Admiral Dewey's Chapeau Bras
name: label: user
content: Dewey, George
label: maker
content: Webb & Bonella
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Black felt, grosgrain ribbon, ostrich feathers, and gold cockade, which is a ribbon rose or knot.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: Admiral Dewey is often pictured wearing his chapeau bras.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: A chapeau bras is a type of hat made to be compressed and carried under the arm without injury. It translates literally as “hat arm.” Such hats were a popular style worn on dress occasions by gentlemen in the 18th century. Admiral (the Commodore) George Dewey was in command of the U.S. Navy’s Asiatic Squadron based in Hong Kong in 1898 when the United States declared war on Spain. Commanded to sail to Manila and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet based there, he engaged the fleet in Manila Bay early May 1 and completely destroyed it by noon, without a single loss of American life. The Battle of Manila Bay was one of two major American naval victories in the Spanish-American War. The complete and final victory ended any threat from the Spanish naval forces. All major Spanish ships were destroyed or captured, without any significant damage occurring to the American Forces. The battle is perhaps best known as the occasion when Dewey uttered one of the most famous statements in American naval history: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.” Captain Charles Gridley was commander of the USS <i>Olympia</i>.
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
label: associated place
content: United States
label: used
content: Philippines
topic: label: related event
content: Spanish-American War
label: related event
content: The Emergence of Modern America
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Naval
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content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Frederick McLean Bugher
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1984.0834.08
label: accession number
content: 1984.0834
label: catalog number
content: 1984.0834.08
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat, cocked
label: Other Terms
content: hat, cocked; Uniform; Navy; Admiral
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fur, beaver (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: silk (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: gold-plated(?) (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: magenta (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: purple (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: brown (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 5 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in x 17 in; 13.97 cm x 16.51 cm x 43.18 cm