Red wool military style jacket, 1890s. Worn by the acrobat Pansy Chinery (1879-1969)

Red wool military style jacket. The jacket has a small upright collar, defined with a band of cream wool and edged with silver braid. The long sleeves are full at the shoulder line, but narrow towards the cuffs which, like the collar, are defined with cream wool and are outlined with a length of silver braid at the top edge.

The body of the jacket is relatively plain, but the shoulder line features heavy epaulettes formed from thick silver cord. These are epaulettes are also decorated with a single small Tudor style rose, which rests on a ground formed from gold metal embroidery, and an decorative circular button.

The hem and front opening of the jacket are edged with a thick band of metallic silver braid and vertical row of circular metal silver beads runs down the proper left front opening. Swirled lengths of metallic braid (couched in place) have been used to add further detailing to the front of the cuffs and to the base of the front panels.

The jacket fastens with 9 large brass hooks and 9 square shaped eyes. The interior is lined with red silk and there are sections of quilting at the interior of the front and rear proper left and proper right panels.
A small pocket is set into the interior of the proper left front panel, towards the base.

There is evidence of patched repairs to the interior, including a small curved panel of pale peach cotton at the base of the proper left front panel.

Given by Ralph Chinery

Red wool military style jacket, 1890s. Worn by the acrobat Pansy Chinery (1879-1969).

S.383-1988