Stuff in Pockets

[robwall1861]

Here is an oddball question that keeps coming to my mind:

What type of items might a male civilian carry in his trouser pockets during the course of a normal day?

For instance, at events I usually carry a pocket knife, match safe, pipe/tobaccor if I can fit it (if not, then I put it in my coat pocket). I was also thinking keys (skeleton of course as modern keys are different).

I was thinking about this the other day as I was getting ready for work and was curious as to others thoughts, opinions, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

[rebjeb04]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Hey Robert,

I have heard of troops of the ANV putting cartidges in their coat and trouser pockets when they wanted to travel light as far as equipage.

[nick19thind]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Everyday items such as a handkerchief, watch or loose change.
It also depended on his job. Is your impression upper, middle or working class?

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Sir-
If you are a gentleman, then possibly some gloves if you fancy such items. How about a leather billfold?
Monacle...if you are going for a "European look" and haven't fastened it to your vest, watch with fob... or pince-nez glasses or spectacle case anyone?
If you are going to the theater, how about opera glasses?

Hip flask or derringer optional... Johnny :p

[KarinTimour]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Wellllll......

Some of the things that we think are normal to carry, might be pretty unusual. Keys, for example. If you're a working class rural civilian male, what re you locking up? They didn't have car keys, the house wouldn't likely be locked up. Some people locked up the smoke house or other outbuildings, but I'm thinking the chances are good those keys would be left at home on a nail and only taken with you when you are going to the smokehouse.

Hankerchief is a mandatory -- and as Mrs. Lawson has said, in a world with no paper towels, paper napkins or Kleenex, you'll find a wealth of times when you'll be using them. To give you some idea how important these were for hygiene, in the first shipments sent to the troops immediately after the battle of Gettysburg, when the railroad bridge to the north was still cut off, and food was in short supply, the handkerchiefs were shipped along with the food, bandages and medical supplies.

If you're a rural or small town guy, why carry money? Most of your transactions are going to be either barter or "on account" with the local merchants. If you're carrying a wallet, you might have other "bits" in it -- a newspaper article you noted, a list for the saddler, oddments that you were carrying for sentimental reasons. Abraham Lincoln, for example, along with his US money had a Confederate note in his wallet.

Specatcles and spectacle case might be something you carry, if you need them for reading but not for distance. Stub of a pencil, couple pieces of string (never know when you'll need some string), pocket knife I'd think would be pretty common.

Slightly higher class or working in a factory as management, you might have a watch. But remember how expensive watches were in our time period -- it would be a rarity for a working man to have a watch -- more likely to rely on the sun to tell time (there's an underrepresented skill), or in a small town the clock in the steeple or on the factory. Train whistles were also a source of information about the time.

Small pocket notebook if you want -- my grandfather always had a stub of a pencil and a little notebook in the front pockets of his overalls. Of course, you're only going to be toting those if you're literate.

String will only be with you if it's common where you are -- otherwise a couple varying lengths of rawhide thong.

Chaw, dipstick if you take snuff, pipe or cigars and smoking implements.

If you're upper class, certainly in addition to your handkerchief (silk, linen or very fine cotton batiste, often monogrammed), your watch, wallet, gloves (not white unless you're out for the evening -- colored gloves for day wear -- and they'' spend much of their time on your hands, not in your pockets), card case and cards, if you smoke, match safe and cigarette case or a couple of cigars. Snuff box if you take snuff. At a small house museum recently I was shown ivory tablets that were cut very finely and had a fastening on the bottom so that you could fan them out. They were a gentleman's appointment book for the week -- rather than use a paper notebook, you took out your little pack of ivory tablets and wrote on them with pencil -- reusable -- at the end of the week you wiped them off and started over.

I've not heard of gentlemen carrying nib pens with them in coat or pants pockets -- I've heard of them carrying small pencils -- was this one of those things where if you needed to write something formally in ink, they provided the writing implements (like at the bank, or your lawyer's office or in a hotel drawing room or your club) they provided the writing implements?

Interesting question, I"m sure I've forgotten something,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[robwall1861]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Karin,

You bring up a good point about modern vs. period correct items. For instance, during the course of a normal moder day, I carry keys, a pocket knife, wallet, cigar cutter, (two actually as one is one of those bullet punch key ring ones and the other is a v-shaped cutter), and my credentials for work. At an event, I carry a pocket knife, I have a handkerchief (but it's buried in my knapsack), pipe/tobacco (or I put it in my coat pocket if it doesn't fit), pocket watch and a matchsafe. My wallet usually goes into my coat pocket as it's too long to fit into my trousers pocket.

I'm mainly army but wanted to look at things from a civilian point of view. I'd guess I'd be middle class?

Sincerely,

[KarinTimour]

Interesting Perspective

Dear Robert:

If you were going to portray a history-heavy civilian for an event, the first step would be figuring out who you were portraying (which includes which class, whether literate or not, loyalties, marital status, why not in the army, etc.). This is also dictated to a certain amount by the needs of the particular event -- unless you're portraying Mr. Pettigru, hard to justify a rabid, vocal upper class Unionist in the midst of Charleston, for example.

