Dressed to Kill, Dressed to Till
This is the most important example of the handful of surviving United States Navy, double-breasted, “round jackets” of the pattern in use for petty officers and seamen from at least c. 1844 through the Civil War. It survives intact in unissued condition and with its original 1857 label of cardstock [tears mended by paper conservator], on which is stamped “Size 2. / CONTRACT 1857-8. / Wm. B. Lovejoy, / BOSTON, / From / GOODS MADE BY / BAY STATE MILLS / LAWRENCE, Mass” From 1853-1857, 3000 jackets were annually procured by Navy contract through 1857; no more purchases were made until 1863, when 10,000 were purchased for the expanded wartime navy, with an additional 5000 were procured in September 1864. William B. Lovejoy received the sole contract to produce such jackets in 1857, the bodies of which were to be made of “twilled, all wool, of American manufacture, and [dyed] pure indigo blue”, as evidenced with this well-made garment. It has a breast innerfacing of the same, lined in the body with a brocade cloth with squiggle and floral pattern, and is lined in the sleeves with glazed, (natural) brown cotton. The jacket has corded holes of twist and the shanks of the buttons are run through worked grommet holes on breast and cuffs, secured inside the coat by rings. The buttons are all 2-piece, ¾ inch-diameter, convex USN 1852 pattern with eagle over horizontal anchor, surrounded by 13 stars, a rope border and a raised rim (Albert NA113), backmarked “JOS. STARKEY 23 CONDUIT ST. LONDON.” Provenance: The jacket was purchased at Bannerman’s famous establishment in New York City in the 1930s, by H. Charles McBarron (1902-1992), “Dean of American Military Artists.” Hugh was a close friend and mentor and when he passed, I assisted the family in placing his study collection of original uniforms and arms with another good friend, noted historical artist Don Troiani. This jacket remained in Don’s collection until 2014, at which time I acquired it by trade. A copy of Hugh’s 1980s correspondence with me concerning the jacket and its provenance accompany the garment. James L. Kochan. It is published and illustrated in Ron Field’s seminal “Bluejackets: Uniforms of the United States Navy in the Civil War Period, 1852-1865 (2010), pp. 151-153.
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