Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1975

Materials

COTTON, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Length

142.2

Width

60.0

Description

WHITE COTTON. OPENS ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FRONT, AND HAS WHITE PLASTIC BUTTONS AS CLOSURES. HAS HAND EMBROIDERY ON FRONT NECK PIECE, AND UPPER BACK. ALSO HAND EMBROIDERY AROUND NECK, CUFFS, AND ALONG BOTH SIDES OF CLOSURE. EMBROIDERY IS ALL WHITE; ON FRONT NECK PIECE THE EMBROIDERY INCLUDES TWO LARGE BIRDS. TRIM AROUND NECK AND BACK PIECE, AND ON OVERLAPPING PIECE OF CLOSURE, HAS A SCALLOPED EDGE. CUFFS ALSO HAVE SCALLOPED EDGES. LONG SLEEVES AND BACK ARE SLIGHTLY GATHERED. BOTTOM HAS A STRAIGHT HEM.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

DONOR ACQUIRED GOWN FROM FLORANCE DAVIES HARPER IN 1960S OR '70S. GOWN WAS MADE BY A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER OF MRS. HARPER'S, IN LETHBRIDGE. MRS. HARPER WORKED AS A NURSE IN DIAMOND CITY HOSPITAL AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, BEFORE NURSING IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE WAS A NURSE AT THE GALT HOSPITAL. FLORANCE DAVIES MARRIED MR. HARPER, FOLLOWING HER MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE, WHO OWNED HARPER'S MUSIC CONSERVATORY ON 5TH AVENUE AND 11TH STREET (LATER BECAME THE LOCATION OF SPUDNUTS). MRS. HARPER'S LIFE WAS DEDICATED TO NURSING AND LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE. DONOR BELIEVES MRS. HARPER PASSED AWAY IN EARLY 1980'S. MRS. HARPER NURSED DONOR'S MOTHER, CASSIE BARDET BERNIER, AND THEY BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS. DONOR ACQUIRED GOWN BECAUSE MRS. HARPER RECOGNIZED THAT DONOR WOULD VALUE THE GOWN AS A GIFT. MRS. HARPER MENTIONED TO DONOR THAT SHE HAD A SIMILAR GOWN, THAT SHE WOULD USE AS A BURIAL DRESS. DONOR WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN NOVEMBER, 1904. HER FATHER WORKED FOR THE AR&I RAILWAY. HER GRANDFATHER, PETER BARDET, WAS A MINER. DONOR MARRIED BABE (HAROLD) HARRIS, WHO WORKED FOR THE ELLISON MILLING COMPANY, AS AN ENGINEER. HE ALSO DID SPORTS FINAL FOR C.J.O.C. RADIO AND TELEVISION. HAROLD HARRIS STARTED THE ICE CREAM AND SPUDNUT SHOP. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING NIGHTGOWN DONATED BY YVONNE B. HARRIS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. YVONNE B. HARRIS WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 28, 1904, THE DAUGHTER OF THOMAS AND CATHERINE “CASSIE” BERNIER (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). SHE WAS RAISED AND EDUCATED IN LETHBRIDGE, WHERE SHE ALSO SPENT MOST OF HER ADULT LIFE. SHE WAS MARRIED TO HAROLD “BABE” HARRIS. YVONNE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 105 ON DECEMBER 18, 2009. BABE HARRIS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 77 IN MARCH 1981. HE MOVED TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA IN 1904, INITIALLY LIVING IN RAYMOND, THEN TABER, AND FINALLY LETHBRIDGE IN 1933. CATHERINE “CASSIE” BERNIER (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) WAS BORN IN 1883 IN NOVA SCOTIA AND LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1902-1926 BEFORE MOVING TO POWELL RIVER, BC. SHE PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER 1965. FLORENCE HENRIETTA HARPER (NEE DAVY) WAS BORN IN BATH, ON IN 1873. SHE GRADUATED FROM THE EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL IN PHILADELPHIA, PA IN 1903 AS A NURSE. IN 1911 SHE ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE AND SERVED AS MATRON OF DIAMOND CITY HOSPITAL FROM 1911-1917. ON JUNE 10, 1913 FLORENCE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO JAMES GEORGE HARPER. SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 92 ON APRIL 13, 1966. JAMES GEORGE HARPER WAS BORN IN PRESCOTT, ON AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1904 AND CO-FOUNDED THE LETHBRIDGE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC. HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 86 IN AUGUST 1953. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P19990023000

Acquisition Date

1999-11

Collection

Museum

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