Object Record
Images
Metadata
Accession Number |
1967.274.1 |
Object Name |
Medal, Prize |
Tag Line |
Olaus Jeldness’s Ski Jumping Championship of Canada prize medal from the 1898 Rossland Winter Carnival. |
Collection |
Trophies & Awards |
Description |
Olaus Jeldness’s Ski Jumping Championship of Canada prize medal from the 1898 Rossland Winter Carnival. The medal consists of a gold and copper Maltese cross metal medallion suspended from a gold metal pin bar. The medallion has a round copper centre surrounded with a thin rope border surrounding it. There is a crossed pair of skis in the spaces between the cross points – the tips are on either side of the top point and the bottoms of the skis are on either side on the bottom point. The centre of the medallion has "Rossland Winter Carnival" in black lettering surrounded by a black laurel wreath. The race details are in black lettering on the cross points with a geometric border around the exterior of the points. The left point has "SKI JUMPING", the top has "CHAMPIONSHIP", the right has "OF CANADA", and the bottom has "1898". The reverse of the medallion has the winner’s name engraved (see inscription) as well as a welding point in the centre that attached the round centre to the front of the medallion. The top of the medallion has an ornate bracket for attaching the medallion to the pin bar. The pin bar consists of a pair of feathered wings with a beaver on the top. The beaver is facing left and is sitting on a log. The reverse of the pin bar has a long pin for attaching the medal to the winner’s clothing. |
Date |
1898/ / |
Provenance |
Olaus Jeldness was born 1 October 1856 in Stagvik, Norway. Jeldness arrived in Rossland in 1894 and discovered/staked the Velvet Mine and other mining prospects on Sophie Mountain. Jeldness was an avid skier and has been credited with introducing competitive skiing to Rossland. He was instrumental in starting the Rossland Winter Carnival in 1898, in which he won both the Ski Running and Ski Jumping Championships. Jeldness left Rossland in 1900, returning to Spokane, WA, although he continued to be a patron of the Winter Carnival for many years. Jeldness died in Spokane on 24 April 1935. The Rossland Winter Carnival began in 1898 and was a yearly tradition until 1918 when the Carnival was cancelled because of the Spanish Flu. The Rossland Winter Carnival was not revived until after WWII and has been running yearly ever since. The original carnivals were held in February/March and later often coincided with large skiing competitions being held on Red Mountain. Today, the Carnival is held at the end of January. |
Material |
Metal |
Dimensions |
H-6.5 W-5 D-1 cm |
Inscription Text |
Won By Olaus Jeldness |
People |
Jeldness, Olaus |
Search Terms |
Rossland Winter Carnival Ski Jumping Championship of Canada |
Subjects |
Prize Ski Jumping Championship Medal Winter Sports Skiing Sports Competition |
Additional Information |
https://www.rosslandmuseum.ca/olaus |
Source |
Eastern Washington State Museum |