Child's fur coat

This cropped cream and black ermine fur coat was fashioned by Vancouver furrier R.J. Pop, whose business was located at Granville and 15th Streets. The coat belonged Jane Reifel, daughter of the New Westminster brewmaster and distiller, George Reifel who made his fortune running rum to the United State during the prohibition. With his brother, George opened the Commodore ballroom in the early 1930s. The Reifels lived in the famed 20 000 square foot mansion Casa Mia located at 1920 SW Marine Drive. It was there that the young Jane was kept up at night while the family hosted jazz parties in the house’s spectacular ballroom which was equipped with a sprung dance floor, stage and men’s and women’s washrooms. Jane recalled running into late-night guests such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington or Count Basie who would stay at the house after concerts, as African Americans were not welcome in Vancouver’s high profile hotels at this time.