Dressed to Kill, Dressed to Till
Lot 88:
A superb example of the “ready-made” clothing industry that began to flourish in the United States with the expansion into western lands following the War of 1812, this dark blue, double-breasted “roundabout” jacket may have been intended to fill a U.S. Navy contract for “monkey jackets” to clothe its sailors, but it also could have been produced for one of the many “slop shops” that lined the waterfronts of port cities and towns on the Eastern seaboard, catering to mariners, travelers or to outfit those who joined various “filibustering” expeditions that left Southern ports for Texas and Latin American destinations during this period. The jacket was intended for a tall man of good build, ideally 6 foot or so, with a 40-42 chest and 34-36 waist. Despite the likelihood of having been made by in some “sweatshop”, it is well-cut and neatly-sewn by hand throughout, with a 4-piece body. The body is made of a fine wool, plain-wove broadcloth and lined with a handsome, brocade or “embossed cloth” with a motif of floral sprays within a diamond pattern that appears to be done in black worsted on a brown cotton warp; sleeves are lined with an unbleached, cotton broadcloth. The jacket is in unused condition, still retaining a cardstock label once sewn to the bottom of the collar inside the coat, but now worked loose; the label appears to be purposely left blank by the tailor, allowing the merchant who purchased for retail to stamp his own firm’s details (and perhaps price) upon it. There are 9 corded holes of silk twist worked on each side of the front, with three on each slashed cuff; however, no buttons were ever sewn to the jacket—a single-strand of thread is stab-stitched down each side, the exposed points of which indicate the point to pierce grommet holes or sew buttons appropriately. Provenance: Found in Philadelphia by the noted historical artist H.Charles McBarron in 1953, it remained in his study collection until 1992; James Kochan to 2002; Don Troiani Collection until 2014; James Kochan Coll. to present. Published: Ron Field. Bluejackets: Uniforms of the United States Navy in the Civil War Period, 1852-1865. Copies of Hugh McBarron’s 1986 notes to Kochan convey with the jacket. Very good condition.
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