Railroad denim jacket with patches details

Title:

Back view

Description:

This size 48 jacket was manufactured in the United States by denim company Lee. The tag reads “Union Made Lee Jelt Denim Sanforized” Owing to design changes made to this style in later decades, this appears to be from in the 1950s. This garment has been highly customized by way of 88 patches. Other than two additional Lee patches that were added, all others represent companies involved with the railroad. It is unlikely that this was ever worn when working. Judging by the excellent condition of the jacket, it was well cared for and more likely was worn by the owner during times of leisure. This item is a part of the transport workers union memorabilia being held by Cornell University’s Kheel Research Center for Labor-Management and Documentation Archives.

Date:

1950