US Quartermasters Museum, Fort Lee Virginia.
Title
US Quartermasters Museum, Fort Lee Virginia.
Subject
Military uniforms US Civil War;
Wool samples
Wool standards
Wool samples
Wool standards
Source
US Quartermasters Museum, Ft Lee, Virginia
Collection Items
Civil War Greatcoat
Union infantry overcoat with shoulder cape and stand collar; made of new wool broadcloth, tightly woven in a plain weave, and heavily fulled (washed to prevent shrinkage and increase durability) with collar and brass buttons. This US Army Overcoat…
A Brass Button
Standard US Army eagle button.
No letter appears on the shield to indicate a particular branch of service. The nap (brushed surface) of the woolen cloth has worn off with use and abrasion, revealing the warp and weft threads.
No letter appears on the shield to indicate a particular branch of service. The nap (brushed surface) of the woolen cloth has worn off with use and abrasion, revealing the warp and weft threads.
A Button Hole
Greatcoat button hole created with silk twist thread in a standard buttonhole (or blanket) stitch, over a laid thread, to produce a solid line around the slit opening. Good workmanship meant closely spaced, even stitches that kept the thick, heavy…
The Collar
The stitching here is so even it almost looks like machine work, but is hand sewn. The double-layer, high standing collar protected a soldier from drafts, just as the elbow length cape added protection from wind and weather.
Box of US Wool Samples: US Quartermasters Museum
Standard Uniform Army Fabrics US Army: box of wool samples
Wool Standards Sample, 1946: Grades 36 and 44
The 1926 standards distinguished 12 grades of wool by fiber diameter. By 1968 the U.S. classification had 16 grades, from Finer than grade 80s, down to Coarser than grade 36. This group of three samples shows the coarser, long staple grades. Notice…
Wool Standards Sample, 1946: Grades 56, 58, and 60
The 1926 standards distinguished 12 grades of wool by fiber diameter. By 1968 the U.S. classification had 16 grades, from Finer than grade 80s, down to Coarser than grade 36. This group of three samples shows the medium grades.
Wool Standards Sample, 1946: Grades 64, 70, and 80
Samples from the US Quartermasters ‘Official Standards Box’. The 1926 standards distinguished 12 grades of wool by fiber diameter. By 1968 the U.S. classification had 16 grades, from finer than grade 80s, down to coarser than grade 36. This group of…
Official standards of the United States for grades of wool 1946
Wool Standards Box, 1946: US Department of Agriculture. Notice inside the cover of a large box that included Wool Grades 36&44, 56-60 and 64-80. Box top with signed certificate of standards, verifying samples of raw wool.
A sheep’s fleece could be…
A sheep’s fleece could be…
Booklet of Standard Uniform Fabrics, US Army
Folder of sample uniform fabrics: War Department, Office of Quartermaster General, Washington D.C. Whether in peace or war, the world’s military forces required cloth of many different weights (tropical, medium, and heavy), types (flannel for…
