Exterior Pockets

[lukegilly13]

While searching for information I ran across the following quote from John Wickett discussing a possible RD jacket with an exterior pocket:
"The hardest part about adding a welt pocket post-manufacture would be getting material to match the fabric of the issue jacket. I think whether it was added post-manufacture would be easily told by looking at the lining... which we cannot do, unfortunately."

This put me to wondering about a particular jacket I have been researching....
How common was it to add an exterior pocket of any type using different fabric than the jacket was originally constructed from? I've noticed several images of confederates with exterior pockets, however, sometimes it is not clear enough to tell whether the fabric matches or is just close. Another problem here of course is that even if the image is clear it is not in color. Would a soldier be more likely to remove fabric from the facing of a jacket than to simply use similar scrap cloth to create the exterior pocket?

I know there have been a great deal of posting lately about folks doing their own research....not trying to steal research here..just spuring "authentic discussion" hopefully by someone who has been able to find documentation of either or has seen the results on an original.

[rbruno]

Re: Exterior Pockets

I remember that thread as well. The only jackets I have viewed in person that had exterior pockets had welt pockets and the material matched. I have looked at pictures, not many though, with an exterior patch pocket and as you mentioned looked, but can't say for sure like it had the same fabric. Dan Wambaugh just posted in the commutation fabric thread pictures of a jacket with two out side pockets that you can hardly see because the fabric is the same. Unfortunately, I have not looked in person at a coat with a patch pocket.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Exterior Pockets

Hi,


You might want to try Brandon Jolly of the Dirty Shirt Depot. If I remmeber correctly, he was making a jacket with a different material welt pocket, that was based off a original. Because his website is down, I can not confirm this.


Andrew

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Exterior Pockets

Luke,
Are you researching an extant jacket "hands-on", looking at modern photographs of an extant jacket, or looking at original photographs of a soldier wearing the jacket?

My quote (above) applies to a welted pocket. There are other ways to construct an exterior pocket that would not require fabric that matches the coat ("self"?) fabric. A good example (for the CMH members out there) is the "Kit" Williams frock coat. It was featured in (I think) a 2007 issue of the CMH journal.

Good luck to you!

[lukegilly13]

Re: Exterior Pockets

Hey John! Hope you don't mind me stealing the above quote from you...it just continued to peak my imagination....

I'm researching an original jacket that I viewed in person...it has an exterior slash pocket...the lining of the pocket is different raising the question of whether it was original to the jacket or possibly added after construction. It appears to be a NC style shell used by an ANV soldier killed in the 2nd battle of Kernstown (Winchester). I wish I could post pictures but the curator will not let me take them. To me, the stiching and fabric (a twill cassimere) of the pocket matches the rest of the jacket.
I'm also looking at original photographs of soldiers in the same general area at the same general time trying to find another jacket similar to help ID it.
While looking at all the images I can find of jackets with exterior pockets, It seems most common that the fabric is the same leading me to believe they were done originally or at least with VERY similar fabric. There are pictures out there of jackets that appear to be roughly pocketed (excuse the terminology) but the ones I have viewed are not welted. With the nature of original pictures however, I wonder if they are mostly the same fabric or if the picture quality just prevents me from seeing the difference.