Photo By Terrance Bell | Luther Hanson, Quartermaster Museum curator, shows the inside padding of a circa...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. - A walk through the meandering layout of the 20,000-square-foot Quartermaster Museum is a revelation of sorts on a grand scale. It retells history largely through roughly 7,000 artifacts detailing the what, when, where and why of their existence to help visitors form a broader understanding of the QM Corps and its contribution to the Army as well as its role in building the nation.
For the most part, the information surrounding the items on display is complete or is easily accessible via other references.
There are a relative few, however, that are not. One of those items is a circa 1810-20 military coat that might be the oldest outer garment in the museum’s collection, said Luther Hanson, museum curator. Its few but significant unknowns has dogged him since the 1990s, causing the civil servant to embark on a near career-long effort to find the pieces of information to round out its history.
“This has pretty much been the one thing that’s been a thorn in my side,” said Hanson, noting no item has presented such a challenge to identify.
If in fact the coat is from the War of 1812 time period, it would make it a rare possession indeed, since there are only about 10 in existence, said Hanson.
The QM Museum acquired the garment, also called a coatee during the time it was made, from well-known militaria dealer Norman Flayderman in 1962. Catalogued as item “7045” in a standard Army green ledger, it was penciled in as a “blouse, blue, wool – 1810-1820,” describing the garment and the range of years it was thought to be made.
The ledger entry omitted the bullet buttons – made of either brass or sterling silver – that ran in two columns from the collar to the waistband, several horizontal red facings and padding in the front of the garment. It also lacked any notes about its state, which, except for tattered sleeves, is in “great condition,” said Hanson. No information was included in reference to whether the item was specific to infantry, artillery or any other branch or where it was made.
In many ways, it is coat of unknowns, said Paul Morando, museum director.
“There is a certain mystery that surrounds this uniform because we have not clearly identified it yet,” he said. “For the longest time it has always been referred to as a circa 1825 Musician’s Coat because of the style and facings on the front of it. However, recent research has indicated that this is not the case.”
The “Musician’s Coat” label originated in 1967 when it was somehow re-cataloged, probably because the museum possessed at the time four or more Civil War-era (and later) blue bandsman coats that were similar in appearance, said Hanson. They may have been inclined to group it with the others. It was even displayed as a Musician’s Coat at one time, he added.
Item 7045 is no longer on display and is currently kept in climate-controlled storage along with 16,000 other items that are “taking a rest,” or are too sensitive to display.
For Morando and Hanson, the fact item 7045 is not a Musician’s Coat and lacks other vital information is a moot point for keeping it out of display until it is positively identified.
“As museum curators, we are naturally curious to find out the provenance of an object in order to learn from it and expand our knowledge,” said Morando. “When we come across an item like this, our first instinct is to begin investigating. For the most part we usually find the answer, but this particular item has eluded us and that’s OK. This is what makes our job so interesting. We’ll continue to research it and reach out to experts in the field to find an answer. If not, it will remain a mystery and that in itself is what makes this uniform so unique.”
The first major development in the garment investigation came in 1995 following an examination by Dr. Charles Cureton, director, Museums Division, U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington. Hanson said Cureton “assessed that it dated to about the 1815-1825” timeframe, based on the weft and warp of the fabric and other factors. Secondly, the garment’s buttons were Regular Army and militia regulation items from the 1809-1820 era. Considering the time it was produced, bandsmen coats were red not blue.
“Musicians were to be out front of the units,” said Hanson, noting red was meant to announce the fighting force’s arrival. “They went into first to battle.”
So, what is known about the coat is it probably was produced during the War of 1812 timeframe – give or take five years – and is not a bandsman’s coat as it was once labeled. Additionally, the lack of epaulets suggests it was exclusive to enlisted soldiers, and its padded construction features are consistent with items produced in numbers, said Hanson.
The details are important to someone like Hanson, a bearded man in his late 50s who regularly recounts historical accounts and facts as a matter of conversation. The University of Pennsylvania anthropology/archaeology graduate said he likes the research and investigative aspects of his profession and first became captivated with item 7045 in 1992. He has researched the garment on and off since then and aspires to find out the details of its origination.
“I want to find out what the heck the coat is before I retire,” he said with a tinge of frustration.
Hanson has five theories relating to the origins of item 7045: One, it could be a state militia coat. Militia uniforms, he said, varied from state to state but some were loosely based on Regular Army uniforms. Two, “It could be an infantry coat with red facings. The infantry used blue coats with red facings,” said Hanson. Three, there is a remote possibility it is a “transition" musician’s coat from a different time period – circa 1824-25. Transition garments are those worn between the phase-out period of old and new uniforms. Hanson is highly skeptical of this theory, noting the coat doesn’t match the prevalent fashion of the time period. Four, it could be an artillery coat with artillery facings. “To this date I’m still questioning that ... but I can’t find another one like it.”
Lastly, it could be a part of any uniform from any of the branches active at the time. Hanson said this theory is somewhat plausible because, from around 1810-1820, “the Army had a terrible problem getting standardized uniforms” and Soldiers wore whatever they could get their hands on.
But does he believe the latter? Hanson’s response is surprising.
“After reading all of the information and the regulations ... I personally think it is a United States Regulation enlisted artillery coat, possibly made for a senior NCO,” he said.
Hanson also thinks it was made at the Philadelphia QM Depot because of its construction and quality. The PQMD made clothing and equipment items starting in 1800.
Hanson said he is constantly looking for new references and methods regarding the identification of item 7045. He said his next move is to consult a well-known military clothing expert he has been researching for some time, then reach out to the Company of Military Historians, an institution devoted to the study of military uniforms.
Even if he can’t get a definitive answer from other sources, Hanson said his search for answers will continue because he has a duty to do so and he relishes the idea of shedding light on mysteries.
“I like bringing things to life,” he said. “I would like to find out where that uniform came from, what unit used it and maybe I can find out who wore it. At the very least, I want the next generation to come and visit and see that uniform on display, and they’ll know exactly what it is.”
Of course, knowing – and sharing – is what the museum’s mission is all about, and although there are some things not known about item 7045, it does have a history – one that can still be shared as a mystery no less.
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2015 17:17 |
| Story ID: | 178368 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 692 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Museum mystery: Curators search for answers about roughly 200-year-old uniform jacket, by Terrance Bell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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