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19TH CENTURY BUCKSKIN TROUSERS – GREAT
FRONTIER APPEARANCE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION: The
kind of special items that are only found in very old
collections, these three pairs of 19th Century Buckskin
Trousers were acquired long ago and have been salted
away in the same collection for decades.
The private or commercial manufacture of buckskin
clothing such as coats, vests, and trousers dates back
to the early years of our nation’s history, and although
surprising to most collectors, the use of sewing
machines to produce this clothing began commensurate
with the introduction of those early time saving
machines. In addition to the clothing made by family
members for their personal use, and the clothing
produced in small shops throughout the frontier, there
were large firms in the eastern cities which were
dedicated to meeting the large demand for buckskin
clothing. Sales were brisk to frontiersmen, the
immigrant trains headed west, and soldiers and officers
alike in the army, for all of these consumers recognized
the comfortable, durable and protective qualities of
buckskin clothing.
Dated 1876, this period photograph (above) captured
Capt. Julius Wilmot Mason (right), Co. K, 5TH
US Cavalry Regiment and a companion officer on campaign
in the field. The 5TH Cavalry was posted on
the northern plains in 1876 and they spent much of that
summer and fall in the field chasing the hostiles who
had defeated the 7TH Cavalry at the Little
Big Horn. Both of these officers are dressed in the
manner of seasoned campaigners, and of special interest,
the unidentified officer on the left is wearing a pair
of buckskin trousers which are fringed down the outside
of each leg – photographic evidence that these buckskin
trousers were worn by army personnel on the frontier.
Fashioned from buckskin, the pairs of trousers listed
below were
made in the style consistent with buckskin clothing worn
across the American West during the 19th Century, and
were assembled with machine sewing, using cotton
thread. All of these trousers show evidence of having been
worn outdoors in the elements, and the light soiling and
aging they display is commensurate with other buckskin
clothing from the mid to late 19th Century. They were
not worn to destruction, they have not been abused or
stored improperly, and they present in remarkably very
good condition.
In spite of this offering of several pairs at one time,
these trousers are quite scarce. This type of frontier
clothing was worn in extreme conditions, was often used
to complete destruction, survived in very low numbers,
and seldom does it appear on the collector’s market.
These 19TH Century Buckskin Trousers evoke
any number of colorful images associated with the
American West and they would be appropriate to display
with a wide scope of Western collections including
frontier soldier, scout, gunfighter, gambler, buffalo
hunter and the like. A pair of these trousers would
make a particularly dramatic display when paired with
any of the dark blue uniform shirts or coats such as the
Pattern 1883 Field Shirt or any of the standard blouses,
representative of the combinations of uniform items and
personal purchase clothing known to have been worn in
the field by the frontier soldiers.
I have the pairs of trousers listed below, each
individually described with accompanying photographs.
NOTE: To say that photographing
material of any kind - wool or leather - is a challenge is an understatement.
Normal lighting is seldom sufficient and none of the
finer features or condition details can be seen clearly. In
order to highlight the features and provide you with an
accurate view of the item, I have to lighten the
contrast of the photograph which in turn causes the even
color of the buckskin to appear discolored or blotchy when such is not the case. The
color of these trousers is even and consistent except
where naturally stained or discolored through period
use. Trust that you
will not be disappointed in these trousers.
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NO. 1 19TH
CENTURY BUCKSKIN TROUSERS: This pair is quite
unique in that it has been colored a brick-red with a
powdered earth pigment, just as the Native Americans
colored their buckskin shirts, leggings and other
garments. The color was well applied, giving the
trousers an even color overall, and the color remains
vivid in spite of the passage of time.
The trousers are
trimmed with fringe down each side from just below the
waist down to the cuff. The fringe is overall soft and
pliable, and the vast majority of the strands are
present and full length – both unusual qualities in
leather clothing of this vintage.
Measuring 26 ½”along the inseam and with a
(approximately) 28” waist, these trousers present in
very good condition. There are two pockets, one on each
side of the front. These are the typical 19TH
Century slash pockets with the openings roughly parallel
to the waist band. The fly is secured with 19TH
Century metal buttons at the waist and down the length
of the fly, with the lowest button missing. The same
buttons are set around the waist band for attaching
suspenders and there is an adjustment belt at the center
rear of the waist. The waist band and the pockets are
lined with a light cotton patterned material. The
cotton is somewhat faded and shows a little wear, but it
is overall intact. The bottoms of the legs are edged
with separate pieces of leather which form cuffs. The
outside upper edge of these cuffs is decorated with a
saw tooth pattern.
