Undershirt

PeriodMid 19th Century

Place MadeKeyport, New Jersey, U.S.A.

MediumWool flannel, cotton

Dimensions32 in. (81.3 cm)

ClassificationsCostume, Men's

Credit LineGift of Miss Josephine A. Brown, 1950

Object number3307

DescriptionA man's undershirt, made of sturdy red wool flannel. The garment is simply made, with a three-button front placket, self-bound round neckline, and long, full sleeves gathered to a wristband with a single button closure. Two elongated triangular red wool panels are set into the undershirt along the shoulders as gussets for additional fullness. At the back of the undershirt, a square panel of lightweight red wool is sewn. Both hand sewing and machine sewing are used in the construction.
Curatorial RemarksEmeline Brown selected soft but sturdy red wool flannel to construct this cold-weather undershirt for her husband Cornelius H. Brown sometime between 1860 and 1870. Wool flannel was created through a mechanical process. After the wool fibers had been carded and woven, fine metal brushes were rubbed against the fabric's surface, raising or "napping" the wool surface to create the soft and "fluffy" flannel. Red was a highly popular color for wool undergarments for both men and women through the second half of the 19th century. As a mason, Cornelius Brown would have worked outdoors in almost all weather, and a warm undershirt of this type would have been a necessity. At the back of the shirt, a square patch approximately 10 x 10 inches appears to have been sewn beneath an earlier machine-sewn panel. This might indicate that the shirt was originally a "union suit," a one-piece undergarment consisting of attached close-fitting leggings and shirt top. These were worn by both men and women, and the typical design included a button-closure flap at the back for bathroom needs. Emeline Brown also added the triangular gusset patches along the tops of the shoulders. Cornelius was described as a "big man," so additional give would be needed to accomodated the broad shoulders of a brick mason. By the early years of the 20th century, red flannel underwear fell out of popularity as central heating became common in private homes and machine-made knitted fabrics became more popular for undergarment construction.NotesThis simple and stury man's red wool flannel undershirt was worn by Keyport resident Cornelius Hardenburg Brown. Born on 3 November 1830 in Cheesequake, Cornelius was one of ten children. At the age of 17, Brown moved to Keyport to apprentice with his older brother, T. S. R. Brown. Cornelius earned $25 a year plus room and board. After finishing his apprenticeship, Brown took over from his brother and became Keyport's leading mason. Although Cornelius Brown worked mainly in the Keyport area, he also accepted contracts farther afield. In the 1870s, Brown did the masonry work on the courthouse in Freehold after it burned, and also worked in Holmdel, Red Bank, and other locations throughout Monmouth County. In 1856, Cornelius married Emaline Frances Strong (1829 - 1888). He and Emaline had three children. His daughter, Josephine A. Brown, donated her father's warm flannel undershirt to the Association in 1950. It is very likely that Emaline Brown sewed the shirt for her husband Cornelius, most likely between 1860 and 1870, using both hand and machine stitching. Brown was described as a big man, "of a very robust constitution, never knowing what it was to be sick for a day..." Brown was clearly well thought of and a respected member of the Keyport community. According to his obituary which appeared in the 8 September 1905 issue of the Keyport Weekly, Brown constructed at least three-fourths of the masonry buildings in Keyport. Cornelius Brown died of a sudden stroke on 5 September 1905 at the age of 74 and was buried in Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport.

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