Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SET OF (4) COASTERS, C/W CASE AND BOTTLE OPENER

Date Range From

1986

Date Range To

1995

Materials

PLASTIC, RUBBER, CARDBOARD

No. Pieces

7

Height

3.8

Length

10.5

Width

8.4

Description

1. BOX - RECTANGULAR; CARDBOARD; WHITE. PRINTED ON ALL SIDES, EXCEPT BOTTOM, IS "IBM PC JR" IN BLACK, BLUE, AND RED WITHIN A GROUP OF GREY, HORIZONTAL STRIPES. BELOW THIS IS "COASTER CADDY" IN BLACK. THE TWO ENDS OPEN. 2. CASE - RECTANGULAR; PLASTIC; BEIGE. MADE TO LOOK LIKE A COMPUTER'S HARD DRIVE. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM IS "IBM CANADA LTD. 1984 REG'D OF IND. DESIGNS APPLIED FOR MANUFACTURE IDMD INC. TORONTO ONTARIO". HAS TWO STRIPS OF RUBBER FOAM ON BOTTOM. TOP OF CASE OPENS UPWARDS. 3. COASTERS - 0.2CM(H) X 6.8CM(L) X 6.8CM(W). FOUR RECTANGULAR COASTERS; BLACK; RUBBER FOAM. EACH IS MADE TO LOOK LIKE A FLOPPY DISK. EACH HAS A STICKER IN TOP LEFT HAND CORNER -RED, GREEN, OR PURPLE - THAT READS "IBM PC JR" IN WHITE. 4. BOTTLE OPENER - RECTANGULAR; PLASTIC; BEIGE. MADE TO LOOK LIKE A COMPUTER KEYBOARD. BOTTOM HAS BOTTLE OPENER HARDWARE. EMBOSSED ON BOTTOM IS "IBM IS A REGD TRADEMARK OF IBM CORP. REG'D IND. DESIGNS APPLIED FOR MANUFACTURE IDMD INC. TORONTO ONTARIO". THERE ARE TWO STRIPS OF RUBBER FOAM ON BOTTOM, AS WELL.

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

Historical Association

BUSINESS

DOMESTIC

History

COASTER CADDY WAS ISSUED TO PURCHASERS OF IBM PC JR. WHEN PRODUCTION WAS BACKED UP AND DELIVERY OF COMPUTERS WAS DELAYED. DONOR OWNED JOHNSTONE REITER. ALSO A MEMBER OF CURRENT MUSEUM GOVERNING BOARD (2000). *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR’S WIFE, JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED IN 2018. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED, HE TOOK ME TO COMDEX, WHICH IS ALL THE LATEST GADGETS THAT YOU’D EVER, EVER FIND WHICH WAS GOING TO BE PRODUCED, DEBUT IN LAS VEGAS AT COMDEX EVERY YEAR, AND HE WAS GOING DOWN THERE SO I WENT WITH HIM. AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN THEN BUT I WILL ASK HIM ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IF IT WAS COMDEX THAT WE GOT THAT, BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT THINGS FROM THERE - AND WE HAVE PICTURES AND ONE THING AND ANOTHER AND THAT’S YOU KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW ARE OLD ALREADY BUT BROUGHT ONTO THE MARKET COME AND GONE YOU KNOW.” “[ANDREW] WORKED FOR HINSON COMPUTING. HE OPENED A STORE, RAN A STORE HERE IN LETHBRIDGE CALLED HINSON COMPUTING. AND THEN HE WENT INTO BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF AND HAD JOHNSTONE REITER COMPUTERS [WITH HIS PARTNER SCOTT REITER]… THEIR STORE WAS SOLD AND IT’S GONE NOW. SO HE WAS IN THAT BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME…” WHEN ASKED IF THEY WERE EVER USED IN HER HOME, “NEVER! PROBABLY NEVER CAME OUT OF ITS BOX.” IN A LATER INTERVIEW IN 2019, SHE CLARIFIED ABOUT THE ITEM, “THIS LITTLE COASTER AND ITS BOX, AND ITS CONTAINER, ITS COASTERS BASICALLY. IT WAS A PROMOTIONAL ITEM WHEN ANDREW AND I - HE WENT TO COMDEX AND COMDEX IS STILL GOING TODAY. WE PROBABLY WERE THERE IN 1986. IT’S AN ANNUAL CONVENTION IN JANUARY AND YOU CAN STILL SEE IT - AND AT THE COMDEX THEY PROMOTE ALL THE NEWEST GADGETS. ALL THE LATEST THINGS, THAT YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE I CALL THEM DICK TRACY WATCHES, BUT THEY’RE REALLY THE PHONE AND THE- EVERYTHING AND PEOPLE WEAR AND THEIR TALKING INTO THEIR WRIST. I CALL THEM DICK TRACY WATCHES BUT YOU KNOW THOSE WERE SHOWCASED THERE AND WHEN CASSETTES WERE GETTING SMALLER, AND THEY WENT- ALL OF THOSE THINGS, OR INTERACTIVE. THIS YEAR I’M SURE IT MUST ALL BE ABOUT VIRTUAL REALITY AND- WHAT DO YOU CALL THEM? ALEXA AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT ALEXA CAN DO FOR YOU. ANYWAY WE WENT IN, IT’S IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AND WE WENT IN 1986, WE BELIEVE. HE WAS MANAGING A STORE CALLED HIENSON COMPUTING AT 1283 - 3RD AVENUE SOUTH. WE WENT WITH ERIK HIENSON, WHO LIVED IN CALGARY AND HIENSON WAS THERE TOO, IT NO LONGER IS IN BUSINESS. ANYWAY, HIENSON COMPUTING, THEY CARRIED COMMODORE, AMIGA’S, PANASONIC PRODUCTS. AND OF COURSE COMMODORE IS ONE OF THE VERY EARLIEST, COMPUTERS. THIS IS AN IBM, THIS IS ADVERTISING, THESE COASTERS ARE ADVERTISING AN IBM PC AND HE SAYS THAT, THEY NEVER WENT ANYWHERE - THAT THEY WERE NOT A SUCCESS. BUT THEY WERE TRYING TO PROMOTE IT AT THE COMDEX. WE NEVER USED THESE COASTERS, I THOUGHT THEY WERE POSITIVELY UGLY, BUT WE KEPT THEM AS A MEMENTO OF OUR TRIP.” A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE 2018 INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20000011001. THE 2019 INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20000003003

Acquisition Date

2000-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail