Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

THREE-PIECE TUXEDO

Date Range From

1910

Date Range To

1920

Materials

WOOL, COTTON, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

3

Description

1. JACKET. 103.9CM (L) X 44CM (W). BLACK WOOL DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET WITH TAILS. GLAZED COTTON LINING AND LAPELS. THREE CLOTH-COVERED BUTTONS ON EITHER SIDE OF JACKET (ORNAMENTAL; NO BUTTON HOLES); TWO DECORATIVE BUTTONS ON EACH CUFF. BACK OF JACKET SLIT BELOW WAIST; EACH TAIL PLEATED, WITH BUTTON AT TOP. TWO INTERIOR BREAST POCKETS. BUTTONS AND LAPEL AREA SHOW WEAR. 2. VEST. 64CM (L) X 46CM (W). BLACK WOOL VEST WITH GLAZED COTTON BACKING AND WHITE SATIN PIN-STRIPED LINING (STRIPES WOVEN INTO FABRIC). U-SHAPED LAPEL, WITH FOUR CLOTH-COVERED BUTTONS AT BOTTOM. SHALLOW POCKET ON EACH FRONT PANEL OF VEST. GLAZED COTTON ADJUSTABLE WAIST TAB AT LOWER BACK, WITH BLACK SLIDE BUCKLE. 3. PANTS. 114.6CM (L) X 35CM (W). BLACK WOOL PANTS. WAISTBAND AND POCKETS LINED WITH GLAZED WHITE COTTON. FIVE-BUTTON FLY AT FRONT; SIX PLASTIC BUTTONS ON WAISTBAND FOR ATTACHING SUSPENDERS. PANTS HAVE TWO SIDE POCKETS, TWO COIN POCKETS, AND TWO BACK POCKETS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

WORN BY THOMAS F. MCNABB WHILE GRAND MASTER OF THE MASONIC GRAND LODGE OF ALBERTA. MCNABB WAS FORMER MAYOR. FOR MORE HISTORY SEE P19980065001-GA. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A TUXEDO DONATED BY MABEL MCNABB. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. MABEL MCNABB (NEE HICKS) WAS BORN IN ARKWRIGHT, ON ON MAY 5, 1909 AND MOVED TO CARMANGAY, AB WITH HER FAMILY AS A THREE YEAR OLD. SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM JAMES BYRON HICKS AND MARGARET HICKS (NEE GRAHAM). IN 1927 SHE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE SHE WORKED AS AN OPERATOR FOR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT TELEPHONES. SHE WAS MARRIED TO GORDON MCNABB ON JUNE 3, 1945. MABEL PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 94 ON JUNE 1, 2003. GORDON CLIFFORD MCNABB WAS BORN, RAISED, AND EDUCATED IN LETHBRIDGE, SAVE FOR TWO YEARS OF EDUCATION AT THE CALGARY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. HE SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE RCAF DURING WWII AND UPON HIS RETURN FROM THE WAR, WAS EMPLOYED WITH CANADA MAN POWER IN SPECIAL PLACEMENT SERVICES. GORDON WAS THE SON OF THOMAS GROVER MCNABB AND ANNA (CECIL) MCNABB (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). GORDON PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 69 ON AUGUST 1, 1979. THOMAS GROVER MCNABB PASSED AWAY ON JULY 14, 1967. ANNA (CECIL) MCNABB PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 17, 1969 AT THE AGE OF 78. THOMAS GROVER MCNABB WAS THE SON OF THOMAS M. MCNABB AND BROTHER TO GEORGE A. MCNABB. AN ARTICLE ABOUT GEORGE A. MCNABB, PUBLISHED DECEMBER 13, 1949 IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD GIVES DETAILS ABOUT THE MCNABB FAMILY’S ARRIVAL IN LETHBRIDGE: “GEORGE MCNABB WAS BORN AT BELLEVILLE, ON AND CAME TO LETHBRIDGE WITH HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER, DAVE, ON OCTOBER 1, 1885. … THE LATE THOMAS MCNABB HAD PRECEDED HIS FAMILY TO LETHBRIDGE TO BECOME MASTER MECHANIC FOR THE NORTH WEST COAL COMPANY, WHICH LATER BECAME THE ALBERTA RAILWAY AND IRRIGATION COMPANY. WHEN THE A.R. AND I. WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE C.P.R. IN 1911, THOMAS MCNABB RETIRED, AND FOR MANY YEARS RANCHED NEAR NOLAN’S BRIDGE NORTH OF COALDALE, RETIRING TO LIVE AT COALDALE UP TO THE TIME OF HIS DEATH A FEW YEARS AGO. … GEORGE MCNABB RECALLS THAT WHEN HE CAME TO LETHBRIDGE THERE WAS A HOUSING SHORTAGE … THE FAMILY’S FIRST HOME, HE SAYS, WAS A BOXCAR REMOVED FROM ITS WHEELS AND PLACED ON THE GROUND. THEY LIVED THERE IN 1885 AND 1886.” THOMAS M. MCNABB PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 80 ON FEBRUARY 16, 1929, FOLLOWING A THIRD STROKE. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 19, 1929 IN THE HERALD SAID THE FOLLOWING ABOUT HIM: “THE NAME OF THOMAS MCNABB HAS BEEN CLOSELY IDENTIFIED WITH THE GROWTH OF LETHBRIDGE SINCE 1885, WHEN HE ARRIVED HERE TO TAKE A POSITION AS MASTER MECHANIC OF THE OLD NORTHWEST COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY, LATER THE ALBERTA RAILWAY AND IRRIGATION COMPANY, FOR WHICH COMPANY HE WORKED FOR 26 YEARS. … THE LATE THOMAS MCNABB WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND AND CAME TO CANADA WITH HIS PARENTS AS A CHILD. THE FAMILY LIVED FIRST AT KINGSTON AND LATER AT BELLEVILLE. MR. AND MRS. MCNABB, WHO WERE MARRIED IN KINGSTON, WOULD HAVE CELEBRATED THEIR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY IN JULY HAD MR. MCNABB LIVED. COMING WEST IN JUNE 1885 HE ARRIVED IN MEDICINE HAT ON THE 13TH OF THAT MONTH.” AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED MAY 16, 1912 INDICATED THAT “MR. MCNABB IS COMPLETING A BUSY YEAR AS GRAND MASTER. HE VISITED PERFECTION LODGE OF CALGARY ON TUESDAY NIGHT, AND THAT MADE 67 VISITS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION FOR THE YEAR.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P19980065004

Acquisition Date

1998-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail