A stiffly-starched white cotton cuff with one cufflink hole at the middle of each side; the cuff is slightly wider at one end; manufacturer's stamp visible on one side; double-stitched around all edges
A stiffly-starched white cotton cuff with one cufflink hole at the middle of each side; the cuff is slightly wider at one end; manufacturer's stamp visible on one side; double-stitched around all edges
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Owned and used by Nora Valleau, Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing graduate Class of 1928. 996.028.071 and .072 belong together as a pair.
Worn with Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing uniforms
Material
fabric: white
Inscriptions
On inside: "123 ST. BARTS // FOUR FOLD 7 1/2"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0007
BOX 16
Temporary Location
To exhibit: "For Service to Humanity", Nursing Gallery: restored Room 1016, Museum of Health Care, 13 Nov. 2008.
Length
26.2 cm
Width
12.4 cm
Depth
0.1 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Length 26.2 cm. x Width 12.4 cm. x Depth 0.1 cm.
Condition Remarks
Surface stains located on inside: brown spot 2.4 cm from top edge and 1.8 cm from left side; black stain (ink?) 6 mm from bottom edge and 6 mm from right side; stains on outside: brown speck 2.8 cm from top edge and 3.1 cm from left side; dark speck 5 cm from bottom edge and 6.3 cm from right side
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Document
Websites
Article
Reference Comments
"Information Re KGH Nursing Uniforms" by Marilyn Boston
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
Andrea Melvin, “Badges of Honour or Devices of Control?: Nursing Uniforms at Kingston General Hospital Training School for Nurses,” Dr. Margaret Angus Research Fellowship, 2008. Museum of Health Care at Kingston.
Research Facts
Starched cuffs were worn with all uniforms until 1967; fastened with cufflinks (Valleau's are mother-of-pearl).
Throughout the twentieth century, nurses' uniforms changed, in particular with the rising of hemlines. The nurse's uniform was generally white, and Kingston General Hospital uniforms were once known for "turkey red" hemlines. Different levels of nursing education had different uniforms, in particular different caps, as graduate nurses had black bands on their caps to indicate their level of education. Nurse’s uniforms had many elements, and some had detachable collars, bibs, and cuffs. Nurses would often remove their cuffs when they got in the way of tasks, but would put them immediately back on when superiors or the public were around.