Interesting Long Sack Coat

[Cumpston1862]

Gents-

I came across this picture of a possible Iowa soldier with a 20 on his forage cap. An assumption based on the Davenport, Iowa photographer backmark. The item more of interest to me anyway is the apparently long version of a sack coat he is wearing. Not sure if it is a military version or not but it does seem to have brass buttons. I was wondering if it was a modified frock coat but I don't believe it is after looking at it closer. Anyone seen such a sack coat or have any information on them?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Hallo!

Not as nicely made, but here is Silas and Henry Blair of Company "D," 63rd OVI:





Curt

[CompanyWag]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Louis,

Not a modified frock, but a privately-purchased sack coat. Common with officers (who had to purchase their own clothing) and with reenlisted veterans who spent their bonus money on looking stylish while home on furlough.

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Thanks for the examples/replies Curt and Paul.

The sack coats are remarkably similar. The forage cap looks pretty sharp too. He must have splurged on the coat and the cap!

[CompanyWag]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Curt,
I think the Blair brothers, whose images you posted, are sharing a single commercial sack coat for their portraits. Compare the wrinkles and features, and they appear identical.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Hallo!

I pondered the same. :)

What "annoys" me, is that teh top button on Henry's blouse appears smaller as though it might be a cuff button pressed into duty in the moment. HOWEVER< it may just be a play of light and shadow.

What wants to push me over the edge... all things considered... is that they are the same blouse, as the lop-sided or asymmetrical lapels on both coats that appear to be the same as well. But then, the maker may have made the same mistake twice.

;) :)

c

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Curt,
I think the Blair brothers, whose images you posted, are sharing a single commercial sack coat for their portraits. Compare the wrinkles and features, and they appear identical.

I agree.

On the (gone, but not forgotten) SGLHA discussion boards, Skip Owens once posted a great series of photos of Confederate officers. The images are taken (I think) almost immediately post-war and all of them are wearing the exact same frock with colonel's insignia on the collar. The insignia placement, as well as some characteristic nuances of the coat clearly show that they are all sharing what is either a photographer's prop coat, or the coat of one of the men in the group.

Cool stuff!

[woodsda]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Could be the same jacket, but when you look at the table legs in both pictures they are different. Why change the table that is covered by a cloth? Even the base boards ( or lack of ) are different. Makes me wonder if the same photographer took the photos. I am no expert, just see what I see!

[brown]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Phillip Stephenson of the 5th Company Washington Artillery told the story that in 1865 in Mobile, his crew was down to a single red trimmed jacket. They took turns wearing it into town, even if it didn't fit well because every man wanted the women to see they he was an artilleryman. Several men in the company also got images struck while stationed there.

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Point of clarification- Tailors in their cutting manuals are still calling these coats "paletot". A paletot is defined by solid front body pieces (without seams at the waist) and a fit slightly looser than a frock. This style of coat had been popular as sportswear for some years previous to The War and is a logical choice for officers wanting a less fitted coat for active duty. In the War Years and immediate Post-War Years these paletots begin showing up for business-wear among the young and middle fellows (when formality of occasion didn't demand a frock).

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Gents-

Found another long sack coat image or possibly a "paletot" as Madam Kessinger put forward. Note the same three pockets and the signal corp badge on the breast.

Where it was found;

http://thecivilwarimageshop.com/Online_Catalog.php

[7tharkinf]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Just my two cents on this last image and I am no professional by any means. But it looks to me as if this coat is just too large for the man wearing it if you look at how much the sleeves are pulled up and position of the pockets and how the coat hangs on his shoulders and neck even how his arms are positioned so the sleeves do not fall. As I said I maybe completely wrong on this just my observation.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Yeah, that's no paletot... its almost a feed sack. A paletot was a fashionable civilian garment and was not intended to be a loose fitting item like that. This last photo is a sack coat, privately purchased, but made for military customers. They were worn by enlisted and officers alike, thought the quality of tailoring varied greatly, from loose fitting sacks like this, to finely tailored coats with velvet trim.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Hallo!

And either his legs are different lengths, or he should ask for a refund on his trowser cuff work. :) :)

Curt

[7tharkinf]

Re: Interesting Long Sack Coat

Hahaha I was so focused on the coat I missed the pants all together lol