Mystery 'hat' stumps staff at Fredericton museum, who seek help identifying it
A summer project of cataloguing textile artifacts has a Fredericton museum stumped: one item is not what it appears to be on paper.
"We are doing a major project with our textiles collection, going through every object we have that relates to textiles so that we can better identify them," said Holly Gallant, the collections manager for the Fredericton Region Museum.
Recently, they came across a woven item.
"We found the 'hat' yesterday, and we just thought it was a very unusual object, and even though all of our documentation says hat, we just were like it doesn't necessarily look like a hat," she said.
They don't have a lot of information on the unusual item.
"It was donated to the museum in June of 1966 by a woman named Ellen Thorburn, who was from Stanley, and she was actually a nurse during the Second World War. She was a hospital ship nurse so she actually did nine crossings of the Atlantic," Gallant said.
But the owner didn't leave much information about the artifact itself, and she passed away in the early 90s.
They're hoping social media can solve the case.
"There's been a couple responses, there was a really interesting result somebody linked us to a museum in Australia that looked like it had a similar object I haven't had a chance to really look, just at the photos like 'oh yeah' I definitely see the similarities,'" she said.
It wouldn't be the first time.
"A quilt actually that somebody donated was actually a Red Cross victory quilt and it had gotten separated from its paper work and we posted it and within a couple minutes we had his information and we were able to contact him and put that information into context which is so vital," Gallant said.
For now, the item remains a mystery, unless you know more.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
How do you navigate the social media minefield with your kids?
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
BREAKING Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.