U.S. Army M-1879 junior officer's dress coat worn by John Hanks Alexander
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1890
name: label: Created by
content: John G. Haas, American
label: Worn by
content: John Hanks Alexander, American, 1864 - 1894
label: Subject of
content: 9th Cavalry Regiment, American, founded 1866
notes: label: Description
content: A navy blue wool U.S. Army M-1879 junior officer's dress uniform frock coat (a) worn by John Hanks Alexander of the 9th US Cavalry with two shoulder knots (b, c). The coat is made from a very dark navy blue wool broadcloth and features a double-breasted reverse-front that closes with seven (7) metal buttons on each front side featuring an embossed design of an eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a shield in front of its chest having a "C" in the middle of it. The coat has a short standing collar that fastens at the center front neck with one (1) metal hook-and-eye. The full-length fitted sleeves close at the slit cuffs with three (3) metal buttons each featuring the same design as the breast buttons on each cuff. A fabric loop is sewn at each outer shoulder and a metal loop at each inner shoulder for attaching the shoulder knots (b, c) to the coat. The tail of the coat has one deep slit at the center back. There are two (2) metal eagle buttons sewn one at either side of the center back waist at the top of the pleated tail. Two (2) additional buttons are sewn one at the bottom of each decorative side placket tucked under the pleat of each tail. The body and tails are lined with a black half-silk satin. The interior breasts, shoulders, and underarms are padded and quilted in parallel lines. An interior waist belt made from the broadcloth is sewn to the interior back and sides, but left loose in the front and fastens with one (1) large flat hook-and-eye at the center front. There is one (1) welted pocket at the interior proper left breast oriented vertically and one (1) welted pocket at the interior proper right breast oriented horizontally. There are two (2) inset tail pockets, one in the lining of each back side tail near the center back slit. All of the pockets are lined with black glazed cotton. The sleeves are fully lined with a cream cotton and silk striped fabric. A black fabric label is sewn at the interior center back neck with copper machine-embroidered text reading "John G. Haas / Lancaster, Pa.".
label: Description
content: The shoulder knots (b, c) are both alike with a loop of doubled thick gilded metal cord at the top, a length of braid made from the metal cord, and an oval pillow faced in yellow wool broadcloth and trimmed in three rows of the metal cord. Centered in the pillow is a number "9" made from tightly coiled metal wire, indicating the soldier's regiment. Inside the open loop at the top of the braid is one (1) metal button featuring an eagle behind a shield with a "C" in it. The button is attached to a peg that runs through a hole to the underside of the shoulder knot and is attached to a metal hook. The hook fastens around the metal loop on the shoulders of the coat (a) and is part of a larger fastening mechanism that includes a long hinged clip, which slides through the fabric loops on the shoulders of the coat and then secures around the outer sides of the hook portion. The reverse of the shoulder knots are faced in navy blue wool broadcloth. The yellow wool ground beneath the braided cord and the underside of the oval are covering stiff paper. The inside of the pillow is heavily stuffed with batting to maintain a raised shape.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Buffalo Soldiers
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Military
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Military Uniforms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Family of Frances Sampson Mask
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.34.1.1abc
objectType: label: Type
content: shoulder knots
label: Type
content: frock coats
label: Type
content: dress uniforms
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Coat: wool, silk, and cotton with metal buttons;
label: Medium
content: Shoulder knots: metal cord, metal passementerie, metal button, metal clip, wool, batting, and paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (coat flat): 32 1/2 × 18 1/8 in. (82.6 × 46 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (shoulder boards (each)): 1 1/4 × 4 × 6 3/4 in. (3.2 × 10.2 × 17.1 cm)