Waistcoat and Breeches

Vest
by jamesmonroe3d
on Sketchfab

Museum Object File Information:

Accession Number: JM76.456

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing — Outerwear

Description: Waistcoat is made of a cream-colored wool flannel, but is decorated with a fine stylized flower design of silver beaded chain and sequins. The waistcoat is double-breasted and each side of the front contains eight buttons and eight button holes. The vest is lined in linen, with four linen ties in the back to adjust the fit to Monroe’s changing size.

Monroe was considered old-fashioned by many of his contemporaries because he never wore the more “au current” fashions coming from Europe after the turn of the century. He preferred knee breeches to long pants and the longer “frock” coat to the shorter, waist length jackets. [As late as 1825, Monroe continued to wear breeches and long or frock coat, as depicted in his three quarter length image painted by Rembrandt Peale. Lee Langston-Harrison, Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe (Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992), 29.]

Date: Circa 1790s

Condition: Fair

Length: 25.500 in

Width: 18.000 in

Provenance: James Monroe – Maria Hester (Monroe) Gouverneur- Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. – Mary Digges (Lee) Gouverneur -Samuel L. Gouverneur, Jr. – Marian Campbell Gouverneur – Rose Gouverneur Hoes – Laurence Gouverneur Hoes – James Monroe Memorial Foundation – Commonwealth of Virginia.

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: James Monroe

Place of Origin: United States

Material: Wood/Flannel/Tin/Silver

Citation:“Waistcoat.” JM76.456. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

 

Breeches

Accession Number: JM76.456

Collection: Laurence Gouverneur Hoes Collection

Category: Personal Artifacts

Subcategory: Clothing — Outerwear

Description: James Monroe’s knee breeches are made of cream-colored wool flannel. The front of the pants are fitted with two large pockets and one of a smaller scale to hold a pocket watch. A four-button fly is covered by a flap with three button holes. Seven buttons decorate the waist band and two more are in the back. The waist can be adjusted by two ties. Each knee has a flap which can be closed via a tin button. One button remains on each leg.

Monroe was considered old-fashioned by many of his contemporaries because he never wore the more “au current” fashions coming from Europe after the turn of the century. He preferred knee breeches to long pants and the longer “frock” coat to the shorter, waist length jackets. [As late as 1825, Monroe continued to wear breeches and long or frock coats, as depicted in his three quarter length image painted by Rembrandt Peale. Lee Langston-Harrison, Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe (Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992), 29.]

Date: Circa 1800

Condition: Fair

Length: 33.000 in

Width: 18.000 in

Provenance: James Monroe – Maria Hester (Monroe) Gouverneur- Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. – Mary Digges (Lee) Gouverneur -Samuel L. Gouverneur, Jr. – Marian Campbell Gouverneur – Rose Gouverneur Hoes – Laurence Gouverneur Hoes – James Monroe Memorial Foundation – Commonwealth of Virginia.

Collector: James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library

Originally Owned By: James Monroe

Place of Origin: United States

Material: Wood/Flannel/Tin/Silver

Object Citation:“Breeches.” JM76.456. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Object Bibliography: 

Langston-Harrison, Lee. Images of a President: Portraits of James Monroe. Fredericksburg, VA: James Monroe Museum, 1992.

Image Gallery:

James Monroe Waistcoat
James Monroe Waistcoat. Photo by Mary Fesak.
James Monroe Waistcoat and Breeches 1
James Monroe Waistcoat and Breeches. Photo by Mary Fesak.

 

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