THEN you figure out what to carry in your pockets, based on what your character would be likely to have with him.

Since you're portraying a military man, you've got a number of different levels of stuff to toy with here. First, at different events you could decide to portray different people -- perhaps one who was middle class before the war (hence the watch) and at another event working class (and leave your watch at home). Is it possible to gradually try to cut down on the number of things you're carrying? For example, leave some of the contents of the wallet, if you won't need them at the event, at home, though you would normally carry them in your modern clothing?

Your handkerchief can be a wonderful tool for helping to pull you back into the 19th century mindset. You've already got one, which is terrific. Fish it out of your knapsack, stick it in a pocket and at the next event try to figure out lots of little places where you could use it. Many of us don't carry handkerchiefs in the modern world, so it's not something we autmotically reach for when dressed in 19th century clothing. Think of it as being like your hat. It's one of those things that our ancestors would have noticed immediately--those of us not in the modern military aren't used to wearing a hat every day. I find that I have to be much more conscious of when to put it on, when to take it off, what to do with it when I'm not wearing it, etc. After a certain number of events, I found that bonnet wearing got connected to putting on my clothing -- I started feeling weird if I wasn't wearing my bonnet outdoors. I still have a tendency when I take it off to forget it and wander away -- but as soon as I hit sunlight, I tend to go running back for it.

Wiping your hands after getting dust on them, wiping sweat out of your hat and off your brow, blowing your nose, picking up something that might be dirty without getting it on your hands, drying your hands after you wash them (much better than the seat of your pants or your uniform jacket -- after all, what have they been in contact with?), getting it soaking wet with cool well water and spreading it over your head under your hat on a hot day, getting it wet and draping it around your neck, next to the skin on a hot day, all of these are uses for your handkerchief. I've found it's useful to have one designated corner for the stuff that might rub off -- picking up dirty things, or wiping off something that might leave dirt on it, and rolling that up in the middle of the handkerchief when I stick it back in my pocket, so that it doesn't get dirt all over the other things I'm carrying around.

And if you're middle class, or a working guy who wants to cut a particular dash, they sometimes carried two handkerchiefs -- a cotton or linen one for utility purposes and a silk one for showing off.

Your milage might vary -- but it's one of those little tools that now helps me to get into the "proper" mindset when I dress out.

Your Watch
One of the things to figure out is when you are portraying someone with a watch -- where did you get it? Inheritance? Gift? Purchase for yourself? What's your occupation and does it require a watch? Lots of fun can be unpacked just from carrying a watch....

Hope that's helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[robwall1861]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Karin,

Thanks, you've been very helpful:).....I know I've probably asked this before, but I can't find my post on it, what would a gentlemen use for smoking a cigar? I know they'd have a match safe with matches, but what about cutting the end of a cigar in preparation for smoking as opposed to pipe and tobacco?

Next time I go to an event I'll try your advice.

Sincerely,

[KarinTimour]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Dear Robert:

You're welcome, glad it was helpful.

I'm afraid that what I don't know about smoking, tobacco, etc. is just about everything. But I"m sure someone else here will know the answer.

Above all, enjoy your time travel,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

Hello-
Yes, Karen makes the great point it would depend on where you come from, what your job is and social class is on what you'd have to have in your pockets. Any impression you do should be based upon these ideas- especially as a civilian.
When it comes to tobacco, I carry a small poke bag with my clay pipe in it, a box I made for my Lucifers (strike-on matches), and shredded pipe tobacco. You might have a nicer, carved wooden pipe or in rare instances a fine Meerschaum pipe if you are a rich immigrant.
I've seen some people use a flint, tinder and steel striker to light fires and pipes with, but I think this would have been a last resort (possibly for a country boy with little access to manufactured goods) due to how common matches were becoming by the 1860s... basically, if you couldn't find matches, then you used flint and steel. Again, I'd think this is really rare- plus they are cumbersome to use.
Tobacco would come in pigtail twist (country boy stuff/CS Army rationing) or plug forms (city-man's impression) and you could keep these in your tobacco pouch.
Cigars would be uncommon mostly due to price, as a general rule, but a treat found nonetheless... I remember reading a history of tobacco and Tampa, Florida and Cuba/Carribbean islands (suprisingly) were big places for cigar manufacturing even in this time. Are you near a port? You might be able to get them easier and cheaply.
The dreaded cigarette (different from our modern ones) should be avoided- French "sissy-sticks", lest you be confused with an effeminate persuasion. No matter what certain people say... it wouldn't be socially correct to carry cigarettes, especially as a man. Besides, why bother with cigarettes when you could get chew or pipe tobacco more commonly?
Chewed tobacco and/or then a pipe in your tobacco pouch would be way more common.

Here's an awesome history of tobacco from a reputable research source if you are interested- it might challenge what we know:

http://www.tobacco.org/resources/history/Tobacco_History19.html

Cheers- Johnny

[Spinster]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

In addition to that handkerchief as a reflection of the relative cleanliness of your personal habits, lets talk a bit about where you are, and why.

