR HIM TO TALK A LOT, BECAUSE IT WAS A SUDDEN DEATH.” SAM CONTINUED SAYING: “I REMEMBER THE NIGHT SHE DIED. I THINK IT WAS THE MINISTER OF THE CHURCH, WADE, I THINK, FROM ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, HE CAME UP WITH A BIG BOX OF CANDIES FOR US KIDS, AND THE ‘SALLY ANNE’ CAME UP LATER TOO, AND GIVE US THE SAME THING.” MARGARET SAID THAT FLORENCE PASSED ON “DECEMBER 17TH, JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.” SAM ADDED: ”’35. NO, ’36. MY BROTHER WAS BORN IN ’35, SO HE WAS A YEAR OLD WHEN SHE DIED. AND, MY GRANDMOTHER, MY MOTHER’S MOTHER, WAS THERE AND SHE KIND OF LOOKED AFTER THE KIDS, ‘TIL SHE DIED IN ’42. THEN, DAD GOT A SERIES OF HOUSEKEEPERS.” SAM WAS ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN AND HIS FATHER NEVER REMARRIED: “HE WENT ON BY HIMSELF, BROUGHT US ALL UP, AND HE DIED HERE IN ’63.” SAM HAD THE FOLLOWING TO SAY ABOUT HIS PARENTS HONEYMOON: “YES, THEY HAD A HONEYMOON. DAD KEPT AN ALBUM, AND HE ALWAYS SAID “PUT THE DATES ON ALL THE PICTURES.” WELL, AFTER HE DIED, WE FOUND THE ALBUM, AND HE DIDN’T PUT ANY DATES, OR ANYTHING ON IT - SO – BUT THERE’S A LOT OF PICTURES. I’VE GOT THE FEELING THAT THEY WENT TO VANCOUVER, BUT I’M ONLY GUESSING, BECAUSE MOST PICTURES ARE ON THE RAILWAY, WHEN THEY STOPPED AT SOMEPLACE IN B.C. WHERE THEY’RE BUILDING SOMETHING, AND THEY WERE WALKING AROUND ENGINES. WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WENT, I’M NOT SURE. I TAKE FOR GRANTED THERE WERE THINGS ON THE COAST THEY WANTED TO SEE, PLUS THE CPR WOULD BE FREE FOR THEM.” MARGARET ADDED: “AND, SINCE HE WORKED FOR THE CPR, HE MUST HAVE GOT A FREE RIDE, BECAUSE NOBODY WAS RICH IN THOSE DAYS.” SAM CONTINUED: “BUT, WHEN YOU WORKED FOR THE CPR, YOU COULD GET RAILWAY PASSES, AND GO ANYWHERE YOU WANTED. THAT’S WHERE THEY PROBABLY ENDED UP. THIS IS ALL GUESSING - EDUCATED GUESSING.” ASKED IF HE KNEW HOW HIS PARENTS HAD MET, SAM SAID: “NO. WE FIGURED OUT THAT DAD STAYED IN THE HOTEL – THE ARLINGTON HOTEL THAT USED TO BE OVER HERE – AND SHE WAS A CHAMBERMAID, AND SOMEHOW THEY MET. HE WORKED FOR THE CPR, AND THEY MET, AND WENT OUT TOGETHER, AND DATED, AND FOUND SOMETHING, AND THEY MARRIED IN ’25. WHEN THEY FIRST MET, I HAVE NO IDEA. I CAN ONLY THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE.” BOTH SAMUEL AND FLORENCE WERE FROM ENGLAND. SAM EXPLAINED: “THEY WERE BOTH FROM ENGLAND. DAD CAME OVER IN 1912, FROM THURSO, IN SCOTLAND, AND MOTHER CAME OVER FROM NEWCASTLE, IN 1913, I GUESS, AND THEY MET SOON AFTER THAT. OR WHERE THEY MET, OR WHAT TIME – I JUST KNOW THEY WERE MARRIED IN ’25, THAT WAS IT. DAD DIDN’T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.” MARGARET ADDED THAT SAMUEL WAS ABOUT 24 YEARS OLD WHEN HE MOVED TO CANADA AND THAT HE’D BEEN A POLICEMAN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, PRIOR TO IMMIGRATING. SAM GAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: “HE GOT OFF THE BOAT IN ST. JOHN’S, NEW BRUNSWICK, AND HE LUMBER JACKED THERE FOR A SHORT TIME. THEN HE WENT TO CALGARY AND JOINED THE POLICE FORCE, AND WAS THERE FOR 2 YEARS. THEN HE QUIT THE POLICE FORCE, AND CAME TO THE CPR IN LETHBRIDGE. AND, THEN THAT’S WHERE THE FAMILY GOT STARTED. AND, THAT’S WHERE MOTHER AND DAD MET THERE TOO, GOT TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER, AND HAD US ALL – KIDS.” WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY CONFUSION BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO SAM MATHESONS, SAM REPLIED: “I WAS CALLED ‘SAMMY’; DAD WAS ALWAYS ‘SAM’. AND, I THOUGHT IT WOULD END UP THAT I WOULD BE CALLED ‘SAM’, AND MY YOUNGEST SON WOULD BE CALLED ‘SAMMY’, BUT THE WAY IT ENDED UP, MY SON WAS CALLED ‘SAM’, AND I WAS ‘SAMMY’ TO THE REST OF THE FAMILY. SO THAT’S KIND OF A LITTLE DIFFERENCE THERE.” SAM ALSO DESCRIBED HIS PARENTS: “[MOM] WAS QUITE SMALL, I GUESS. DAD WAS ABOUT 6’3’’. SHE MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 5’7”, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SHE SEEMED TO BE QUITE SMALL.” FLORENCE PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 17, 1936. SAMUEL PASSED AT THE AGE OF 74 IN JUNE 1963. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, SAMUEL MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1918 AND WORKED FOR 37 YEARS AS A FREIGHT CONDUCTOR ON THE CPR, BEFORE RETIRING IN 1955. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE HERALD ARTICLES AND FOR A TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW.

Catalogue Number

P19980024003

Acquisition Date

1998-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail