A Shirt Made From Parachute Fabric

Rucava folk costume. Made in Germany in the late 1940s.

The Rucava folk costume belonged to Olga Kaluma. It was given to Zigrīda France when she arrived in Brisbane, Australia, in the early 1950s. Olga told Zigrīda that the folk costume was made in a refugee camp in Germany, from a blanket provided by UNRRA and which was dyed to match the colour of the Rucava skirt. The shirt was made from parachute fabric. Zigrīda wore this folk costume at Brisbane Latvian community events until the 1980s, when she acquired a new folk costume from Latvia.

Donated by Zigrīda France; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Resarch Centre (LP2019.1552)

Secondary school students posing before a concert by the school’s choir in Neustadt, Germany; 1950. From left: Ina Jansone, Pegija Skrastiņa and Ruta Sidraba. Donated by Pegija Klausa. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.