US Forest Service snake chaps worn by Melody Starya Mobley
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1983
name: label: Issued by
content: United States Forest Service, founded 1905
label: Manufactured by
content: Boyt Harness Company, L.L.C., American
label: Manufactured by
content: Thomaston Mills, American
label: Worn by
content: Melody Starya Mobley, American, born 1958
label: Subject of
content: Cleveland National Forest, American, founded 1908
notes: label: Caption
content: Melody Starya Mobley was the first African American female forester of the USDA Forest Service (USFS), serving from June 1977 until her retirement in March 2005. She also was the first African American woman to graduate (in 1979) from the University of Washington College of Forest Resources (later renamed the School of Forest Resources in the College of the Environment). During her 28 years with the USFS she served in national forests all over the country. Most notably for this collection, she served in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington state from 1980-1982, Cleveland National Forest in Southern California from 1982-1986, held a temporary assignment in Klamath National Forest in Northern California, and finally served in Ocala National Forest in central Florida from 1986-1987. From 1988 until her retirement in 2005 she served in the USFS headquarters in Washington, D.C. In the mid-1990s, Mobley was given a temporary detail to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada where she served as Deputy Forest Supervisor.
label: Description
content: United States Forest Service issued snake chaps worn by Melody Starya Mobley. The left leg chap (a) and the right leg chap (b) are constructed from stiff brown nylon that is heavily lined. Each chap is meant to be worn over pant legs and boots up to the thigh and attached to the belt with a fabric strip with adjustable straps that are secured with a snap button and three (3) snap button rings and one (1) snap button post. There are silver-toned zippers at the left and right ankle. Sewn into the top seam are two (2) sets of white tags. The left tags reads [DEPENDABLE / THOMASTON / Fabrics / ® / SINCE 1899 / 100% CORDURA® NYLON / LONG / CARE INSTRUCTIONS / SEE REVERSE] over a graphic logo of a wooden ship wheel. The back has washing instructions and manufacturing information [THOMASTON MILLS, INC. / THOMASTON, GA. 30288]. Below is a second white tag with red embroidered text with a caution warning and wear instructions. The tag to the right has an embroidered graphic logo of a coiled, brown rattlesnake below blue embroidered text that reads [TM / RATTLERS / BRAND] on the front and [MADE / IN U.S.A.] on the back.
place: label: Place used
content: Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: Ocala National Forest, Florida, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Government
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Nature
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Melody Starya Mobley
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2019.80.8ab
objectType: label: Type
content: chaps
label: Type
content: uniforms
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: nylon and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (2019.80.8a Flat): 50 3/8 × 12 5/8 in. (128 × 32 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (2019.80.8b Flat): 50 3/8 × 12 5/8 in. (128 × 32 cm)