Railroad Station Baggage Handler's Cap
notes: label: Description
content: This cap, ca. the 1950s, is characteristic of such caps seen at railroad stations throughout North America from the 1920s till about the 1980s. The cloth appears to be silk, which gives a sheen to the cap's fabric; silk was not unusual for red caps.
label: Description
content: This cap was used by an employee of the Canadian National Railway, a fact that in no way detracts from the cap's relevance to U.S. railroad history or to African American history. U.S. and Canadian railroads in fact have operated as a seamless, interchangeable rail network from the late 1890s to the present day, and the Canadian National, in particular, historically owned rail lines operating in Michigan. The Canadian Pacific Railway historically owned lines across Maine. Employment conditions for "red caps" at Canadian terminals were identical to such conditions at U.S. depots.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: African American
label: Subject
content: Railroads
label: Subject
content: Travel
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Railroad
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Work
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content: Transportation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.335443
label: catalog number
content: 335443
label: accession number
content: 321737
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cap, railroad station 'red cap'
label: Other Terms
content: cap, railroad station 'red cap'; Rail