Skyhawk
Well-Known Member
What do we know about these elusive jackets? I have been researching these rare jackets for a while now and have made some discoveries that are interesting. Part of what makes these research projects fun for me is it is like a walk through history. You see the photos and read the documents and get a sense of the times in which they were produced, as you piece together the puzzle.
There are just a few surviving jackets to look at to get the details that you can't see in the black and white photos. Like colors and close up details. I have photos of Admiral Ballentine's jacket on file. These are some of the only color photos I know of in existence. Many of you have seen these photos before.
This was in the first set of Auction photos released. It gives the appearance of low pockets but is only an illusion from the fold of the jacket. A later shot shows that they are mid pockets like other 37J1 models.
From these photos we can see Seal knits, brown button and snaps with silver hardware, machined button holes, top stitching, and much more. The 2 sets of photos are a treasure trove of details.
One of the biggest finds is the color of the original Capeskin used. There is luckily an area where the original color can be seen. It is similar to the A-1, a dark russet, chestnut type color.
The inside shot shows an original tan cotton liner with Bone backing buttons. The liner extends to the edge on the button side, but ends at the inside leather panel on the other side.
The back of the jacket, another interesting point. Some have misidentified the shoulder style due to the photo that was first released showing hanger damage. It appears that the shoulders are swept back. When you see the later photo you can see that it is not the case and the shoulders are a standard straight style stitch.
Next we will look at some different versions of the 37J1 jacket.
There are just a few surviving jackets to look at to get the details that you can't see in the black and white photos. Like colors and close up details. I have photos of Admiral Ballentine's jacket on file. These are some of the only color photos I know of in existence. Many of you have seen these photos before.
This was in the first set of Auction photos released. It gives the appearance of low pockets but is only an illusion from the fold of the jacket. A later shot shows that they are mid pockets like other 37J1 models.
From these photos we can see Seal knits, brown button and snaps with silver hardware, machined button holes, top stitching, and much more. The 2 sets of photos are a treasure trove of details.
One of the biggest finds is the color of the original Capeskin used. There is luckily an area where the original color can be seen. It is similar to the A-1, a dark russet, chestnut type color.
The inside shot shows an original tan cotton liner with Bone backing buttons. The liner extends to the edge on the button side, but ends at the inside leather panel on the other side.
The back of the jacket, another interesting point. Some have misidentified the shoulder style due to the photo that was first released showing hanger damage. It appears that the shoulders are swept back. When you see the later photo you can see that it is not the case and the shoulders are a standard straight style stitch.
Next we will look at some different versions of the 37J1 jacket.
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