Looking to clear out surplus possessions that have languished in my basement for more than 30 years I came across a suitcase, one that had come across the Atlantic with me when I emigrated in 1966. Battered after moves between Ottawa, Toronto, Trenton, Halifax, Toronto (again), Winnipeg, Fort Collins (Colorado), Toronto (yet again) and finally back to Ottawa but still usable if sufficiently desperate, it had this ripped sticker with the name of the ship, which I remembered, the departure date, which I was vague about, and even the cabin number.Now, with the aid of a diagram of each level of the ship I found at the Museum of Science and Technology, I'll be able to find out where I spent days in my bunk attempting not to be seasick.
How do you cite a suitcase, one you're about to throw out?
4 comments:
I would put as citation: as per the basement suitcase, owned by author. Cheers, BT Oh, and don't throw it out !!!
I sure do. It is a trunk actully. I sailed to England in 1959 and was followed by a trunk of my most needed possessions. It stayed with me for the 2-1/2 years I lived there then returned to Canada with me. Today it is filled with goodness knows what as I haven't opened it in more than 15 years.
Just yesterday I got a neighbour who keeps all sorts of tools to remove a padlock from a large tin box for which we did not have a key. The box belonged to my late husband who never told the rest of the family what it contained. He had also never mentioned making a will. With much mixed feelings I opened the box (about 2ft x 1ft x 6in) to find some old paint brushes, a soldering iron, a pile of pieces of card for hardening envelopes, some household bills belonging to his father, his father's passport (used only once), and a half-filled photograph album with glued-down uncaptioned photos dating from 1920 to 1950, including someone who was the spitting image of my daughter.
"Oh sweet mystery of life at last I've found you...."
Exactly what I did about a week ago when disposing of my aunt's trunk from her immigration to Canada. Lots of photos of the the labels and trunk. Not worth keeping the whole thing.
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