Coat
PeriodCirca 1800 - 1810
Place MadePossibly Middletown, New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumLinen
Dimensions19 in. (48.3 cm)
ClassificationsCostume, Men's
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Kathreen Van Brunt Moan, 1950
Object number3359
DescriptionA man's short waisted coat of brown linen, with a wide shawl collar, gathered peaked shoulders, long shaped sleeves, and a four button front closure. The coat body is lined with a plain white linen, with the sleeves left unlined. The garment also includes two front pockets and six self-covered false buttons.Curatorial RemarksThis man's coat is a rare survival of an early nineteenth century style. Its short waisted cut, shaped sleeves with gathered and peaked shoulder seams, and shawl collar place it within the first two decades of the 1800s. The use of lightweight linen for both the coat and lining, combined with the unlined sleeves, indicate that this coat was most likely made for warm-weather wear. The coat's condition is also interesting, indicating extensive wear. The coat has many stains, small abrasions, tears, and rough patching and repairs indicating its use as a common work garment. This coat may have been worn by its owner, George Douglass Cooper (1779 - 1853) in his daily life as a successful Monmouth County farmer.NotesThis coat is thought to have been owned and worn by Middletown resident George Douglas Cooper. Born in Middletown in 1779, Cooper was a highly successful farmer. In the 1850 Federal Census, Cooper's real estate was valued at $35,000, a substantial sum at the time. He married twice, first in 1804 to Abigail Oakley (1783 - 1815). The couple had at least three children including James (1805 - 1896), Julia Ann (1809 - 1852), and Thomas (1811 - 1905). After Abigail's death in 1815, Cooper married again in 1816 to Maria Micheau (1791 - 1880). George Cooper died at the age of 74 on October 4, 1853. He was interred in Fairview Cemetery in Middletown, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His great great granddaughter Kathreen Van Brunt Moan (1900 - 1992) donated a large group of clothing and accessories in 1950 to the Historical Association.
Collections
