COAT, FROCK

Description: MEN'S FROCK COAT. BLACK WOOL. DOUBLE BREASTED; BUTTONS ARE STEEL, OVERLAID WITH BLACK THREAD IN A WEAVE PATTERN. IMPRESSED INTO BACK OF EACH BUTTON IS "CARANTIE * 32 * ". COAT HAS NOTCHED LAPELS, THAT END IN A V-SHAPE. COLLAR IS SLIGHTLY NARROWER THAN LAPELS. THERE ARE TWO BUTTON HOLES ON LAPEL, ONE OF WHICH IS SEWN UP. BELOW WAIST LINE JACKET IS SLIGHTLY FULLER. THERE ARE NO OUTSIDE POCKETS, BUT A WELT POCKET ON EACH INSIDE BREAST. INSIDE OF JACKET IS LINED WITH BLACK SILK, EXCEPT FOR SLEEVES WHICH ARE LINED WITH A WHITE AND BLACK STRIPED COTTON. LINING ON RIGHT ARM IS LOOSE, AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. THERE ARE THREE SMALLER BUTTONS SAME AS ABOVE, ON EACH CUFF, WITH MOCK BUTTONHOLES. BACK OF JACKET, HAS A VENT, ABOVE WHICH ARE 2 BUTTONS (SAME AS ABOVE). EACH 'TAIL' OF VENT HAS A HIDDEN SLIT POCKET ON INSIDE.

History: ORIGIN DATE OF THIS COAT IS UNKNOWN, BUT FROCK COATS WERE WORN BY MEN FROM THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY THROUGH THE 19TH CENTURY. COULD HAVE BEEN REPLICATED LATER TO COPY AN EARLIER STYLE. DONOR IS A HIGH SCHOOL PHYS. ED. TEACHER. SHE DID DRAMA IN SCHOOLS AND LOCAL THEATRE, AND ENTIRE COLLECTION WAS GIVEN TO HER BY LOCAL PEOPLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DONOR GAIL HOLLAND’S ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP AND GENERAL USE OF HER 1999-DONATED COLLECTION PLEASE REFER TO RECORD P19990053001. ***UPDATE: ARTIFACT INSIGHT BELOW SUBMITTED BY DONOR AND COLLECTIONS VOLUNTEER GAIL HOLLAND ON 19 APRIL 2011. “FROCK COAT WAS USED AS A COSTUME PIECE IN “OLIVER” LETHBRIDGE MUSICAL THEATRE IN 1975 AND WAS WORN BY THE CHARACTER PLAYING OLIVER’S GRANDFATHER.”