If you are some distance from home, and the local authorities wish to know who you are--how will you prove your statements? Are you some ruffian or drifter, up to no good, that should be ushered right on out of town, or locked up on suspicion, as there has been some petty thievery reported?

Or are you a respectable man with a trade, out looking for work? If so, where is your letter of introduction from your parish priest, or a local magistrate? How do you prove who you are? Where are you letters of reference from a former employer?

Were you traveling to take cotton or corn to market? Where is your letter of credit from the bank in which you lodged the payment--or are you carrying all that money on your person?

Are you a Mason or a member of some other popular fraternal order of the time? Besides your knowledge of various required information or signs, do you have dues cards or paperwork from your home lodge?

Are you in your own home, or working your own land? Where is the document by which you can prove ownership? Did you pay your land taxes? Where is the receipt?

Do you have an unusual or ethnic appearance? How do you prove your race, or status as a free man to people who don't know you ?

If you are a female traveling alone--why? Where is your male protector? Who conducts business for you if you are a landed widow? Who is your lawyer? Your banker? Where should your store accounts be sent?

And as for country folks and keys---Karin reminded me of my own grandmother as she left her home for the last time some 30 years ago--gravely handing her suitcase to her son-in-law, fishing in her pocketbook for the skeleton key to that farm house, locking it firmly---and then reaching up to hang that key on the nail in full view right beside the door, just in case there was a late snow, and someone needed shelter.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

This is Virginia's spouse chiming in.

You mentioned the contents of the pockets would depend upon the person's literacy (with no implied assumption about the rate of literacy). However, I should mention that, in choosing a literacy level, a person should not be guided by the conventional wisdom which is often in error. At reenactments, especially from the soldiers, I often hear a chorus of "I can't ... [fill in the blank with the appropriate reading activity] because I can't read." All reeanctors need to read the article on literacy posted on the Ragged Soldier website. To find the article, go to "Articles: Virginia's Veranda", click on "archived", and go to the article on literacy from 2005. The article contains a table showing the literacy rates by state for persons over 20. For many states, the rates of illiteracy were astoundingly low (e.g., 3 percent in Maine). But even the worst states had literacy rates of about 75 percent. And, when the census records are examined, a local county's rate may be higher or lower than the state average. In our regiment, the literacy of the county we are supposed to be from was about 90 percent so I tell the soldiers that I don't want any illiterate soldier portrayals unless we have at least ten soldiers present and, if that many soldiers are present, only one can be portrayed as illiterate.

However, what many reenactors assume that, just because it was the 19th century, that most of the country is illiterate, is a reeactorism. More often than not, a person would be able to use any writing implements he would carry in his pockets. So most male reenactors should pay heed to your comments about such materials. It most likely would have been something they could have used.

Michael Mescher

[NoahBriggs]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

To correlate with Michael Mescher and Mrs. Lawson's comments -

This past weekend I portrayed a farmer who was out looking for his neighbor, played by Linda Trent, to discover she was assisting a Federal deserter , played by Hank Trent, to get home to Culpeper. My character was literate - I carried with me a doctor's note which excused me from military and militia service due to wounds and disabilities incurred in Mexico, and I knew what the contents said. Later that evening, I got into a discussion wit the neighbor and the deserter on what we liked to do for a hobby. I mentioned - ta-DAA - reading. Maybe not the greatest in literature (Barney the Vampyre serial dime novels?), but hey, it was something to hold my interest after the supper dishes were put away. It led to a great period discussion of the vampire and its impact on pop literature and current culture.

In addition I carried a pocket knife, some period keys (for my "outbulidings"), pocket knife and a matchsafe as part of my "pocket trash". I expected to be stopped and searched by one side or the other, and I was. By both.

The deserter carried a pocketknife, paper scraps, a pencil stub, and a small length of twine.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

The deserter carried a pocketknife, paper scraps, a pencil stub, and a small length of twine.

I'll add that I also carried some federal money, a match safe, a pocket flask, and some water purification tablets wrapped up like a period paper of medicine in case I got trapped away from event-provided water. And you thought I was just looking for that pond for the fun of it!

The vampire discussion was great. I knew enough to realize that I'd probably recognize that a vampire was someone who drained you of blood, and the discussion went on from there.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[LindaTrent]

Re: Stuff in Pockets

For me, I had two letters from my son in the 8th VA Infantry. One he sent me after 1st Bull Run the majority of it taken from an actual letter the first and last paragraphs being the exceptions, for one thing, the original letter was to a Miss, where my son's was to Mama. :)

I also had a small scrap of paper that my son had written a quick note on when his regiment reached Boonsborough. In it he told me he'd be home by harvest time and not to worry about him. The list of dead from Antietam's bloody cornfield included my son.

I also had a few extra hairpins, a map of the area, modern allergy pills (that couldn't compete with the foggy nights), and a little money.

I have a feeling that the provost won't believe that I'm a good loyal Unionist when he retrieves that letter from my son stating he's looking forward to "wanting to stick my bayonette in a Yankee..." and other such things. Oh well, my character knew the possible consequences when she decided to help a deserter, and decided to do it anyway. :)

Linda