Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Collection
Category
Nursing
Nursing Uniforms
Classification
Nursing
Nursing Uniforms
Accession Number
995002063 a-b
Description
White cotton cuffs made of a strip of double-thickness unstarched cotton with a point at the bottom centre and a buttonhole piece at the top; both ends have 2 buttonholes; (a) right, (b) left.
White cotton cuffs made of a strip of double-thickness unstarched cotton with a point at the bottom centre and a buttonhole piece at the top; both ends have 2 buttonholes; (a) right, (b) left.
Number Of Parts
2
Part Names
a-b - cuffs - Size: Length: 34.5 cm. x Width: 9.5 cm.
Dates
1940
1970
circa 1940-1970
Date Remarks
Based on other cuffs of similar style in the Museum's collection.
Material
fabric: white
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0007
0007 Closet J Box 7
Condition Remarks
#1: Both cuffs are clean and have no holes in the cloth
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Person
Websites
Article
Reference Comments
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
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.