`'~ ~~~ ~9~MPLC ~oPY Material History Review FALL 1991 / AUTOMNE 1991 34 ~ Revue d'histoire de la culture materielle NATIONAL Mc rst:I!m c~~ Sc.'IENCE AND Do,CtINOLOCr MI JSIi'E NATIONAL !)ES SCIENCES ET DE LA TECIIN()LOGIE OVERALLS 15kLm'...w.... .. ..,. OVE RALLS . , .,. ..~ .,. ..,.,. The Great Western Garment Company, Limited - - Edmonton, Alta. '`"°c~0 ' ec`05 © National Museum of Science and Technology 1991 / Mus6e national des sciences et de la technologie 1991 \ 5` °y 0 JSpJ p~~ ~° c°° ISSN 1183-1073 o~ No°~"° ~°` pc '~e 0 \p a ~JS~ 0va0 Editorial Board / The contents of contributions to Material His- Comite de redaction tory Review are solely the responsibility of the Editor in Chief l Chef de la r6daction individual authors and are not to be attributed Peter E. Rider to Material History Review, its editors, produc- CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION / tion staff or Editorial Board, or the National MUSI;E CANADIEN DES CIVILISATIONS Museum of Science and Technology. La teneur des articles de la Revue d'histoire de Associate Editor and French-Language Review Ed- la culture mat6rielle n'engage qua les auteurs itor/ Rddacteur adjoint et responsable des comptes desdits articles . La responsabilitt' n'en saurait rendus en franFais 8tre attribu6e A la Revue d'histoire de la cul- Jean-Pierre Hardy ture mat6rielle, A ses r6dactetus et rtsviseurs, ia CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION / son personnel de production ou ia son comit6 MUS$E CANADIEN DES CIVILISATIONS de rtsdaction, ni au Mus6e national des scien- ces et de la technologie . Managing Editor l Directeur administratif Geoff Rider NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY / MUSI;E NATIONAL DES SCIENCES ET DE LA TECHNOLOGIE Contributing Editors l R6dacirices invit6es Catherine Cooper Cole ALBERTA CULTURE Pamela Blackstock CANADIAN PARKS SERVICE Members / Membres Norman R. Ball UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO Editor & Production Co-ordinator / Rdviseuse G6rard Collomb anglaise et coordonnatrice de la production CENTRE D'EI'HNOLOGIE FRANGAISE Lynn M. Wilson A. Gregg Finley KINGS LANDING, FREDERICTON French Editor / Rdviseuse frangaise Gisi'le Cyr Adrienne Hood ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM Word processing / OpEratrice de traitement de textes Lori Polger Robert B. Klymasz CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION / MUSI".E CANADIEN DES CIVILISATIONS Graphic Designer / Graphiste Eiko Emori Inc . Jocelyne Mathieu UNIVERSIT$ LAVAL W. John McIntyre SENECA COLLEGE All cover illustrations are taken from text in- side ; clockwise from top right, see pages 34, Dianne Newell 11, 33 and 89. UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Les illustrations de la couverture sont tir6es Sharon Reilly MANITOBA MUSEUM OF MAN AND NATURE du corps de 1'ouvrage; en haut a droite, puis dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, voir Thomas J. Schlereth pages 34, 11, 33 et 89 . UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Material History Review FALL 1991 / ALTTOMNE 1991 Revue d'histoire de la culture materielle Table of Contents / Table des maiieres Articles Caveats in the Use of Corporate Literature by Costume Historians CATHERINE C. COLE . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .........1 Documents from the Tailoring Trade as a Research Source CATHERINE ROY ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .13 La courtepointe quebecoise : creation ou emprunt? MARIE DURAND ....... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .20 Photographic Archival Sources for Costume Research THERESA ROWAT..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........ ... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .... .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .... .32 Bibliography / Bibliographie Costume in Canada : The Sequel JACQUELINE BEAUDOIN-ROSS AND PAMELA BLACKSTOCK . .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ..42 Conference Report /Rapport de conference American Dress as Social History PAMELA BUELL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ..68 Research Notes / Notes de recherche The Labels of Thomas Nisbet TIM G. DILWORTH ..... .. .. .. ........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..-.. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ..70 Clothing the Past: Costume Research at the Canadian Parks Service GAIL CARIOU . .. .. .. .......... .. ........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. ..72 Notes and Comments / Notes et commentaires Our Contributing Editors / Nos r6dactrices invitees PETER E. RIDER .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ..75 Recent Acquisitions, Newfoundland Museum, St. John's WALTER W. PEDDLE . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .76 Invitation to join the Regional Furniture Society WALTER W. PEDDLE . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .... .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. ........... .77 Reviews / Comptes rendus Thomas J. Schlereth, Cultural History and Material Culture: Everyday Life, Landscapes, Museums ANN GORMAN CONDON .... .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. ........... .79 Catherine C. Cole, ed., Norwegian Immigrant Clothing and Textiles DOROTHY K. BURNHAM .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .81 Paul Rutherford, When Television Was Young: Primetime Canada, 1952-1967 JOHN E. TWOMEY .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .......... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... .. ........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..83 Garth Clark, Robert Ellison and Eugene Hecht, The Mad Potter of Biloxi: The Art and Life of George E. Ohr American Craft Museum, George Ohr: Modern Potter (1857-1918) Canadian Museum of Civilisation, The Turning Point: The Deichmann Pottery (1935-1963) JOHN B . COLLINS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. ........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .......... .. .. ..84 Contributors / Collaborateurs . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........ .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. ..93 Caveats in the Use of Corporate Literature by Costume Historians CATHERINE C. COLE Resume Abstract Cet article d6crit certaines des caract6ris- This paper identifies some of the characteris- tiques et fonctions des publications d'entre- tics and functions of corporate literature and prises et suggere d'etablir des liens entre suggests relationships between the study of 1'etude de ces publications et celle du cos- corporate literature and the study of cos- tume. L'auteur de Particle souleve de nom- tume. It poses many questions and chal- breuses questions et souligne des difficultes lenges to costume historians asserting that qui se posent aux historiens du costume, while corporate literature has been used ex- affirmant que, meme si les chercheurs y ont tensively by researchers, it has not been ade- toujours amplement puise, ces publications quately assessed. Researchers must be care- n'ont jamais fait 1'objet d'une evaluation ful not to accept the data at face value but to adequate. Non seulement chercheurs et cher- question its context, purpose, and intended cheuses doivent-ils bien se garder d'accepter audience. telles quelles les donnees de ces publications mais ils doivent s'interroger sur leur con- texte, ]eur but et leur public lecteur. Costume and other material historians are and registered industrial designs, pho- continually identifying new sources which tographs, and giveaways (Fig . 1) . Whether enable them to interpret historical events the question is one of date, availability, taste, and trends through an understanding of the style or materials, this data is referred to on a material world. A growing interest in study- regular basis both by researchers working in ing the recent past has resulted in the need museums and by other material historians . for researchers to come to terms with sources However, little work has been done to define and media which are unavailable to those the characteristics and functions of corporate studying earlier periods. The volume of data literature and to determine its relationship to alone, available to historians studying the the objects themselves.' late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is Researchers must remember that when overwhelming . Academic training prepares this material was initially produced, its pri- researchers to examine, question and inter- mary purpose was to promote a company pret historical documents and archival and its products . It was therefore a form of records but rarely addresses the need to uti- propaganda, an advertising and marketing lize other sources such as oral interviews, tool. As such, it documents a company's self- photographs, television, artifacts, or corpo- image more so than the values of society. rate literature much less provides any train- While corporate literature can be used effec- ing in how to interpret