Confederate Jacket Collars

[Andrew Kasmar]

While going through a large amount of Confederate photos, I came across an interesting trend. There seem to be a fair amount of jackets with their left collars flush with the left front (or almost flush). The collars seem to be similar to the ones on the Atlanta and Charleston Depot jackets. The jackets include ones from Richmond and Columbus Depot and trimmed and un-trimmed jackets with no known providence. I would be interested in seeing if anyone else has found similar jackets.


I have attached photographs of some of the jackets that I found.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

Andrew,

You will find similar collar configurations on some single-breasted Federal officer frock coats and jackets. It seems to be the way that some taylors configured their coats so that the collars would meet "just so" in front. Some seem to have failed to configure their patterns to keep the collar "notch" (where the collar ends meet meet in front) in the center, resulting in coats where the collar "notch" is offset to the right.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

AK
is anything known on that 10 button johnny shell jacket?

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

I did not find any info with that jacket.

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

Those are some cool pictures. I don't know if this means anything, but more often than not when I make a jacket, one side of the collar always seems to come dang close to the front of the jacket, and I end up trimming it back. I don't know if maybe it's just the way some of them ended up. I doubt a depot would take the time to trim back an already assembled collar when attaching it to the body. Just my observation. Again, cool pictures.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

To expand on my first post...

Note the amount of fabric between the line of buttons and the edge of the coat front in this pic:


You can see that the buttons are on-line with the point where the collar meets the jacket. It is as though the buttons have been placed so that the ends of the collar meet in front with no (or very little) gap between the ends of the collar.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

The frock coat worn by Joseph E. Adger, Company A 25th S.C. Infantry, has buttonhole side collar flush with the front of the coat. This frock is pictured on pg. 119 of Don Troiani's Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War. There is another nearly identical early South Carolina frock coat with the same configuration.

That original jacket pictured above originated from a large New England auction several years ago; the collection was proclaimed to be one of the largest private collections of CS uniforms in private hands. I saw the photographs online several years ago and it seemed to me that a very larger number of the C.S. garments were not war-time manufacture. Some appeared to be from the Centennial period while others looked like post-war veteran's garments. Below is a photo from a 1917 reunion showing similar jackets.

[Lance Stifle]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

Thanks fellas, great images to add to our reference material.
The 1917 reunion picture interested me, those veterans of Company A 25th S.C. Infantry just didn't how many authenticity "rules" they were breaking....hat brass and button counts ?????

Hells teeth you moderators, moderate something.

Kim Stewart-Gray

"I am with the South in death, in victory or defeat...I never owned a Negro and care nothing for them,
but these people have been my friends and have stood up to me on all occasions."
Patrick Cleburne 1860.

[brown]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

You will find similar collar configurations on some single-breasted Federal officer frock coats and jackets.

I've noticed this on several artillery junior officers shell jackets, in particular. The ones I have noted also had fairly short collars.

[brown]

Re: Confederate Jacket Collars

The jackets include ones from Richmond and Columbus Depot

Andrew,
I agree that this may be a misunderstood and/or underrepresented feature. However, I hadn't noticed and Columbus Depot patterns with this feature, but would be interested in any notes you'd be willing to share. Also, I wonder on these depot jackets if it is a chance happening as pondered by Brandon, as opposed to a seemingly purposeful choice on so-called Atlanta and Charleston Depot jackets? Can't image it was a mistake on so many privately tailored pieces.