On 29 May 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to summit Mount Everest. The accomplishment and photos still inspire awe in men and boys to this day. Stay humble.
Sir Winston Churchill
Hobbies included: drinking, cigar smoking, bricklaying and painting. Sir Winston = a true gentleman.
Archival Khaki in San Francisco
I don’t want to say that this fell through the cracks, but a few months ago I was in San Francisco for a quick business trip and I took the opportunity to visit Ms. Lynn Downey at the Levi Strauss & Co. archive. You may remember my initial meeting with Lynn when I interviewed her during a research trip to New York. (Read that interview here.) “Next time you are in San Francisco you should come by and see the archive.” Lynn told me casually at the end of our meeting in New York. Little did she know I fully intended on taking her up on that offer.
LBJ Knows How to Talk to the Tailor
Take a few minutes out of your day and spend it with this audio tape of Lyndon Baines Johnson, our 36th President, while he orders a few pairs of trousers from the Haggar company in Dallas, Texas. It seems LBJ liked the lightweight pants Haggar had sent him and wanted to get a few extra pairs made, you know, for the evening, after work. Plus, when LBJ would gain a little weight his pants would start to get uncomfortable. “In the crotch, down where your nuts hang. Feels like you are riding a wire fence.” Well, I don’t want to spoil it. Have a listen for yourself. You won’t think about LBJ’s nuts the same ever again. [LBJ White House Tapes] (Thanks to Sinuhe for the tip)
Classic Goods from the U.S. Patent Office
You can find some serious gear from the U.S. Patent Office archives. It is amazing what turns up on the internet these days. A months ago I received an email from an ACL reader name Gary that included a few links to some clothing patent diagrams. I wasn’t moved at the time, but once I got a hang of the search procedures I uncovered some really interesting stuff and some serious Americana. A hat tip and a cold beer to Gary for the inspiration. Indulge in diagrams and patents for some classic gear, some of which is probably sitting in your place right now.
LL Bean Duck Boots c.1921
Asked & Answered | Levi Strauss & Co.
Not too long ago — in an effort to insult yours truly — someone accused ACL of becoming “The History Channel’s” blog. The commenter was attempting to offend, but the remark accomplished only the opposite. I can think of a lot of worse things this site could be. History is the basis for everything that is ACL. With that said, when the opportunity arose to spend the afternoon with Lynn Downey the Levi Strauss & Co. archivist and historian, I could imagine of no better way to enjoy a summer day.
A pair of vintage jeans c.1901-1922 from the Levi Strauss & Co. archives
ACL: It seems like you have a pretty amazing Job, how does this come about, how do you end up becoming the archivist for Levi’s?
Lynn Downey: Sheer amazing luck. I heard that the company was hiring an archivist for the first time in 1989, and my bachelors degree is in History and my masters degree is in Library and Information Science, but I specialized in archival administration and I applied for the job and I got it in December of ’89.
The Bygone Days of U.S.Textile Manufacturing
At one-time we actually made things in America. I know that sounds strange, but I assure you it is true. Not only that I offer proof via the 57th edition of the Davison’s Knit Goods Trade book from October 1947. The book was a resource for all things knitwear related, wholesalers, dyers, manufacturers, agents and all sorts of other related pursuits and a symbol of our post-industrial existence. The owner of the book is Mr. Steven Tater of Ohio Knitting Mills (link here) from Cleveland. Back in the day, Ohio Knitting Mills and my hometown of Cleveland was one of the centers for knit wear production in the United States. Start American manufacturing rant. Not so much anymore. These days you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the U.S. that manufactures knits. The only makers left would most likely still be in business as a result of the Berry Amendment (the law that gives preference to domestically made goods). People say that this is just protectionism, but the fact of the matter is Berry is one of the main reasons that any U.S. textile and apparel manufacturing survives today. End American manufacturing rant.
