Winter wonderland at Rock Glen Falls.
A wide variety of winter clothing and accessories are on display in this photo from the early 1900s.
Each year the arrival of winter weather obliges us to rummage through our closets in search of warm clothing and outerwear. It is important to be prepared. You never know when you might wake up to another Snowmageddon - the massive snow event on December 12, 2010 that buried parts of Lambton County in snow and stranded over 1,500 motorists along Highway 402.
Clothing and textiles make up a sizeable portion of the Lambton Heritage Museum collection. Most of these items are safely stored in our Collection Centre. Falling temperatures provide the perfect incentive to explore some of these rarely seen winter clothes and accessories, and a wonderful opportunity to learn how people kept warm long ago.
About one hundred years ago, this navy wool jacket would have been worn by a young boy with matching knee pants. Knee-length pants with tall socks were the norm until boys were about fifteen years old. The single-breasted style has two vertical pleats at the front and back to hold the matching belt. According to the label, the jacket was made by Sanford Juvenile Clothes of Hamilton, Ontario.
Work clothes are uncommon in museum collections. Well-used, worn out, and often considered too ordinary to save, they usually end up in the trash. This red and black plaid jacket and pants worn by Jack Laird (1896-1977) is an exception. The outfit is a wonderful example of men’s work wear from the 1920s-1930s. Laird was a dairy and grain farmer. He worked in the bush in the Thedford area. His team of horses was renowned. He was frequently called on to drag logs out of the bush for firewood, or to be milled for barn wood and beams.
The jacket was made by Joseph Gould and Sons Limited of Toronto. The pants were made by Deacon Brothers Limited of Belleville, Ontario. Deacon Brothers started business in 1903. They became known as a manufacturer of quality outdoor garments and sportswear, and were a leader in the development of cold weather clothing.
For special occasions, formal outerwear like this black cape was a compromise between fashion and practicality. This cape is made of rich black velvet with ribbed decorations at the shoulder and neck. There are two covered buttons at the neck closure and the cape is lined with soft, satiny material. This cape belonged to the Corey family of Petrolia.
This cape is machine-made and was purchased at Smallman & Ingram Limited of London, Ontario. John Bamlet Smallman and Lemuel Hill Ingram established their retail dry goods store in 1877. They were extremely successful. In 1905 they built an L-shaped building at the corner of Richmond and Dundas Streets. There were 96,000 square feet of floor space over five floors plus a basement. The store was sold in 1944 but the building still stands and is now known as Market Tower.
Sleighing was a very popular form of winter transportation. Travelling by sleigh across frozen ground covered with snow was relatively easy and comfortable. In other seasons, wagons, buggies, and carriages could get stuck in the ruts and potholes on muddy roads. Sleighing could be quite elegant. It was a chance to get dressed up, show off your finery, and socialize with friends and family.
This fur-lined winter coat would have been ideal for sleighing. It is made of black wool with a black lamb’s wool collar. It is double-breasted with oval toggles and braided loops for closure. There are two flap pockets and the entire coat is lined with mink. The coat was worn by Elizabeth Forbes Grant (1858-1937) of Sombra Township for sleighing about 1890-1915.
These gloves are made of sheep’s wool and leather. The wide cuff extended to the elbow and could be worn over top of the coat sleeves. The gloves were worn by Catherine Alta Grant (1894-1988), daughter of Elizabeth who owned the fur coat mentioned previously. She used them to keep warm while driving a sleigh or buggy in the early 1900s. Catherine Alta Grant married George Henry Reid at Becher on August 28, 1918.
Winter accessories play an important role in keeping people warm. Although styles have changed, items like boots, scarves, mittens, gloves, and hats have remained popular over the years. One item that has gone out of style is the muff. A muff was usually carried by women and children. The muff was a pouch, similar to the centre pocket on a hoodie that could be used keep one’s hands warm.
This worked well as long as you didn’t need your hands free to do other things. This muff is made of fur and lined with brown silk that is ruffled at both sides where the hands fit in. A corded loop goes over the wrist for easy handling.
Hats and waterproof footwear have remained popular over the years. Fur and faux fur hats, such as the one shown here were worn by women and men. This pair of overshoes would likely have been worn for work or outdoor chores. They are made of canvas and oil cloth with rubber soles. They would have been worn over top of regular footwear and secured with straps.
Despite the challenges of keeping warm, Canadians have long held a reputation for enjoying winter activities. A wide variety of winter clothing is on display in this photograph of ice skaters at the outdoor McFee skating rink in Sarnia.
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