Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

SILK CREPE

No. Pieces

3

Length

103.5

Width

33.1

Description

NAVY BLUE CREPE DROP-WAIST LONG SLEEVED DRESS. FALLS JUST ABOVE KNEES. TWO ROWS FLARED HEM. BEIGE CREPE COLLAR DRAPED FROM NECKLINE, OVER SHOULDERS AND DOWN BACK. EMBROIDERED WITH BLUE AND GOLD FLORAL PATTERN ON FRONT RIGHT, AND WITH FOUR GOLD FLOWERS ON BACK. RIGHT SIDE HAS SCARF-LIKE EXTENSION ON COLLAR OF SAME FABRIC; HANGS ALONG FRONT AND BACK OF SLEEVE. ALSO EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD FLOWERS. COLLAR TRIMMED WITH PINK, MAUVE, AND BLUE-EMBROIDERED WHITE LACE TRIM. SLEEVES ARE FINISHED WITH TRIANGULAR PIECE OF BEIGE CREPE FABRIC TRIMMED WITH SAME LACE; FASTEN WITH SINGLE BRASS SNAP. HOLE IN LEFT UNDERARM SEAM, COVERED WITH PATCH OF UNFINISHED NYLON FABRIC. LARGE TEAR IN RIGHT SLEEVE HAS BEEN REPAIRED; SMALL HOLE IN RIGHT SIDE OF COLLAR. DRESS INCLUDES TWO BANDS OF BLUE FABRIC, 78.5 AND 67.3CM (L) X 1.8CM (W). APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CONNECTED PREVIOUSLY; ENDS NOW FRAYING.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

BELONGED TO DONOR'S MOTHER-IN-LAW, EVELYN ROLLINGSON. USED FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS, ESPECIALLY DANCING. ACCORDING TO DONOR, EVELYN AND HER HUSBAND HENRY LIKED TO DANCE. HENRY WAS A COWBOY, COAL MINER, AND LATER THE OWNER OF A THRIVING GAS AND OIL BUSINESS (STEWART DAVIS OILS/LION OILS). EVELYN (BATTY) ROLLINGSON WAS BORN IN GLEECHEN, AB.; HENRY CAME FROM ENGLAND IN 1907-08. HIS FATHER WAS GEORGE "RATTLESNAKE" ROLLINGSON, WHO MINED AND FARMED WEST OF THE PRESENT-DAY AIRPORT IN LETHBRIDGE. ACCORDING TO DONOR, MANY EARLY SETTLERS GOT THEIR COAL FROM ROLLINGSON MINES, AND GEORGE AND HENRY ALSO SUPPLIED COAL TO THE GALT HOSPITAL. DONOR CLAIMS THAT WHEN HENRY WENT TO GALT TO PICK UP HIS WIFE AND NEW BABY (BARBARA JOAN), HE FIRST HAD TO DELIVER A LOAD OF COAL AS PAYMENT FOR THE MATERNITY CARE (1933). *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING DRESS DONATED BY JAMES WHYTE. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. JAMES SYKES WHYTE MARRIED BARBARA JOAN ROLLINGSON ON NOVEMBER 27, 1954. BARBARA JOAN WHYTE (NEE ROLLINGSON) WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 17, 1933, IN LETHBRIDGE, AB, THE SECOND CHILD OF HENRY ROLLINGSON AND EVELYN ROLLINGSON (NEE BATTY). SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 60 ON JUNE 11, 1994. CLARA EVELYN “EVELYN” ROLLINGSON (NEE BATTY) WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 12, 1911 IN GLEICHEN, AB. ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY, “SHE SPENT PART OF CHILDHOOD IN ENGLAND, THEN HER FAMILY MOVED TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA.” EVELYN WAS MARRIED TO HENRY ROLLINGSON ON OCTOBER 25, 1930 AND THE COUPLE LIVED IN THE LETHBRIDGE AREA, THEN RELOCATED TO OKOTOKS FOR 10 YEARS, AND RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1980. EVELYN PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 70 ON NOVEMBER 1, 1981. HENRY ROLLINGSON WAS BORN IN ENGLAND IN 1906 AND MOVED WITH HIS PARENTS TO THE LETHBRIDGE AREA IN 1913. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, HENRY’S “FATHER OPENED A COAL MINE NEAR FORT WHOOP-UP. AS A YOUTH HE WORKED IN THE MINE AND THEN FARMED THE LAND NEAR THE MINE UNTIL 1933.” FOLLOWING EVELYN’S DEATH IN 1981, HENRY WAS REMARRIED TO HAZEL PETERSON IN 1982. HENRY PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 91 ON JUNE 5, 1998. EVELYN’S MOTHER HELEN BATTY (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) WAS BORN IN TYDE ST. MARY, LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND IN 1884 AND MOVED TO CANADA IN 1908, FIRST TO BRANTFORD, ON, THEN TO GLEICHEN, AB IN 1909, WHERE SHE WAS MARRIED TO ARTHUR DIXON BATTY. SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 89 ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1973. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P19990006000

Acquisition Date

1999-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail