AMERICAN DRESS MILITARY JACKET; Late 19th Century or later
Made of black wool flannel with fine red wool lining and cream cotton inner lining; sleeves ending in red wool flannel and lined with pale striped silk; the upper part of the front opening overlaps and folds over to expose red wool flannel lining; the neck opening, front edges, bottom front edges, and faux cuffs decorated with silver brocade trim; having two squared-off and slightly overlapping tails, with two scalloped faux pocket flaps at waist on back, each tail with a large inner pocket near the top; seven gold buttons on each side of front, each with an eagle on the face and the manufacturer's name and city on the back; one large fancy black velvet and gold braided epaulette on proper right shoulder representing the Chevalier degree of the Patriarchs Militant of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; a U.S. Army bronze medal for good conduct, two small enameled pins, and one larger enameled Episcopal pin with suspended annual additions on proper right front; five vertical striped ribbon awards on proper left side, one longer than the rest and having four metal stars; a gold and silver U.S. Air Force aviation cadet cap pin found unattached inside one tail lining (silver brocade trim worn and fraying in many places; back proper right curved shoulder seam undone, also part of outer side seam at top of each tail and inside curved shoulder seams in lining on both sides, an L-shaped cut in right tail lining, these all possibly deliberate; second epaulette missing, strap holding on existing one now loose; some small holes in red lining)


27 inch height, 15 ¼ inches across shoulder, 18 ¾ inches across chest (94 x 38.6 x 47.6 cm)