MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
 
JUMP TO PAGE   100  >  200  >  300  >  400  >  500  >  600
VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

Clicquot Club: 1913

"Boy Scouts, 1913." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

"Boy Scouts, 1913." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Scout Uniforms, Cont'd

In response to the observations made by the US Victory Museum, the uniforms worn by these boys were manufactured specifically for the Scouts starting in 1910 by Sigmund Eisner Co. of Red Bank, N.J. Although Eisner also manufactured for the military, these were not made-over uniforms, never had epaulets, and were stamped and labeled on the inside of the garment with the Boy Scout seal. The hat, based on the "boss of the plains" design, was manufactured and labeled for the Scouts also starting in 1910. This was the official headwear of the Scouts until 1948, when it was replaced by the garrison cap (which had been used from the early 1940's as alternate headwear). The Scouts did make use of the military M1907 leggings until about 1915, when they changed to the "improved" canvas leggings with a single zigzag lace in the front, and woolen puttees and finally long socks.

Scout Couture

Love those garden-gnome hats.

Boy Scout ranks

The boy on the far right has the scroll of a second class scout on his left sleeve. The third boy from the left appears to have the fleur-de-lis of a tenderfoot on his left pocket flap. The tall boy with the white shirt open at the throat also appears to have a rank on his coat pocket, but I can't make it out. Can we get a closeup?

Uniforms and accouterments

The blouses (or tunics) appear to be the M1909 spec. 1038 style with the billow pockets. Some of the hats are the Montana peak-style campaign hats, introduced in 1911. The canvas style leggings are the M1907 mounted.

By 1913, the year this photo was taken, the M1912 had become the standard military uniform. The M1912, M1917, and M1918 would all serve through the Great War. The M1910 leggings, and both wool and leather puttees would become standard. The campaign hat would remain in service through 1916, but most would not travel with the doughboys to Europe due to the bulk packing necessary to preserve its shape while being shipped.

As near as I can tell from the photo, the epulates [epaulets] have been removed from each uniform, which is how they were demilled for civilian use.

Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.