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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, this is the last of several pairs of 19th Century Buckskin Trousers which were acquired long ago and were salted away in the same old well established 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.   

Fashioned from buckskin, this pair of trousers was made in a style consistent with buckskin clothing worn across the American West during the 19th Century, and was assembled with machine sewing, using cotton thread.  This pair shows evidence of having been worn outdoors in the elements, and the light soiling and aging it displays is commensurate with other examples of buckskin clothing from the mid to late 19th Century.  This pair of trousers was not worn to destruction, they have not been abused or stored improperly, and they present in remarkably very good condition.   

The soft buckskin was colored an even brown, was well applied with an even tone 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, and the fringe continues around the front of the bottom edge.  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 25 ˝”along the inseam and with a (approximately) 28” waist, these trousers present in very good condition.  The front opening is a typical 19TH Century treatment of a falling flap which buttons along to the top to the waist band.  The drop front has a center seam and during the period wearing of the trousers this seam was opened for a length necessary to create a fly for the convenience of the wearer.  This fly was secured with an added button and button hole, but the button is now missing.  The top of the drop front is secured at the waist with 19TH century bone buttons and the same buttons are set around the waist band for attaching suspenders.  There is a two piece adjustment belt at the center rear of the waist which was tied rather than having a buckle.  This adjustment belt broke during the period of use, and appears to have been worn as is after it broke.  This belt could be restored if desired.  The interior is lined with a light weight tan polished cotton cloth from the waist down both legs to just below the knees.  The lining shows a little wear, but it is overall intact.   

The outside seam of both legs has been opened for the lower 6” during the period of use, probably to allow the legs to accommodate a boot top or to allow the legs to be folded over before the wearer inserted his foot and lower leg into a boot top.  I have seen this sort of modification in other pieces of frontier clothing and it seems to have been a common practice.  

The leather is generally soft and pliable in the context of its age, with no hardening.  There is a small (1/2”) hole on the rear of the right leg behind the knee, and two small holes high on the outside front edge of the left leg.  There are two holes at the top of the rear of the waist which appear to have been intentionally cut, perhaps to attach a primitive set of suspenders rather than a finished pair which buttoned to the trousers.  None of these holes detract from the display quality of these trousers and are all quite minor faults considering the environment in which they were worn.   

In spite of having found several pairs in the same long standing collection, these buckskin 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.   

This pair of 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.  Overall, this is a very nice pair of 19TH Century Frontier Buckskin Trousers in very respectable condition.  (0812) $850

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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