White polyester nurse's cap; laying flat on the crown with small front crown gathers attached to double folded stiff linen textured paper; band width 6.2 cm; double folded stiff paper band.
White polyester nurse's cap; laying flat on the crown with small front crown gathers attached to double folded stiff linen textured paper; band width 6.2 cm; double folded stiff paper band.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Belonged to Miss V. Beryl Seeman, graduated Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing Class 1935.
Canadian Museum of History, "Symbol of a Profession: One Hundred Years of Nurses' Caps," https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/infirm/inint01e.html
"For Service to Humanity: Nursing Education at Kingston General Hospital," Museum of Health Care. https://www.museumofhealthcare.ca/explore/exhibitions/forservicetohumanity.html
Donor information
Research Facts
The Winnipeg General Hospital (Manitoba) was founded in 1875. The School of Nursing was founded in 1887 and changed to the Health Sciences Centre in 1973. V. Beryl Seeman is a graduate of the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1935.
The evolution in the design of nurses’ caps reflects the history of nursing in Canada. Each model has characteristics that distinguish it from the others and provides information – sometimes contradictory – on the image that each institution wanted to impart: submission and authority, domestic and professional service. Until the 1970s, trained nurses were instantly recognized by their caps. Each nursing school and hospital had its own cap design and means of indicating the level of training. There is no standard model for nurses’ caps. Even caps that may appear similar have subtle differences. Today this symbol of knowledge and caring has all but disappeared. Gloria (Barwell) Kay (1923-2007), a retired nurse, believed that the caps should be preserved, and in 1974 began a collection of caps, which nurses all across Canada sent to her. Gloria’s cap collection covered the years 1895-1983 and represents every province in Canada. In 2001 she donated 167 caps to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canada. Fourteen caps were donated to the Museum of Health Care in 2011 from her estate.