Not on display

Boy's School Blazer

1920-1929 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Boy's single-breasted sports blazer, part of the uniform of Westminster City School. The blazer is made of a twilled woollen blend patterned in graduated stripes of black, yellow and white, and has a back yoke lining of black satinised cotton, sleeve linings of black striped white cotton and facings of reinforced self fabric. The collar is notched, with revers of medium width; the sleeves are wrist-length and each is finished with a brass button stitched to the side seam above the hem; the patch pockets are placed on the true left breast and at each side of the front below the waist. The blazer is cut without vents and is slightly fitted at the waist; it fastens at the front with three brass buttons and stitched buttonholes. The school badge is stitched to the breast pocket: embroidered in red, white and yellow silks on black wool over an embossed linen backing, it combines the linked coats of arms of the cities of London and Westminster, each contained within an oval cartouche, and conjoined by a mace. Beneath is the school's motto 'UNITATE FORTIOR', which was adopted for the United Westminster Schools (of which Westminster City School was one) in 1873.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool and cotton blend, machine stitched
Brief description
Boy's school sports blazer (Westminster City School uniform); England, 1920-1929
Physical description
Boy's single-breasted sports blazer, part of the uniform of Westminster City School. The blazer is made of a twilled woollen blend patterned in graduated stripes of black, yellow and white, and has a back yoke lining of black satinised cotton, sleeve linings of black striped white cotton and facings of reinforced self fabric. The collar is notched, with revers of medium width; the sleeves are wrist-length and each is finished with a brass button stitched to the side seam above the hem; the patch pockets are placed on the true left breast and at each side of the front below the waist. The blazer is cut without vents and is slightly fitted at the waist; it fastens at the front with three brass buttons and stitched buttonholes. The school badge is stitched to the breast pocket: embroidered in red, white and yellow silks on black wool over an embossed linen backing, it combines the linked coats of arms of the cities of London and Westminster, each contained within an oval cartouche, and conjoined by a mace. Beneath is the school's motto 'UNITATE FORTIOR', which was adopted for the United Westminster Schools (of which Westminster City School was one) in 1873.
Dimensions
  • Centre back below collar length: 68.2cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
SHIRTMAKERS/ Berkeleys' Ltd/ 125 VICTORIA ST. S.W.1. (Maker's identification; label in neck back; machine stitching; thread)
Credit line
Given by Richard Halsey
Object history
Worn by the donor's father, Albert Kenneth Halsey (born 05/10/1912) of Fulham, who was awarded a scholarship to Westminster City School when he passed the '11 Plus' examination. He attended the school from 1924 to 1929, leaving after taking his School Certificate.
The school's regular blazer was black, and this striped version would have been worn for football or cricket.
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Bibliographic reference
Carrington, R. : Westminster City School and Its Origins London: Trustees of the United Westminster Schools' Foundation and the Governors of Westminster City School, 1983. 102 pp, ill.
Collection
Accession number
B.178-2000

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Record createdMay 19, 2000
Record URL
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