The leather is generally soft and pliable in the context
of its age, with only a couple of small areas down low
on the legs which have hardened due to repeated wettings
when exposed to the elements. There is a small (1/2”)
hole at the crotch, a wear spot with two small holes
over the right buttock, and several small repairs here
and there that were necessary during the period of use.
Overall, this is a very nice pair of 19TH
Century Frontier Buckskin Trousers in very respectable
condition. (0509)
$900
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NO. 2
19TH CENTURY EMBROIDERED BUCKSKIN
TROUSERS:
Fashioned from native tanned buckskin - very likely
brain tanned - these trousers were made in the style
consistent with buckskin clothing worn across the
American West during the 19th Century, and were
assembled with machine sewing, using cotton thread.
Highlighting the upper section of the trousers is a
series of embroidered patterns in red and blue thread.
The patterns are executed in extremely fine stitches,
obviously hand applied by a skilled artist. The red
thread remains vivid, and the blue has faded slightly
with age. This embroidery suggests a great deal about
the man who wore these trousers. Possibly he was a
Southwestern pistolero in El Paso, Santa Fe, or Tucson,
or an eccentric army officer in some remote frontier
post given to such excesses in his uniforming, or
perhaps a performer in one of the many Wild West shows
of the era – whatever the situation of the owner, he cut
a fine figure and made quite a statement in these
trousers.
The waist band, the area around the fly and the cuffs of
the legs are all embellished with an additional layer of
matching buckskin cut with decorative edges and sewn in
place with lines of decorative stitching. Not only did
these overlays create a dimensional decoration to these
areas, but the additional layer served to reinforce
these areas which would be subjected to the most
wear.
The pants are trimmed with fringe along the bottom of
the front and back pocket openings, across the hip line
on the front and back, and along the outside seams of
the legs. The fringe is overall soft and pliable, and
the vast majority of the strands are present and full
length – both unusual qualities in leather clothing of
this vintage.
The edges of the front and back pocket openings are
trimmed in scarlet material which is generally intact
with minor points of wear, and the corners of the pocket
openings are reinforced with a decorative triangle of
brown velvet.
Finally, the trousers are trimmed with ¼” in diameter
brass shoe buttons on each side of the fly, along the
bottom of the back pocket openings, and along the
outside seam of both legs. The buttons along the leg
seams are anchored in hand embroidered faux button holes
– no button hole, but rather a decorative outline of a
button hole. All of the buttons are present on each
side of the fly and along the back pocket openings, and
most of those along the leg seam are present, with only
a few missing at the lower extreme of the legs where
they would have been exposed to the most wear. It is
worth noting that brass shoe buttons were one of the
earlier and most consistent of the trade goods carried
out west by the traveling fur traders and by those who
established trading posts near the Indian reservations.
Measuring 27” along the inseam and with a
(approximately) 28” waist, these trousers present in
very good condition. The leather is soft and pliable
with only a couple of small areas down low on the legs
which have hardened due to repeated wettings when
exposed to the elements. The rear of the waist band has
suffered some wear to the leather and this area has been
reinforced with two patches. There is a small (1/2”)
wear opening at the crotch that isn’t visible, and a
small split (3/4” long) low on the right leg, just above
the cuff. The bottom edge of the rear of left leg has
wear where the owner apparently walked on the edge with
the heel of his boot or moccasin. The fly is secured
with a 19TH century metal button at the waist
and with bone buttons down the length of the fly.
This is a very attractive pair of 19TH
Century Buckskin Trousers which evoke any number of
colorful images associated with the American West. From
a time when the cut and decoration of a man’s clothing
spoke volumes about who he was, and how he regarded
himself, these trousers must have made quite the
statement. Appropriate to display with a wide scope of
Western collections including frontier soldier, scout,
gunfighter, gambler, buffalo hunter and the like, these
trousers are definitely a one of a kind offering which
would be difficult to best. (0505) $1550
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